ADVENTURES
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CHAS. L. YOUNGBLOOD
ON THE
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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
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:
ADVENTURES
CHAS. 1. YOUNGBLOOL
DURING
TEN YEARS ON THE PLAINS.
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COMPILED FROM HIS OWN JOURNAL.
OPY RI¢ GAT
Zann OF COWeR= ~
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BOONVILLE, IND: ™
BOONVILLE STANDARD Co., PRINTERS.
1882.
COPYRIGHT BY
CHARLES. LL. YOUNGBLOOD.
ALT DO hese.
PREP A CE.
ee
In presenting this little volume to the public
I have no apology to offer nor any explanation
to make to the inception of the work, except
that it was written at the request of many ot
my friends, who, knowing of my life in the
West, were anxious to have my adventures
written and published according to the tashion
of the day.
Concerning the work itself I have only this
to say: It is not fanciful description of imagi-
nary adventures, but a true recital of a few of
my hunts on the plains and such other occur-
rences as might be considered worthy of
mention. These are not altogether in the
order of their occurrence but as I call them to
mind, and in most instances dates are omitted
on account of incompleteness in my data.
And now I leave it with you, necessarily
incomplete and imperfect as it is, and even if
it does not come up to your expectations from
a romantic point of view, I can assure you
that I have kept within the bounds of truth,
which I hope will make up for all it may lack
as to romance. gaa Bie) Ge
ee rs
DEDICATION.
‘To my aged father whose paternal care and
attection has been so constantly manifested
toward me during my whole life this little
volume is affectionately dedicated by the
author.
CONTENTS.
Chapter. 7 Page.
I. Introduction.
II. Speculation—Poultry raising in
the West—Killed by a bear, etc. 12
Ii]. Out for a hunt—A missing over-
coat—Indians on a tramp—“Old
Poison Stinger.” 20
IV. Bad Indians—Buffalo “chips’”—
A frightened hunter—Not quite
dead yet. 28
V. On Smoky River—The Indians
go through our camp—A big
chase after them. 36
VI. Good luck—More bad Indians—
Some of them suddenly die—
White women’s scalps—How
the Indians hunt buftalo—Indian
squaws. 47
Vil. A change—A night with the
wolves—Black tailed deer—Fe-
rocious animals—Back to the
plains. ” 58
VIII. In Kansas again—Not a happy
family—A thief not in luck-—
Emigrants on a hunt—More
Indians. 67
IX. The way soldiers chase Indians
—A greeny catches a buffalo calf
—“Help me let it go.” 73
Unsuccessful hunters—Dangers
of the plains—In Missouri again.
On the plains—-A gang oft badgers
Scared by Indians—The horse as
a picket guard—Snow bound.
Plenty of game——In a bad fix——
Couldn’t stand the Indians, etc.
Wild horse——Thirsty and hun-
gry—Bones on the plains—The
result of strong-headedness.
New Yorkers on a hunt—Not so
very dead—A regular chase
after wild horses.
Another wild horse chase—Ind-
ians!—A big drive—Close brush
with the red skins.
Englishmen on a lark—A man in
trouble—Dodging a detective.
A’ ‘sudden mise.) @he beaver.
“No badger, thank you.” Scared
New Yorkers.
Hungry. Eating prairie dogs. A
hunter’s relic. Killing antelope.
South of the Arkansas River.
Buffalo. Wolves.
An ‘editor tries © 10.
game. Big haul.
Prairie on fire. Buffalo stam-
pede. Excited. Hungry. Snow
bound. Wild horses.
Conclusion.
Plenty of
LG
ABV ISA TOR ES
Or
CHARLES L.. YOUNGBLOOD
DURING
TEN YEARS ON THE PLAINS
CHAPTER I.
LMT RODUCT LOM:
THE author of this sketch was born in An-
derson township, Warrick county, Indiana,
April oth, 1826. His father was a native ot
South Carolina, and his mother hailed from
Virginia. The first forty years of his life was
spent in the place of his nativity, during which
time he was engaged infarming. His educa-
tion was just rudimentary, only such as could
be obtained in the primitive log school house
with its big open fire-place. The old-fashion-
ed schoolmaster armed with rod and ferule,
the roaring log fire and the blue-backed spell-
(2)
IO THE ADVENTURES OF
ing-book are among the many things of
childhood to which memory often reverts, and
the mind of the writer loves to look back upon
those early times when the log-rollings, th
quiltings, the wood-choppings, the camp-
meetings, and the thousand and one different
occasions of gatherings together of the people.
It does seem to me that people were less sel-
fish and. careless of their neighbors’ welfare;
they certainly were more kind and friendly
then than now. But times and things have
changed; the days of the husking-bee, the
camp-meeting and the old-fashioned speling-
school have passed away, and everybody is
now on a grand rush to get rich or great.
Perhaps it was because of the decay: of
primitive <customs, and) tie gehanee am. sur-
roundings, coupled with a kind of veneration
for things of ye olden times, that caused the
writer to grow tired of the new order of things
and turn his longing eyes to the West for a
repitition of the things of his boyhood.
Finally, in 1865, this yearning for the joys
of the rough and tumble life of the back-
CHARLES L. YOUNGBLOOD. Be
woods became so strong, that, bidding adieu to
relations and friends, he took his wife and
children and turning his face westward, and
traveling across Illinois and Missouri, brought
up in Kansas City, which was then but a small
town on the line between Missouri and Kan-
sas.
At this point his life and adventures in the
West, which it is the purpose of the following
pages to relate, begin, and this little introduc-
tion is closed, hoping that the mind of the
reader is prepared to follow him through his
narrative, with at least an ordinary degree of
interest.
12 THE ADVENTURES OF
CHAPTER KYLE
A MAN
SPECULATION — POULTRY RAISING
KILLED BY A BEAR, ETC.
WueEn I arrived at Kansas City, in 186s, it
was such a little, unpromising looking place
that I conceived a dislike tor it immediately.
I had money enough to have bought it almost
entire, and, in the light of recent develop-
ments, have regretted a thousand times that
I did not do so. The squalid village of a few
huts, has, in the sixteen intervening years,
grown to be a thriving, busy city of several
thousand inhabitants. Its situation upon one
of the main lines of travel and emigration,
makes it certain to become one of the princi-
pal western cities, but the prejudice I first
conceived against the place was so strong that
I tailed to discover any future for it, and pre-
vented my making any speculation on the
place.
I remained here but a short time, and then
pushed forward up into Kansas, but did not
like the country. It was so totally different
CHARLES L. YOUNGBLOOD. 13
to what I had been accustomed, that I could
not make up my mind to locate there. I had
been used to ten-acre fields, and the. broad
unfenced prairie did not suit me. I was raised
in a country where there was plenty ot timber,
and did not see how I could get along without
it. So despairing of suiting myself in such a
country, I turned back to Missouri. Here I
finally bought a large farm near the center of
the State, where I remained until 1872.
While living here I suffered considerably
from what is commonly called “bad luck,” but
perhaps a better name for most instances of
this class would be mismanagement. But be
this asit may, I managed to sink several thou-
sand dollars in real estate. <A railroad route
had been surveyed through the section, and a
town laid out. As work was already begun
on the proposed railroad, I thought it would
be safe to invest on the strength of it. I ac-
cordingly purchased a good part of the town
at a big price. The railroad fell through, and
my town lots depreciated until I was com-
pelled to almost give them away. I missed
I4 THE ADVENTURES OF
it in not buying Kansas City, and also missed
it in buying an imaginary city.
Disheartened at my loss I determined to
“so west” again, and accordingly started out
with about two hundred bushels of dried fruit
and a lot of butter. I did not try Kansas this
time, but went to Denver, Colorado. From
Denver I went to Golden City, thence to Black
Hawk City, Central City and Nevada City.
Here I sold my produce and began to cast
my eyes about to see what I shoulddo. Every
thing and everybody seemed to be in a hurry;
even the mountains seemed to move, out of
pure sympathy with every thing about them.
Every man [ could see seemed on a rush for
money, and that he was getting it. Men do.
not all dig gold and silver here to make money.
I noticed many engaged in occupations that no
man in Warrick county would at all think of
engaging in. Among the other queer avoca-
tions that are followed out here, I noticed a
poultry ranche. It seemed to me, at first sight,
that this was about as nearly nothing as any
business I ever heard of, but I found upon in-
CHARLES L. YOUNGBLOOD. [5
quiry that it was not so small after all. The
ranche was about five miles from the mines,
where thousands of miners were at work, and
in the neighborhood were several boarding
houses, some of which had as many as fifteen
hundred boarders, and the poultry man found
ready sale at high prices for the products of
his ranche. esides this there were a great
deal of scraps, crumbs and the like about these
boarding houses that he got merely for taking
it out of the way, which made good food for
the poultry. This made the expense of the
ranche small, ard he received trom fifty
cents to one dollar a piece for chickens, and
about the same per dozen for eggs, of which
he was selling at that time about ninety dozen
a day. He had about two thousand hens be-
sides other poultry, and as the labor was light,
the expense small and the prices enormous, he
was making money rapidly in the poultry
business.
