The Wolf Hunters: A Story of the Buffalo PlainsPeck, Robert Morris
General
The Wolf Hunters: A Story of the Buffalo Plains
Peck, Robert Morris
Frontier and pioneer life -- Kansas; Hunting -- Kansas
"Pretty feeble. His age is against him, for he must be up in the
seventies. I'm getting the fever pretty well under control, and if he
gets no backset I think I can pull him through. I have my bed close by
him an' I try to keep the lodge at as even a temperature as possible;
but I have to do most everything myself, for these Injuns can't be made
to savvy how to take care of the sick. Now, I must go."
After seeing our animals sent out to the herd and our saddles and
bedding taken into Lobo's lodge, we went inside, spread our bed, and
then took a stroll about camp. Everything here--the Indians, their
dress and habits--was new, strange, and deeply interesting to Captain
Saunders, who had never before seen a wild Indian.
Noticing To hausen's dilapidated old ambulance standing near his lodge,
I said:
"Captain, do you see that old government ambulance?"
"Yes," he replied, "and I have been wondering at it and was going to
ask you if many of the Indians have such vehicles?"
"No. I don't know of another Indian on the plains who sports an
ambulance or any other wheeled vehicle to ride in. I must tell you how
he came by this one. In the spring of '59 the Kiowas were becoming
restless, and disregarding the warnings and advice of the old chief,
who was always friendly to the whites, they were inclined to follow the
lead of Satank, who is always unfriendly. They were threatening to go
on the war-path. Our command of four companies of First Cavalry, under
Major John Sedgwick, was sent out on the plains from Fort Riley with
orders to range along the Arkansas River to try to keep the Indians
in subjection. The Pike's Peak gold excitement was at its height
then, and an outbreak of the Indians would be a serious affair. Old
To hausen tried hard to keep the Kiowas peaceable, but succeeded in
holding only this small band of about a hundred warriors, the rest of
the tribe following Satank. To hausen often visited our camps and our
officers often gave him and his adherents presents. Our quartermaster,
Lieutenant James B. McIntyre, had this old ambulance on hand, and,
as it was about played out, he got it condemned by a board and was
thinking of burning it to get rid of the old trap, when it occurred
to him to make a present of it to To hausen if he would accept it.
The old fellow was very much pleased to think of riding about in such
a rig as our commanding officer sometimes used. Lieutenant McIntyre
had his blacksmith put the old rattletrap in serviceable shape; and
then put harness on a pair of the old chiefs mustangs and had them
broken to work by some of the soldiers and turned the outfit over to To
hausen. But neither he nor any of his men could learn to use the lines
and, after a few efforts they dispensed with the lines altogether,
and, putting a boy on each bronco of the team, they have since
navigated the ambulance in that shape. Indian-like, they generally
travel at a gallop, whether the ground is smooth or rough, and often
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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