In this part of the country I received about
my first impressions of the animals of the
West. I happened one day to be passing a
16 THE ADVENTURES OF
house, where a man, who had just had a fight
with a cinnamon bear, had been placed. Of
course on hearing this I dropped in and heard
the fatally wounded man, as far as he was
able, relate the circumstances. He had shot
and badly wounded the bear, and was follow-
ing its trail, hoping to be able to kill it, through
a rough stony place, and ashe was going along
as noiselessly as he could for the rocks, he sud-
denly came upon it and did not have time to
shoot before it sprang upon him and dashed
him to the ground. In his struggles to release
himself from the animal, both his legs were
broken, and he saw that his only chance was
in strategy, as he was match for the bear in
strength, and he lay perfectly still as if dead,
when the bear after eyeing him closely for a
moment or two started slowly away. As soon
as the bear was a few feet off he raised on his
hands and knees—his legs both being broken
below the knee—and started to crawl away.
This attracted the bear’s attention and it
turned and pounced upon him with greater
fury than before, this time breaking one of his
CHARLES L. YOUNGBLOOD. 17
wrists. He resorted to the same stratagem as
before, but waited until the brute was out of
sight, when he again started to crawl toward
home, dragging himself through the snow
which was about four inches deep. A few
moments after the struggle, his brother hap-
pened to be passing that way and seeing the
the marks of the fight, not knowing that it was
his brother who had been torn nearly to pieces,
went on the trail of the bear, which, when over-
taken, was for another fight, but a repeating
rifle proved too much for it, and he soon had
itsately dead. He then started back to see who
the man was who had been in the clutches ot
the bear, and his feelings mav be better imag-
ined than described, when, after tollowire it
about half a mile, he found it was his brother.
The wounded man had crawled that distance
with one wrist and both legs broken. The
poor fellow was in great agonv and lived but
a few hours. His father said he would have
the bear skinned and sleep on the hide as long
as he lived.
A few days after this I fell in with some old
(3)
18 THE ADVENTURES OF
hunters at Golden City, who were just on the
eve of starting out on a big buffalo hunt, and
I thought that here was achance to have some
sport, and perhaps make some money. Some
of my readers are perhaps not aware that sport
is not by any means the whole object in buf-
falo hunting, but many men have almost made
fortunes inthe business... “The; flesh is, ex-
cellent and when properly cured is readily
sold at good figures, and the hides are no drag
on the hunter’s hands.
While we were cleaning up our guns pre-
paratory to starting out on the hunt; I came
very near getting into a: lithe diiieule- a
thoughtlessly put a charge in my gun and fired
it out of the door at random. Almost imme-
diately a policeman came running across the
street, and taking hold of my arm said,
“Come along, sir.”
I saw that I was in an awkward predica-
ment, and concluded, like a great many men
who are caught in uglier scrapes, to try the
insanity dodge, which I played so successfully
that he said he would let me off this time, but
:
i
4
CHARLES L. YOUNGBLOOD. 19°
warned me against repeating the offense. It
is useless to add that I was very careful after
this not to fire any more random shots in
town.
After making all necessary preparations we
started’ out to get some buffaloes, and in the
next chapter my readers will find a full ac-
count of my first buffalo hunt.
20 THE ADVENTURES OF
CHAPTER.
OUT FOR A HUNT—A MISSING OVERCOAT —
MY FIRST BUFFALO—INDIANS ON, THE
TRAMP—“OLD POISON SLINGER,” ETC.
THREE other men and myself left Golden
City to go about eighty miles in search of
buffalo. The first game we struck was a herd
of antelope, into which we fired, killing one.
We then went to a house about a mile off to
stay over night. We proposed to the man of
the house to furnish the meat and he furnish
the rest. He replied by saying that he would
do so. Of course we thought it was all right,
and our antelope went free, but the next
morning he charged us five dollars for his
hospitality. This seemed very mean, but the
boys contrived a way to get even with
him. He had been telling of a new overcoat,
tor which he paid fourteen dollars the day be-
fore, and when we left the coat went too. He
had his five dollars, and we had his fourteen
CHARLES L. YOUNGBLOOD. 21
dollar overcoat. As it was a partnership coat
we took turn about in wearing it.
We travelled on until we came to what
ought to have been “good hunting,” but as we
saw no buffalo we were at quite a loss to know
how to get them, as there was no timber in
which we could conceal ourselves, it being an
open prairie with not a tree for many miles.
While preparations for camping were being
made, I went about twenty miles from the
railroad and struck a herd of buffalo. I was
careful not to get too close to them for two
reasons: aherd of those animals, to a novice,
look simply frightful; and I was afraid they
would take fright and run away. When I
was within about five hundred yards of them
I aimed at the herd and fired, and had the
supreme satisfaction of seeing my first buffalo
fall. JI was too much elated to try to get any
more just then, though I might easily have
done so, but went back to camp to relate what
I had done, and we were soon on our way
after my buffalo. While on the way we saw
a large one coming nearly toward us on the
22 THE ADVENTURES OF
run. | left the others and: got’ right im, the
animal’s course and lay down to conceal my-
self, and as soon as he was near enough I fired
and saw the wool fly off him, but he kept on
coming. I[ put in another cartridge and fired
again, when he dashed right at me, and I be-
gan to think that I had gotten into a rather
bad scrape, but when within a few steps of
me, to my infinite relief he fell dead. I after-
ward found out that I had not done anything
wonderful, but I thought at the time that I
knew all about killing buffalo. We resumed
our journey, and had gone but a short distance
when I noticed a large herd about a mile off.
I started and went as close as I thought safe
and killed one, and immediately the others
rallied round it bellowing and tossing their
heads. I thought this a good chance, so I kept
blazing away until I got eight. I was certain
then that I was the champion buffalo killer of
the plains. We soon dressed them and started
back to camp. We had gone but a short dis-
tance when we saw a large band of Indians
coming toward us, which caused us not a little
4 CHARLES L. YOUNGBLOOD. 23
anxiety until we discovered that they were
friends. There were about fifteen hundred of
them and they had a permit from the Govern-
ment to hunt for thirty days. This was the
first large band of Indians I had seen, and it
was quite a sight to me. The warriors were
in front, followed by the squaws and luggage.
The papooses, or. babies, were lashed om
horses, which were turned loose and driven in
a kind of herd. Besides the papooses, the
luggage was lashed on the pack horses and
were driven by the squaws, while the men rode
on before at their ease. The weather was
very cold and it was snowing at the time, and
pelting the little papooses in the face and on
the hands, but they seemed to be tough enough
and were taking it easy, laughing and crowing
and their little black eyes shining like black
beads.
Buffalo meat was low and it did not pay
much to save it, and we went hunting just
for the hides, and in a few days had killed
over a hundred, which we skinned and left
the carcasses to rot on the prairie.
24 THE ADVENTURES OF
As we were going into camp one day I saw
three buftalo lying down, and, having only five
cartridges, slipped up as close as I could get
and killed two and wounded the other. One
cartridge failed to fire, and I went back to the
wagon to take the cap off, but while I was
picking it out it exploded, nearly tearing my
wiand off., This laid me up for nearly we
weeks.
One day while my hand was sore and l
could not use my gun, I was strolling along a
branch, I heard an unusnal noise, and looking
up saw the “tips” of some Indians, I could
not tell how many, just as they passed over a
ridge... As “soon..as.. 1 saw tiene: lay.
flat down, and they passed on without
seeing me, and. it was well ternpentec
that'.they did mot; tor ‘they | weremmostile
and, as I did not have my gun, would have
made short work of me. I met them often
after that, but was generally better prepared
for them, as I always had my “old poison
slinger” with me.
“Old poison slinger” is the name that the
men gave my gun. It was a Sharp’s rifle, 50
El eg te
CHARLES L. YOUNGBLOOD. 25
calibre, made to load and shoot eight times a
minute. It would throw a ball to kill a dis-
tance of five miles. [ have killed buffalo with
it at a mile, and have shot with it so far that I
had plenty of time to take my head from it
and see the ball strike.
Soon after I hurt my hand two of the men
went off, and there were only myself and an-
other man left, but he was a good shot and
we got along very well. We were out shoot-
ing one day back about 20 miles on Cold Hell
Creek, and, besides killing several buffalo,
we wounded one cow that lay down and my
partner went out to kill her. Before he got
very close to her,. she. sprang to her feet
and made a dash at him. The reader will
bear in mind that a buftalo, when badly
wounded, gets desperate, and will rush head-
long at its enemy with a force that makes it
very much safer to be out of the way. When
he saw what she meant he dropped on one
knee, and taking rest on the other, waited until
she was within twelve feet of him, when he
fired, hitting her in the jaw, stunning her, and
(4)
26 THE ADVENTURES OF
before she had time to recover shot her through
the heart.
A few days after this we went about twenty
miles east of Cold Hell Creek, on the bed of
the Republican river, where we remained and
hunted about two weeks. We were here two
or three days before we saw any buffalo, but
on getting up one morning and going outa
mile or two, we saw the largest herd that I ever
saw anywhere. I could not tell how far east
and west they extended. They came ina run
that shook the ground like an earthquake, and
frightened our horses and made them almost
unmanageable. They were all that day and
night in passing. We wondered what could
be the cause for such a large herd passing on
a run, but found out that the Cheyenne Indians
and the Utes had been fighting, and the Utes,
being driven back, fired the prairie to prevent
pursuit. This fire in the big tall grass of the
prairie drove the buffalo, antelope and wolves
out. We kept firing on them and killed one
hundred and three while they were passin¢.
We could have killed as many more, but.
CHARLES L. YOUNGBLOOD. 27
stopped occasionally to skin what we had
killed. We were compelled to remain up all
night on account of our horses, and besides
we could not have slept for the noise. The
heavy, continual thunder of their tramp, and
their incessant bellowing, made so much noise
that sleep was out of the question, even though
circumstances were otherwise favorable. I
have seen a great many herds of buffalo but
never before, or since, have seen one equal to
this.
28 THE ADVENTURES OF
CTE YE ER oly.
BAD! INDIANS——- BUFFALO ‘CHIPS——A FRIGHT
NOT QUITE DEAD: YET,:-ETC.
ENED HUNTER
Ir was not long betore the Indians became
so bad that hunters were compelled to go in
squads of from eight to ten and upwards, and
then it was with more or less risk. Hunters
were killed almost every day, but the Indians
are generally to cowardly to make an attack
with anything like equal numbers. Their
favorite plan is for a large band to surround
about three or four whites, and shoot them
down or put them to death by torture. I
will not stop here to describe any of their
methods of torture, but will do so in another
chapter. - hae
I remember one time that I was one of a
squad of ten buffalo hunters when a band of
Ogallahs came over from their reservation on
a thirty days’ permit from Uncle Sam to hunt
not far from us, and one day a squad of them
came over to our camp and got to horse-racing
CHARLES L. YOUNGBLOOD. . 29
with some of our boys. They were running
‘one horse for the other,” and the Indians lost
their horses. They then put up their guns
and lostthem. They didnot seem to be much —
chagrined over their loss, but shook hands
with us all around and were entirely too friend-
ly, so much so as to arouse our suspicions and
render us very uneasy. As soon as they left
we brought our horses up close, got our
supper as soon as we could, put out our camp-
fire, put our guns in fighting trim, and pre-
pared for the attack that we felt sure would
come. | mt
About two hours atter dark we discovered
them coming. Their object evidently was
to get their horses back and steal some of ours,
and, if they caught us off our guard, kill us.
We waited until they were as close as we
thought they ought to come, and then opened
fire on them with our repeating rifles. This
was wholly unexpected to them, as they had
depended on taking us by surprise, and all that
could run didso. Some of our men sprang on
their horses and pursued them a short distance,
30 THE ADVENTURES OF
and helped them to hurry along to their camp.
We did not sleep much that night, and
did not leave camp at all the next day, know-
ing that we wonld have some kind of settle-
ment to make with them, and about ro o’clock
in the morning we noticed a large squad of
them coming toward us. Thereader must not
forget that the Indian is Uncle Sam’s pet, and
we did not dare do anything unless we were
attacked, but had gotten everything in read-
iness by the time they came up. “The chief;
who spoke fair English, said: ‘You d—d -——
—— killed four of my men out there,”
pointing to where four dead Ogallahs lay.
One of our men, Hank Miller, said “Paw-
nees,’ meaning that it was the Pawnees that
had killed them, but the old chief roared out
‘““Pawnees, no Pawnees,”’ and drawing his
finger around his head to indicate that had it
been the Pawnees that killed his men, they
would have scalped them, which, of course,
we did not do, expressed his utter disbelief
by saying ‘Poo, poo, poo, no Pawnee.”
They sat on their horses and bandied words
CHARLES L. YOUNGBLOOD. 31
with us for some time, watching very closely
for apportunity to make a dash on us, but we
were in readiness for them. We had our
guns in our hands, with our thumbs on the
hammer and our fingers on the trigger. We
could have shot in a second, and dropped ten
Indians, and they knew it. Seeing that it
would not be at all easy to punish us, they soon
rode away muttering imprecations on us as
they went. They didnot disturb us any more,
and we resumed our hunting as usual for
thirty days, averagirg a hundred buffalo a day.
At the close of this hunt I went back to
Missouri, and remained about six months,
when I again started west. I made arrange-
ments with A. Buckmaster and L. J. Shilder
at Warrensburg, Mo., to sell meat for me, and
took two men, Louis Allred and Silas Mc-
Ferrin, with me. After about fourteen days
travel we came to “good hunting.” Buffaloes
were plentiful and I made an average of eight
a day. The hides and flesh of eight good
buffalo are worth about $50, so you see it
was paying me pretty well.
32 THE ADVENTURES OF
We were camped on what is called Sappy
river, and were twenty miles from timber.
While here the snow fell about twelve inches
deep, and we were compelled to remain in our
tent three days without fuel, the snow storm
coming so suddenly as to prevent our laying
ina supply. We only had a small. amount
gathered, and it consisted mostly of buffalo
chips, which is simply the sun-dried excrement
of the buffalo. It will probably seem to many
of my. readers in the East, that it would make
very poor fuel, but in this section of the coun-
try it is preferred over wood or coal for many
purposes. I have seen hotter fires made from
it than I ever saw from wood. Some of my
readers might have a little delicacy, about
using such fuel, but here it is nothing to see
ladies gathering it in their aprons. In nearly
every house you can find a sack full of it
standing in the corner, and when the fire gets
low, the lady of the house takes a few chips
from the sack and puts them in the stove, and
nothing more is thought of it than when you
put a stick of wood on the fire, or a lump of
CHARLES L. YOUNGBLOOD. 33
coal on the grate. We managed to get along
without getting frozen, and after the snow
went off we resumed our hunting.
The two men who were with me were no
hunters, and | had them employed to help me
take care of the buffaloes after they were
killed. One day when we were out I had
killed several very close together, and while
we were skinning them, we saw, about a mile
away, a big buffalo coming nearly toward us,
and Louis Allred said to me, “Charlie, let me
shoot that aa “Allright,” I replied, “there
is the gun.” ‘I just want to kill one, ” said
he, “to be able to say that I killed a buffalo.”
t uihied him the gun and the cartridge
belt, and he stalked off like an old soldier.
The buffalo was lost and was running as hard
as it could, looking for company, right toward
him. By the time he was two hundred yards
from us, the buffalo was pretty close to him
and still coming, and looking pretty scary.
He brought down the gun as if he were going
to shoot, but as the buffalo kept coming he
concluded to get out of the way, and started
(5)
34 THE ADVENTURES OF
back toward us for dear life. As soon as the
buftalo saw him it turned and ran too, but he
supposed it was right after him and was ex-
pecting at every step to be caught, and made
his tracks as fast and as far apart as he could,
while the buffalo was going as fast as it could
in an opposite direction. He looked a little
sheepish when he brought up and saw the
buffalo away off and running as fast as he
could in another direction, but he thought
he had run a frightful risk and was not at all
anxious after that to have it said that he
“killed a buffalo.”
Another time he and I were out together
and were skinning several buffalo that we had
killed. We came to one that was not quite
dead, so I said that | would whet my knife
while it was dying. I laiddown my gun, and
had hardly commenced sharpening my knife,
When Allred screamed “Look out! Look
out!” I raised my head and saw that it was
nearly on us. I had not time to pick up my
gun and had to run without it. The animal
stopped at the gun and began pawing it, and
CHARLES L. YOUNGBLOOD. ae
horning my coat, which, in my haste, I had
left lying by the gun. As I had but the one
gun, we could only stand and wait, but ina
few moments it lay down right by the gun,
and in about two hours died.
— He
36 THE ADVENTURES OF
c
CHAPTIAR ®.
WE MOVE TO SMOKY RIVER— THE INDIANS
GO THROUGH OUR CAMP.
WE finally moved from Sappy river to
what is called Smoky river. This is only a
small stream, not being over a rod or so wide.
Along the banks are a few willows, and oc-
casionally a cottonwood tree rises up into the
air. As this was a good place to stay awhile
we set to work killing buffalo, drying the fore
quarters and selling the hind quarters. From
this place I sent a large quantity to Buckmas-
ter and Shidler, my agents, in Missouri.
While here I took Allred and started to go
to a herd of buffalo that I had, with the aid
of my field glass, discovered about three
miles off, leaving McFerrin to load cartridges.
A short time after we left, a band of Indians,
who had doubtless been watching our camp,
came in sight. McFerrin dodged out of the
camp and ran into the bluffs on the river bank
and hid himself in the bushes where he could
————
ee “ole a ta to. SO ae
—
a
CHARLES L. YOUNGBLOOD. . 37
watch them. They approached cautiously,
and, after firing several shots into the tent,
dashed up and took possession. After rifling
my camp of whatever they wanted, they
moved off about a quarter of a mile and hid
under a hill side,.on the road leading from
Wallace to the Republican river—a road much
frequented by hunters—and watched the road
until a man named Charles Brown, who was
driving a team and wagon, came along.
Brown, who was one of a squad of hunters,
was driving to Smoky river to build a fire and
prepare for camping; the others were a mile
or two behind skinning some buffaloes that
they had killed. When he was near enough
the red skins fired on him, and he jumped off
the wagon and started to run, but was soon
struck by a ball and fell, when one of the
Indians ran up to him and shot him through
the head. They then began going through the
wagon, but before they had secured their
plunder the rest of Brown’s party came up,
and the red devils made themselves scarce.
As soon as the hunters saw the Indians they
38 THE ADVENTURES OF
took the horses out of the harness and pursued,
but failed to overtake them.
While all this was transpiring I was about
three miles away, killing and skinning buffalo,
in blissful ignorance of everything else. I had
just finished skinning and started after one
I had wounded. The grourd was uneven and
as I was nearly at the top of a knoll I caught
a glimpse of something just going over a
hill, and remarked to Allred “There is a here,
now,” and ran to the top of the hill to shoot.
It was getting late in the evening and fast
getting dark, and when I reached the top of
the hill I could see several objects coming in
sight about two hundred yards to my right,
which I soon discovered to be mounted men,
but could not tell whether they were red
skins or white men. As soon as they saw me
they dismounted and began to make signs to
me, but which I did not care about answer-
ing. I did not know just what to do, and
came near firing on them, but concluded to
await developments. At last one of them
mounted his horse and came toward us, when
CHARLES L. YOUNGBLOOD. 39
Wilired said “It is an Indian; ‘shoot him.” = |
put my gun to my face and he called to us,
and we knew then that he was a white man.
When he was a little closer he said “Don’t
shoot, Youngblood; I came very near shoot-
ing you. We were just after some Indians
and they passed over that ridge as you came
in sight. I am glad, now, that I didn’t shoot.
They killed one of our boys up at the road
about three miles from here, and we want you
to go up there and put him on the wagon so
> We promised
the wolves won’t get him.’
him we would do so, and started toward camp.
We had gone but a short distance when we
found an empty powder can, which, on ex-
amination, proved to be mine. I knew by
this that the red devils had gone through my
camp, and had perhaps killed McFerrin and
stolen everything | had.
It was quite dark before we arrived at camp,
and when we got within a short distance
began to approach very cautiously, as we
thought that perhaps they had left a detach-
ment to take care of us when we came back.
40 THE ADVENTURES OF
We pushed on to where they had killed
Brown, but, as it was too dark to find anything
but the wagon, we concluded to go to camp
and return when the moon rose, and put the
body away. When we were within about
two hundred yards of camp, I told Allred to
wait, while I went ahead and made a kind
of reconnoissance. <As | was slipping along
I spied the bulk of an object standing on a
little rise. I thought it was a person, and, as
I was standing very still and watching it very
closely, I heard a very low voice saying: ‘Is
that. you, Charlie?” lL thenay knew, thatiyat
was McFerrin, and answered that it was me.
He then came to me and said:)(~ Ehere are
Indians here; they stole everything you had
that they wanted. ‘They took your horses,
and shot at me, and I ran: and hid in the
bluffs where they could not find me.” He
said he was nearly frozen, and told me that
he had seen them kill a man just out on the
road. The moon soon came up, and we went
down to the road and found the poor fellow.
He was frozen stiff, and F put him on my
CHARLES L. YOUNGBLOOD. 4i
shoulder and carried and laid him on the
wagon, so that the wolves could not get to
Rise. =
We then went back to camp, when I found
that the Indians had cleaned me out entirely.
We remained in camp that night, and did not
dare to make much light as we were afraid
the red skins were still hovering about us. In
the morning I saw a squad of men about a
half a mile from camp and went to them.
They knew nothing of the raid, and I told
them all about it, then we went down to the
wagon where Brown lay dead and trozen
stiff. The sight of him raised their ire, and
vengeance was sworn against the red skins.
In a short time Brown’s companions, who had
been chasing the Indians during the night, re-
turned, but without being able to come up
with them.
We all held a council of war, and it was
unanimously agreed to follow, and, if possible,
punish the Indians. We made up a company
of twenty-six men and started after them.
We were all armed with long range repeating
(6)
42 THE ADVENTURES OF
rifles, and were supplied with from roo to 600
cartridges each. We followed the trail for
about seventy-five miles, but without finding
the foe. The trail led us through some very
dangerous places, several times through deep
gorges and ravines, where we might: have
been ambushed and every one of us killed,
with perfect safety to the enemy. But we did
not stop to think of danger, and pressed steadily
on until checked by a severe snow storm.
The snow fell about eight inches deep, and as
we had been dependirg entirely upon the
grass for feed for our horses, this was a serious
impediment to our progress. We could get
along well enough ourselves by killing buffalo
and antelope for food, but we could not pro-
vide for our horses. We agreed in council to
go to Fort Wallace and get provender for our
horses, and then continue the chase. We in-
formed the commander of the fort of our
business, and requested him to furnish us with
sufficient feed for our horses during the
pursuit, but, instead of doing so, he sent a
dispatch to General Pope at Leavenworth
,
CHARLES L. YOUNGBLOOD. 43
acquainting him with the facts, and received
in reply orders to send fifty men and four
scouts to chastise the marauders. The four
scouts were Hank Campbell, Louis Allred,
Bill Peach and myself.
We took up the trail where we had left it,
and had followed it some miles, when one ot
the soldiers said, “Yonder is a herd of buftalo.”’
The captain examined the herd through his
field glass a moment and then said, ‘There
- they are, boys; if you want meat, here is a
chance for it. They are Indians, and well
armed.” He ordered a halt, rolled out several
boxes of cartridges and told us to take all we
could carry. The Indians, meanwhile, were
collecting, and making preparations for an
attack. We were ordered to get into line.
The teams were left under guard, and we
moved onthe enemy. The ground was level
for two miles, and we went at a gallop until
within a half a mile of them, when the chief
raised a flag of truce and came toward us
followed by four of his men. We stopped,
and when they were within a few hundred
44 FHE ADVENTURES OF
yards, the captain sent two ot our men out to
parley with them. They met about a hun-
dred yards in front of us, but no sooner had
they done so than the red skins immediately
surrounded our men. Suspecting treachery,
We made a dash and surrounded the five
Indians.
The parley was not at all satisfactory, as
the Indians persisted in not understanding us.
While the parley was in progress one of the
Indians carelessly rode off a few steps and
entered a ravine. He rode into this until we
could only see him from the eyes up, and he
sat there watching our every movement.
Failing to get anything at all satisfactory
trom the chief during the parley, the captain
ordered them disarmed. Eight of us covered
them with our guns while they were disarmed.
As soon as we seized them, the one in the
ravine dashed away down the ravine, keeping
himself out of danger as long as he could,
then he dashed over a hill into the band of
Indians.
The Indians greatly outnumbered us and
CHARLES L. YOUNGBLOOD. 45
were as well armed as we were, and had the
advantage in position. Our commander did
not think it prudent to attack them where
they were, but endeavored by various artifices
to get them to change their position, but they
stood their ground. The captain would not
allow us to fire upon them where they were, as
they had with them two German girls, whom
they had taken alive the day before, after
murdering the rest of the family, and, at that
distance, we were as apt to kill them as In-
dians. After considerable maneuvering the
captain decided to return with his four pris-
oners to Fort Wallace, and report the situation
to the post commander. Accordingly the four
Indians were placed under a strong guard
behind the wagons, and we set out for the
fort. The power of endurance manifested by
these Indians during the journey to Fort
Wallace surprised me. The weather was
intensely cold, and a raw, bitter blast swept
over the prairie almost freezing us to death.
We had overcoats, overshoes and mittens, and
yet our feet, fingers, ears and noses were frost-
46 THE ADVENTURES OF
bitten. The Indians did not seem to suffer at
all from the cold, although they were nearly
naked. Besides, we could get off and walk
occasionally to stir our blood, but they were
compelled to ride all the way. The post
doctor said that they were all right, and not
at all injured by the cold, though they had
only moccasins on their feet and but little
clothing on their bodies.
On the way to the fort, one of our prisoners
made a dash to get away but was shot down;
the others were turned over to Colonel Han-
bright, and what became of them after that I
never learned.
I did not remain with the troops long
enough to know whether they made any fur-
ther attempt to punish the Indians or recapture
the German girls, but found a man named
Riley, who had a good team, which we hitched
to my Wagon, and started out on another
hunt.
CHARLES L. YOUNGBLOOD. AY
CHAPUER. V1.
GOOD LUCK—MORE INDIANS—SOME OF THEM
DIE SUDDENLY—WHITE WOMEN’S SCALPS—
HOW THE INDIANS HUNT BUFFALO—THE
JOYS OF AN INDIAN SQUAW, ETC.
RivLey and I hunted about four weeks, dur-
ing which time we killed and dried about one
hundred buffalo. The game soon left and
moved about one hundred miles east, near the
heads of several streams, viz.: Salim, Sappy,
Soloman, Prairie Dog, Beaver and Big Tim-
ber. We followed them and secured great
numbers. Here we fell in with three other
men, which increased our number to five.
We were hunting together, and one day left
one man at the camp to smoke meat while
the rest of us took the team and went out for
buffalo. As he was out gathering fuel on
that particular morning, he heard a racket in
the camp, and, supposing that we were driving
in, stepped back to see what we were coming
48 THE ADVENTURES OF
in so early for. Instead is seeing us he saw
fourteen redskins going through the camp.
They had taken his gun, and as soon as they
saw him, fired on him. He took to his heels
and ran along a ravine, followed closely by
several of the Indians. We were not far from
camp, and as soon as the red skins saw us
they stopped and beat a retreat. They did
not go back to the camp, however, but joined
the rest of the band in a cane-brake on Sappy
Creek, where, the next day, thirty-seven of
them died very suddenly. Two white men
also died about the same time. One of the
Indians that was killed was a chief. He had
a roll tied on his side, which one of the men
took off, saying, ‘‘What is this”? and when he
had unrolled it, “What is it, sure enough?”
We looked and saw that it was a dressed
buckskin cape, ornamented with white wo-
men’s scalps. Yet there are those who say
“The poor Indian,’ and bestow upon them
any amount of misplaced pity, by my acquain-
tance with them does not develop any traits
in their character or disposition worthy
CHARLES L. YOUNGBLOOD. AO
respect. Ofcourse they are mistreated some-
times, but this does not make them any better.
By nature they are lazy, cruel, vindictive, and
a perfect type of treachery, never acting in
good faith except they can gain a point by so
doing. Mercy is a virtue which an Indian
knows nothing about, and the truth never falls
from his lips if a lie can be made to answer.
They are in all respects, as nearly as I can
describe them, veritable demons, who spare
neither age nor sex, who respect no law, and
whose chief delight is to murder, burn and
ravage.
The little occurrence mentioned above oc-
curred in April, ’76, and I hunted there until
the fall without any further molestation from
the red devils. They remembered our long
range repeating rifles for a long time after-
ward.
While here a large band of Ute Indians
came into our neighborhood on a permit to
hunt thirty days, and for the benefit of my
readers, I will now describe, as well as I can,
their manner of hunting and killing buffalo.
(7)
50 THE ADVENTURES OF
They fyst.select their place for a camp,
gererally near some stream convenient to fuel
and water. As soon as the place is chosen’
the squaws set to work unpacking the goods
and chattels and putting up the tents—the
squaws do all the drudgery—-and making things
comfortable. Besides the work mentioned
above they must care for the horses, get fuel
and water, in fact do all the drudgery, while
the men roll on the grass in the shade and
smoke their pipes at their ease. When the
camp is all in order one Indian is sent out to find
a herd of buffalo, and as soon as he discovers
one he returns to camp and reports. Then
the women get the horses, and the men and
boys mount their ponies and ride for the herd.
The women follow, driving the pack-horses,
and taking their knives to dress the game
that the men kill.
A band of Indians mounted and equipped
for a buffalo chase presents a very unique ap-
pearance. ‘Their ponies are scrawny looking
little things, and many are so small, and the
rider so large, that his feet nearly reaches the
CHARLES L. YOUNGBLOOD. 51
ground. Notwithstanding his size and ap-
pearance, there is no discount on the pony ;
he makes up in grit and endurance what he
lacks in size, and will carry a rider or a heavy
pack farther in a day than an ordinary horse.
The Indian’s saddle is a mechanical curiosity.
It is made with two forked sticks, one behind
and one betore, held apart by two pieces ot
board, one on either side, and have straps of
-buckskin running lenethwise. The boards
which hold the forked sticks apart are on the
bottom, and rest on the horse’s back, while the
buckskin straps are on top, and form a soft
seat for the rider. Though this saddle is easy
on the rider, it is frequently severe on the pony,
the boards frequently being left naked, and I
have seen ponies so lacerated by them that
the back-bone in places was left perfectly
bare. But an Indian has no mercy for his
horse any more than he has for his squaw, and
so long as he can ride along easily he cares
not whether his pony is suffering, and will
even beat him for flinching and “giving down”
under one of these barbarous saddles. They
52 THE ADVENTURES OF
depend a great deal on ceremonies for
“s@od luck” in killmg -game, and ‘the
performance of these rites is almost as much
of a sight, to a person not accustomed to their
ways, as a good circus. As soon as they get
as close to a herd as they dare, they dismount
and begin their ceremonies, which consist of
an immense amountot foolishness. The white
man, when he starts tor a herd goes right up
and commences killing, but the Indian must
stop and .go through the rites that have been
handed down to him from time immemor-
jal., .; They... set, down : ‘one thei slices
and repeat several ceremonies. They talk
to the buffalo and tell them not to
run away as they will give them some
tobacco, of which each Indian buries a small
piece in the ground; they pull their horses’
tails, ‘whisper in their ears, and tie eagle
feathers in their tails to make them swift.
Frequently they kill a dog and. eat it. - All
this, anda great deal more that I have not time
or space to mention, is done that good luck
may attend their chase. ‘The ceremonies con-
CHARLES L. YOUNGBLOOD. 53
cluded, they mount their ponies and ride rap-
idly to the herd, which, if not disturbed by the
powow, is quietly grazing on the prairie. As
soon as the buffalo discover their foe they take
the alarm, and very frequently rush in a mass
directly toward them, but, when within a
short distance, they suddenly whirl and dash
bellowing in the opposite direction.
The turning of the buffaloes is the signal
fore satiack, and then the Indians,
with the wildest of yells imaginable, dash upon
them with their guns, spears, bows and arrows
and commence the slaughter. Those with
guns ride to one side of the fleeing herd, and,
keeping parallel to them, load and fire as fast
as they can, bringing down a buffalo at almost
every shot; while those with spears, and other
weapons of a like sort, rush into the herd and
riding almost against one thrust the weapon
almost through itin the most vital part. The
Indians with bows and arrows ride into the
herd as do the spearmen, and leaving the pony
to take his way, use both hands shooting
arrows into first one and then another. Their
54 THE ADVENTURES OF
arrows are often tipped with pieces of saw-
blade, on the edges of which is cut a fine
beard, which causes them to work inward as
the animal runs. ‘They shoot three or four
arrows into one buffalo, and then single out
another, and, the arrows working in, they soon
fall and die. ‘This slaughter is kept up until
quite frequently every one of the herd is killed.
In the hunt which I saw, they killed a hundred
and ten in less than fifteen minutes.
As soon as the killing is over the squaws
dress: the meat and pack it on the horses:
while the men and boys take a rest and
a smoke, and laugh and talk of the ex-
ploits’ :of each other:~ during. the ~ clase:
When the game is dressed the men mount
their horses and ride joyfully toward camp,
while the squaws follow driving the pack
horses laden with the flesh and hides.
Though the Indians use the bearded tips on
their arrows in hunting, they use an entirely
entirely different one in fighting. ‘They have
some way by which they poison them, so that
they cause almost certain death, or, at least, a
CHARLES L. YOUNGBLOOD. a5
very ugly sore. -Just how they poison them
I am not able to say from actual knowledge,
but persons who have been much among them
tell me that to do it they take a piece of fresh
meat, and, making a rattlesnake angry, let it
bite the meat and inject its venom into it.
The meat is then left to putrefy, by which
time it is thoroughly permeated with the
poison, and the arrows are then poisoned by
sticking them into the poisoned meat. ‘These
poisoned arrows are carefully kept separate
{rom those to be used in hunting.
They frequently fight among themselves,
and more of them are killed in this way
than by white men. They exhibit terrible
ferocity and unrelenting cruelty in their wars
with each other, and those they take pris-
' oners are always put to the torture.
A friend of mine named Van Meter related
to me the particulars of a torture which he
witnessed while among the Ogallah-Sioux
Indians.
A band of Ogallahs had been out one
day and had a little skirmish with a squad of
56 THE ADVENTURES OF
the Crows, and came in with one prisoner.
He wasa warrior about twenty, and arrange-
ments were soon made to put him to the
torture. He was stripped and tied firmly to
a wagon wheel. Next, a large pine plank
was shaved into. splinters. Then one was
selected to apply the torture, and the rest
prepared to execute the war-dance around
him. The one selected to torture him took
a knife,,and taking up a piece of his flesh
between his fingers plunged the knife through
it, then thrust into the wound a bunch of the
pine splinters, which were then set on fire and
allowed to burn out. As soon as one bunch
of splinters died out, another was inserted in
a fresh gash as before. The process was kept
up until the skin was crisped all over the body.
Notwithstanding the agony he must have suf-
fered, he never murmured nor gave any other
- signs of pain, but appeared more unconcerned
than most people would to simply witness
such torture. During the whole time the
torture was going on the Indians danced
around their victim in the most wierd and un-
CHARLES L. YOUNGBLOOD. iy,
earthly manner, motioning as if they would
strike him with their tomahawks or spears,
and uttering the most fiendish yells and cries.
When his skin was burnt to a crisp all over
him, and he was nearly dead, he was toma-
hawked and scalped. ‘This, though horrible, is
of frequent occurrence among the Indians. In
this respect they are even more cruel toward
each other than toward the whites.
2 ern
Ss ea ee
Oe ages Se Le
pS aes la
eee nee
58 THE ADVENTURES OF
CHAPTER. «VI.
A CHANGE—A NIGHT WITH THE WOLVES— .
BLACK=-TAILED DEER—FEROCIOUS ANIMALS
—- BACK TO THE PLAINS.
Nor long after the occurrences mentioned
in the preceeding chapter I moved about a
hundred miles south, on what is called Silver
Lake. I was compelled to leave on account ot
the Indians: chasing all the buffalo out. They
chase them on horseback, and drive them
sometimes as far as two hundred miles.
Silver Lake is situated near the head of
Pawnee River,between this stream and **White
Woman” Creek. in a large cane-brake. The
reader may perhaps smile at some of the queer .
names applied to streams and such other nat-
ural objects. A great many were named by
the Indians, who always name them from
some occurrence of the locality, or from some
other similar suggestion.
“White Woman” Creek derives its name
from a rather sad occurrence, which I will
CHARLES L. YOUNGBLOOD. . 59
relates }2¥ widow named Harn was several
years ago taken captive by the Indians and
carried away prisoner. On their journey they
camped for the night on the bank of this creek,
and before they left the next morning they
drove a large stake through her body and lett
her; hence the name. By some it is called
“Suffering Woman.” I notice that in a pub-
lished account of a fight, which Colonel Lewis:
had with the Indians on this creek, three years
ago, in which fight Lewis and five of his men
were killed, it is called “Spanish Woman,”
but all frontiersmen call it “White Woman.”
Between “White Woman” Creek and Paw-
nee River is a large tract of very low, flat
country, covered in many places by large
lakes and dense cane-brakes. The one on
which I camped was the Silver Lake, before
mentioned. When I came to this place,
brought no one with me, and consequently was
all alone in the midst of a broad lonely swamp,
my only company being buffalo and antelope
by day and wolves by night, and the latter,
especially, were more familiar than agreeable.
oe THE ADVENTURES OF
{ remember that one day I went out and kille
a buffalo, and moved my wagon near it. As
it was late in the evening, and the way to camp
hard. to iimd, I. determined: to ‘stay "aut all
night. So I made my bed on the ground, and
spread the skin of the buffalo over me with the
wooly side down. I had hardly fallen asleep,
when the wolves, attracted by the smell of the
buffalo, began gathering from the thickets.
They soon devoured the buffalo, and began to
venture near enough to pull and tug at the
hide, which I was using for a quilt, and try to
take it away from me. My gun was in the
wagon, and I did not dare to get up to get it
for fear they might: make ai*meal of. me, “
managed to keep them frightened away until
finally they left. The wolves in this section
subsist chiefly on the carcasses of buffalo left
by hunters, who kill them for their hides, and
as no hunters had been in the locality for some-
time the wolves were very hungry, and would
sometimes even attack men or horses.
I remained in this place about a month, and
had fair success in killing buffalo, but had very
CHARLES L. YOUNGBLOOD. 61
little market for the meat. I soon fell in with
a man by the name of Fred Armstrong, who
said he was a “regular world beater” at killing
buffalo and deer. He urged me to go into the
mountains with him to kill black-tailed deer.
He told me he had just come from there, and
that the mountains were covered with them.
It was about two hundred miles, but I finally
consented, and one morning, bright and early,
we started. Our road lay through a strip of
‘country whére game was very scarce, and, as
we started with only a small supply which
we soon exhausted, we got very hungry.
Finally, one day Armstrong said he was going
to shoot a calf, since cattle were so plentiful
and game so scarce, and took up his gun to
shoot a yearling that happened to be separated
from the herd. Just then three cow-boys rode
up. This made Armstrong look a little wild.
He said, “Lord, God; I’m glad I didn’t shoot,
for they would have been on us before the
calf could get done kicking.” But the cow-
boys never knew his intentions, and it was
well for him that they did not. As it Was
62 THE ADVENTURES OF
they rode along with us to a spring, near
which they said there was plenty ot deer.
We camped for the night by the spring, and
in the morning I took my gun and went out
to see if I could get some of them. Before I
had gone a quarter of a mile, | saw plenty of
tracks and began to keep a lookout for the
deer. I walked cautiously up a hill, and when
near the the top peered over and had the sat-
isfaction of seeing four walking single file along
a cow path. I aimed at the leader, which was
a fine doe, and at the crack of the gun she
sunk to the ground. ‘Two more shots brought
down two more deer. The fourth was a large
buck and came running up to the bluff to near
where I stood, but I was ready for him too,
and wound up his career in a twinkling. 1
then went in and got a horse, and, putting three
of the deer on him, led him along toward
camp. On the way I met Armstroug, who
looked a little surprised, and said, “Hello! If
that is the way you are going to do, I will have
to take back what I said about being a ‘world
beater’” We hunted together about two
eee, ll e _—Oeeeeeeee ee
CHARLES L, YOUNGBLOOD. 62
months, and as I averaged killing about six
deer:to his one I ceased to look upon him as
a “world beater.” After we had hunted there
a few weeks a man came to our camp to see
us. One day during his visit he was in con-
versation with Armstrong and asked him what
kind of a hunter I was. Armstrong said I was
a poor shot, but the luckiest killer he ever saw.
Shortly afterward he came to me and asked
me “what for a hunter” Armstrong was. I
told him that Armstrong was a very good
hunter but was just about the poorest killer I
ever was acquainted with. He broke out in
a hearty laugh, and then told me what Arm-
strong had said about me.
We had not been there long when we dis-
covered that there were animals in the locality
other than deer, especially mountain lions and
panthers. These animals will generally be
found in almost all places frequented by deer,
on which they chiefly subsist. They climb
a tree which has a limb extending over a path
used by the deer, or conceal themselves
behind something near the path, and as the
O4 THE ADVENTURES OF
deer pass. along under or near them, they
spring upon it and killit. They are particu-
la-:ly fond of the blood, and commonly tear the
throat ot their victim and drink it as it flows
warm from the veins. They also eat the flesh
and can carry off a full-grown deer. I was
killing deer one day and wounded one,
but as I was following it I discovered a large
drove of them, and concluded ‘to let the
wounded one go and get some of the drove,
intending to come back and get it later. I
did not get to come back until the next morn-
ing, and, taking wp the trail where I had left
it off the day before, followed it but a short
distance, when I came to where the ground
gave unmistakable evidences of a struggle.
After an examination I was convinced that
the the wounded deer had been attacked and
carried off by some animal or other. Anxious
to know more of it I followed the trail, which
was not at all hard to trace, as the hair of the
deer had been rubbed off on the stones and the
fresh stains of blood were easy to see. I had
followed the trail about a half a mile when I
~ eitveam
CHARLES lL. YOUNGBLOOD. 65
found the entrails of the deer lying on the
ground. ‘The entrails were not torn to pieces,
but, on the the contrarv, were entire, and
looked as though some skillful hunter had
taken them out with a knife. This greatly
surprised me and I began to look cau-
ticusly around to see if I could discover what
it was, when, within about twenty paces of
where I stood, a mountain lion suddenly raised
up from the ground and, before I had time to
shoot, darted into a thick clump of bushes.
However I managed to fire just as it dis-
appeared, but must have missed it. I was
afraid to follow it into the thicket, and ran up
on a cliff near by to shoot it as it passed out on
the other side. But in this I was disappointed
as it did not show itself. I waited for some
time hoping to be able to get a fair shot at
it, but its stomach was well filled off the
deer, and I suppose it lay down in the thicket
and went to sleep for the day, at any rate, I
never saw ‘t again. The panthers’ were
even more numerous aid more dangerous than
the mountain lions, and when we had fresh
(9)
66 THE ADVENTURES OF
meat in the camp they would yell all around
us the whole night. ‘Their yells make a per-.
son unused to it nota little uneasy, but one soon
gets accustomed to it, and ina few nights
pays no more attention to it, than the people
in Indiana do to the hooting of the night
owl.
I remained here hunting until the snow
began to melt in the mountains, when the deer
left me. The black-tailed deer lives in the
mountains, except when they are covered with
snow. ‘Then they live on the prairie and in
the valleys at the foot of the mountains, and
as I did not care to follow them into the moun-
tains, I concluded to go back on the plains,
and again try my luck on the buffalo.
CHARLES L. YOUNGBLOOD. 647
CHAPTER ‘VU.
IN KANSAS AGAIN—NOT A HAPPY FAMILY-——
A THIEF NOT IN LUCK—EMIGRANTS ON A
HUNT—MORE INDIANS.
WHEN I left off deer hunting, I went back
about two hundred miles east on the Arkansas
River, not far from the head of Pawnee River,
in Buflalo County, Kansas. Here I hired
three men to go with me to haul the meat to
market. I could kill all the buffalo I wished
to, but the trouble had been for me to get it
to market. For this reason I| hired these three
men—one of whom had a good team—to go
with me. They were no hunters, but they
suited me all the better for that.
We tovk up our headquarters on Alkah
Lake, and we had been out but a short
time when it became evident that my men
were not destined to dwell together in peace
and harmony, and I soon saw unmistakable
symtoms of a disruption. Two seemed to
have some kind of pique at the other, and were
68 THE ADVENTURES OF
continually imposing upon him, and were tak-
ing advantage of every occasion to taunt and
insult him. However, a little incident oc-
curred which prevented any shedding of blood,
although the one so crowed over had several
times threatened to kill the other two, and had
even asked me to loan him my gun, and had
supplied himself with cartridges for the pur-
pose, and had not this little occurrence which I
am. \about to. relate. transpired, ) | thinkvhe
would have attempted their destruction.
We were out one day and I struck a large
herd of buffalo, and fearing that as I was likely
to have to take some violent exercise, my
pocket-book might work out of my pocket
and get lost, I handed it to the teamster to
hold tor me while I was killing buffalo. He
said he would do so—I have never seen him
or the pocket-book since—and I went after the
herd. As soon as I was fairly out of sight he
jumped into his wagon and drove off. When
I returned to camp in the evening and found
him missing, I saw through the whole affair.
I told the two men left that the fellow had
CHARLES L. YOUNGBLOOD. 69
robbed me and related the circumstance to
them, and they asked me to hitch my team to
the wagon and let them go after him. I
finally conserted and took them to the nearest
railway station, and they, guessing the course
he was most likely to take, boarded the first
train and headed him off. They captured him
without difficulty and took him to Las Animas,
in Colorado. Here they took him before a
Justice, and one of them made oath that he had
stolen the team from them—although it was
and proved it by the other. ‘he
magistrate remanded him to jail, and turned
his own
his team and wagon and my pocket-book over
to his captors, which they brought back with
them. The would-be thief lay in jail until
court set, when he was released, there being
no one to appear against him. Nevertheless,
‘+ must be allowed that he paid rather dear
for his venture. What the other two did with
the team I can not say, as I lost sight of them
almost immediately afterward. | remained
here a few days, and went in to Sherlock with
a load of meat. There were a great many
FO THE ADVENTURES OF
emigrants there, most of them had good teams
and some were anxious to go out on a hunt.
I told them I would give them half the meat
for hauling it in, and there was no trouble in
finding persons ready to accept my offer.
They mustered up three teams and we started
out with ten men and three women, all inspired
with eager anticipation of something outside
of their usual line of life. ,We went out about
twenty-five miles and camped for the night.
While the men were preparing for the night
and the women getting supper I went and
killed a very large buffaio. They almost weat
into ecstasies over it, and it was not long until
we had several nice slices of the tenderloin
fried and ready for distribution.
We moved on the next day, as the women
complained of the water, which was alkali,
and started to a good spring which was about
ten miles farther on. When we reached the
spring we discovered a band of Indians camped
near it. As soon as they saw us they picked
up and lei: their meat roasting on the fire.
We moved on to the spring, but I could hardly
Ss
CHARLES L. YOUNGBLOOD. v1
get my folks to stay long enough to get a drink,
they were so much afraid that the Indians
would return and kill and scalp us all. ‘They
wheeled their teams about and started for
‘Sherlock in a sweeping trot, and looking back
every few minutes expecting to see an army of
painted demons after them thirsting for gore
and hankering for scalps. “O! what will we
ao if they do, comer” ‘they would say.
“Kill ’em,” I replied laconically, for I was
vexed at their useless fright and did not exert
myself very much to pacify them. However,
we reached Sherlock in safety, and terminated
the expedition without the loss of a single
man, or woman either.
A short time after this I took a man with
me went to my old hunting ground—the
source of the Pawnee River: One day
as we were driving along the bed of
the river where the bluffs rose moderately
high on either side, I looked down and saw a
group of something which I took to be a herd -
of buffalo that had come in for water. I
jumped from the wagon and ran down the
V2 THE ADVENTURES OF
draw toward them. Icould only see the top ot
their humps, and I thought they were coming
foward-me:)<))' ran on) -and, all-atjonce, laran
into a gang of squaws taking care of their
horses. I then knew what my buffaloes were.
They were Indians crawling up a small ridge
which pointed down to the draw where I
was. I saw that | was ina close place and
got out as soonas I could. When I got back
to the wagon and told him that what I took
to be. buffaloes were Indians, he looked
frightened and asked if I thought there was
any danger of them coming after us. I. re-
plied that if they did we could kill as many of
them as they could of us.: This seemed to
be rather poor consolation to him, and he said
that he could not see how that would comfort
adeadman. While yet talking of the Indians
I saw a herd of buffalo come in sight. We
killed four and caught one calf. We then
loaded our meat in the wagon and took it to
to’ Pierceville, the nearest station. Flere we
found a company of soldiers looking for the
_ Indians I had seen the day before.
ee ee
EE Ee eee OO ee
on aleipaege ~
—s
ens Aas oes 2
Se
CHARLES L. YOUNGBLOOD. 73
CHAP rEE 1X.
THE WAY SOLDIERS CHASE INDIANS—DRESS
PARADE—A GREENY CATCHES A BUFFALO
CALE “TEEPE ME TOVULET If-Go,’
Tue soldiers mentioned in the preceding
chapter had received a dispatch that eighty
Indians had crossed the K. & P. railroad, near
Monument station, evidently bent on mischief,
and were ordered to overhaul them. They
were commanded by Captain Payne, who
asked me if I saw them. I answered that I
had.
“When?’” asked he.
“This morning.”
“Where were they?”
“Out near the head of Pawnee River.”
“Will you go with us to find them?”
“Do you want to take them some blankets?”
“No, by G—d; wedonot. We have some
pills for them, and if you are a good hand to
prescribe them you can have a chance. Can
you go?”
(10)
aA THE ADVENTURES OF
“Lean: but 1 am) tired et soimp -atter
Indians under officers that won’t let us hurt
them, when we do go.”
just try ime once.”
“Well, if you will promise to take no pris-
oners I will go, but if you want to take
prisoners, count me out.”’
The Captain laughed and said “all right.”
Me. then ordered the. mento, mount... Uhe
word was soon given and we started, and
within four hours were at the place where I
saw the red skins. They were gone, but their
camp bore evidence of having been deserted
only an hour or so before. The trail showed
that they had gone down the bed of the Paw-
nee River. The sun was then about two
hours high, and we might easily have made
ten or twelve more miles before dark, but the
captain after looking around a few moments
said, ‘“‘Well, we will camp here to-night,”
which was equivalent to saying, “Well, we
will give them a good chance to get away.”
It was ten o’clock the next morning before
we were ready to start. Then the captain
CHARLES L.. YOUNGBLOOD. 75
brought his men out on dress parade, very
much in the same style as if he were prepar-
ing to move on Richmond. He had a train
of four six-horse teams, an ambulance and a
surgeon. The latter, however, he was not
likely to need, unless some of his men should
get hurt on dress parade.
We marched down the river a few miles
when we found it necessary to cross. Here
we wasted four hours in digging the banks of
the river down so we could get the wagons
across. We had proceeded but a short dis-
tance after crossing the river when we struck
a place which the captain thought would make
a good place to camp. Here he ordered a
halt, and said we would lay over the rest of
the day as we might not find so good a place
to camp as this. The next morning we
came out on dress parade, and about ten
o’clock resumed our march. We went about
twenty miles down the river, and crossed back
at the mouth of what is called Buckner
Creek. On this creek we struck a beaver
dam, above which the water was about eight
76 THE ADVENTURES OF |
feet deep. One of the soldiers dismounted,
threw out a fish line and soon took a fine fish.
This caused quite an éxcitement, and the
captain said we would have a mess of fish.
We turned our horses out and remained here
until noon the next day, when, after going
through the customary dress parade, we
started tor Fort Dodge, which we reached
vithout the loss of aman, and without finding
any use for the surgeon or the ambulance.
Here I received my discharge—I had put in
four days—and went back to Pierceville.
This Indian chase is a fair sample of the man-
ner in which the government troops out here
hunt Indians. One old hunter is worth a
dozen soldiers in an Indian chase any time.
When I got back to Pierceville one of my
horses had been snake bitten and was not fit
for use, but, as there were plenty of emigrants
passing through, I found one whom | hired to
take his team and go with me. He was about
fifty years old, and had never seen a buffalo.
Everything was new to him, and he saw
many wondrous sights. We camped the
Ob en aS a
ae eT ae ee ee wetnnts
CHARLES .. YOUNGBLOOD. a"
first night on the head of Pawnee River, and
the next morning started north to what is
called Hackberry Creek, and in the evening
near sun-down my companion suddenly said,
“Taws! Look there.” As he was a taller
man than I was, he had the advantage of me
im looking over) the hill, 1 rose up, in the
wagon, and was not a little surprised myself
to see aherd of about two thousand buffalo
just over the hill and within gun shot. They
were grazing quietly and had not discovered
us. Taking my gun I slipped to the to top of
the hill, and fired several times, killing two.
After dressing one I went to the other, which
was a cow, and lay about a hundred yards
from the first. Her calf had lain down near
her, and I told him to slip up behind the cow
andcatchit. ‘“AIl right,” said he, “and when
I catch it, you must come up and help me.”
I told him that I would do so, and he got
down on his hands and knees and crawled up
close to the dead cow, but the calf saw him
and getting up walked around the cow toward
him. By this time I could plainly see that
73 THE ADVENTURES OF
there was going tu be some fun in that vicinity
in a short time, and patiently awaited develop-
ments. I did not have to wait long. As the
calf came around the cow he lay as flat on
the ground as he could, expecting to catch it
as soon as it came within reach, but, contrary
to his expectations, when within about eight
feet of him, it suddenly sprang upon him, and
began goring and trampling him in a lively
manner. As the calf was not large enough
to seriously injure him, I remained a spectator
and allowed them to fight it out unmolested,
and even if I had desired to help him, I could
not have done anything for laughing. After
a little struggle and a good deal of bellowing
for help, he managed to get on his teet and
run. The calf followed him about a dozen
feet, and then turned and again lay down by
the cow. As soon as J could get through
laughing, I went to work and we soon had
the calf secured. |
The next morning we went on trail of the
herd, and about ten o’clock we came up with
them going West toward Silver Lake, which
ss
EO AROS YE St eee
CHARLES L. YOUNGBLOOD. 79
was about twenty miles distant. We
followed them with the wagon until two
o’clock in the afternoon without being able to
overtake them. The man with me began to
despair and say “We won’t get any of them.”
I told him if he would allow me to getona
good saddle horse he had with him, and let me
manage it to suit myself, we would get plenty
of them. He said he wanted us to get a good
load of meat, and told me to take him. J
mounted the horse and told him to follow
slowly, so as not to frighten the buffalo, and
galloped off toward the herd. I rode pretty
brisk until I got ahead of them and picketed
the horse, and, getting right in their course,
lay down and waited. I did not fire urtil
they were within thirtv yards and opened on
them with good effect. By the time my
partner drove up I had ten killed. “Well,
bless my life,” said he, “that beats anything
I ever did see.” When we got them dressed
they made a good load, and we started for
Pierceville, reaching there about daylight,
having travelled all night.
So THE ADVENTURES OF
CHAPTER” X:
UNSUCCESSFUL HUNTERS—DANGERS OF THE
PLAINS—IN MISSOURI AGAIN.
AT. Pierceville, 1: sold. a large. portrono1
my meat to the emigrants, but some of them
would not buy, and said they were voing out
and kill their own meat. They began to fix
up their guns preparatory to slaughtering all
the buffalo on the plains. I told them that it
looked very much as if I had just as well give
up hunting, as they seemed to be going to kill
allthe game. ‘They said for me just to wait
until they came in, and then I could joke if I
fele like (it. I advised them. to takeacams
enough with them to bring in the meat and
not leave somuch to rot on the plains. Four
of them, each with a pack horse, started in
the direction trom’ which I had come, but did
not succeed in finding any meat. About this
time they began to want water, but, not
knowing where to lvok for it, could not find
any. I had started out shortly after they did
.
PEF EID OE, ONE GTA PE ME BH
CHARLES 1... YOUNGBLOOD. SI
and went to Alkali Lake, fifteen miles from
the head ot Pawnee River, and as I was
driving along near Dry Lake, I looked in the
basin of the lake and saw a squad of men,
about a mile off. They saw me about the
same time and hoisted the signal of distress.
As I did not halt they came hurrying toward
me, waving their hats and calling to me to
stop. When they were near enough they
asked me if I had any water with me, as they
were almost dying from thirst, not having
seen a drop of water for three days. Several
of their horses had given out, and they had
been digging with their knives for water in
the bed of Dry Lake. | pointed to a hill
bout a quarter of a mile off, and asked them
why they did not go to a spring at t' e foot of
the hill and get all the water they wanted.
‘They wanted me to take them to the spring,
which I did, and it was not long before they
were swallowing cool, sparkling water by
the quantity. They were really rearly starved
to death, and J believe if I had not come along
and helped them out they would have died
(11)
THE ADVENTURES - OF
Ca
to
within half a mile of water. Men who are
unacquainted with the plains have no business
on them without a pilot. There are springs
that never go dry, but a person who did not
know their location might die within a few
steps ol ond.’ Phere vare” many \ persons
trom the East who go out on the plains with-
out a guide, and, not being acquainted with
the? Jay of the*land, suffer “excéedingly’ aor
want of water, and some times even die from
thirst. Besides this, most emigrants, and per-
sons trom the East, who go out on the plains
for buffalo, come armed with squirrel rifles
and shot-guns, and if they were to find ever
s) many butfalo it would be almost impossible
to kill them. True they ‘might occasionally
get one with the squirrel gun, but it would be
a rare occurrence, and a man might work
with a shot-gun a’ year and then not get a
buffalo.
It any of my readers ever conclude to take
a buffalo hunt on the plains, they. need not
start out by themselves with a rusty shot-gun,
and I would advise they to employ a pilot,
CHARLES lL... YOUNGBLOOD. 32
even if they have to pav him five dollars a
day. A good pilot is indispensible for several
Beasoiee vin tae “hibst place, a novice, not
knowing where to look or how to hunt, might
wander over the plains. for weeks and never
see a buffalo, andeven if he should find then,
the chances are, that if left to himseif, he would
not be able to kill any. Another reason is the
danger of suffering. or even dying for water,
tor, while there are springs here that afford a
barrel of water per. minute, they are not so
numerous, nor so conspicuously located as to
make one. at all liable to run into them.
When I returned to Pierceville I concluded
to go to Missouri and spend a few. weeks
with my tamily. I reached home on the 13th
day of June, 1876, and remained there until
October, when, in company with my oldest
son,and.a man named Baker, I- started in a
wagon for the plains again.
34 THE ADVENTURES OF
CHAPTER 72h,
ON THE _PLAINS——A." GANG — OF ..BADGAKS——
WOLVES-——SCARED BY INDIANS—-THE HORSE
AS A PICKCT GUARD—SNOW BOUND, ETC.
WHEN we lett Missouri we struck for the
Pawnee River—my old haunt, as the reader
by this time has doubtless discovered—and
after fourteen day’s driving, reached our des-
tination in safety. We concluded to take up
our headquarters on Clear Lake, and when
within a few miles of the lake I saw a solitary
buftalo helping himself to the grass. As soon
as he saw us he took fright and ran. I hada
pony along, which I had taken in a fight with
the Cheyennes. So I mounted him and went
in pursuit. The pony was used to it and soon
crowded the buffalo so close that he turned for
a fight, but I shot him down before he got
too close, and was dressing him when they
drove up with the wagon. It was quite a won-
der to them, being the first buffalo they had
ever , SCC.
CHARLES L. YOUNGBLOOD. 35
One evening when we had stopped near
Silver Lake, and camped in a small branch for
the night, Baker, who happened to walk out a
few steps from the camp, called me and said
“Oh! look over there; what a gang of bad-
gers.” I went to him to investigate the badger
business, and saw thatit wasaherd of buffalo
just over the hill. with the tips of their humps
just visible. I ran back and seized my gun
and, slipping to the top of the hill, succeeded in
killing twelve. These when dressed made us
a good load, which we took to Sherlock and
shipped. We then took up our abode on
Alkali Lake. I left Baker to make a dug-out
—a house dug in the bank of a branch or the
brink of a hill—and went out about four miles
where I found a dead _ buffalo with a number
of wolves gathered about it. Wolf skins
were bringing tair prices, and I told my son
that we would put some strychnine in the
carcass and camp close by and see the result.
The next morning we went to see the effect
of the poison, and found thirteen dead wolves.
We skinned them and started to camp for the
S6 THE ADVENTURES OF
wagon. We had gone but a short distance
when we stuck a large herd of buffalo coming
toward us onarun. I ran out and lay down
directly in their course, but held my fire until
they were within twenty paces when I opened
and fired about twenty shots while they were
assinge, but only succeeded in killing six..
oa 2! ; =)
My boy was terribly frightened while they
were passing, as from where he stood it locked .
as if they were running right over me, as he
could not see me lying in the grass, and it was
not until I began firing and the smoke raised,
that he was undeceived. We dressed the
buffalo I had killed and again started to camp.
As we were going alons my son looked off to
the left and said, ‘Yonder is a man on horse-
back.” He was coming toward us, and when
he was a little closer I saw that it was an
Indian. When I told my boy what it was
he began to cry and say he wished he hadn’t
come, and soon. By this time several more
appeared in sight, which trightened him all the -
more. I told him not to get. scared, and.
bninging my gun from my shoulder ordered ;
c
*
er Re er ne ee eon
. °
ee OE ee ee a ee ee eee
— Err rrr r
De ee
CHARLES L. YOUNGBLOOD. 87
the foremost of them to halt, which he did.
[ asked him what tribe he belonged to and he
answered “Omaha.” I told him not to come
any closer, and he stood there naming over
several articies and jabbering generally. [|
then asked him how many there were of them
and he said there were thirty, which was near
the truth, as I could see about that number.
He asked in turn how many there were of us
and I told him eight. He was directly be-
tween us and our camp, and I did not want
him there, so [ told him to turn to the left as
some.of the boys might want to shoot him if
they saw him. He turned and went around,
carefully watching for “the boys,” but without
seeing them. I only wanted him out of my
way, so we could get back to camp.
They pitched their teepes on a hill about a
mile from our camp, as though they were
going to stay all night. As it was earlier in
the day than usual to prepare for camping for
the night, and as the place they selected was
on a hill instead of near water, it aroused our
suspicions and we began preparations for de-
s
58 THE ADVENTURES OF
tense. their camping on the hill seemed
very much as if they wanted to watch our
camp. We expected that about day-break
they would make an attack on us. As a
precaution I picketed a horse on a knoll about
a hundreds yards from camp to warn us
before they were upon us, if they shouid
come, The horse is about the best guard
against surprise by Indians, being much su-
perior in that respect to a dog. A dog makes
too much noise entirely, while the horse only
snorts at most, besides the horse does not
sleep as much nor as soundly as the dog, and
seldom allows himself to be surprised. If
Indians are approaching no matter how slyly
he is sure to discover it, and lets you know it
by restlessness and uneasiness, loud sniffing
or snorting.
We passed the night without any visit trom
the red skins. Our horse never showed any
signs of alarm, but we watched him very
closely until about nine o’clock in the morn-
ing. It wasavery foggy morning and it was
about ten o’clock before the fog cleared up
CHARLES L. YOUNGBLOOD. | SO
So we could see. As soon as I could see J
went out on a knoll and looked carefully in
every direction, but could discover no trace
of any Indians. Going back to camp I got
my gun and some amnunition, and myself and
my son went up on the hill, where the Indians
had pitched their teepee the day before, and
found that they had left. I examined closely
to see which way they went, and soon dis-
covered their trail leading toward White
Woman Creek. I afterward learned that while
on their way they came very nearly getting
another fellow. He lived in a dugout, and
was getting his supper when he saw them
rushing toward him. He tried to make them
stop, but as thev paid no attention, he slammed
the door shut and made it fast. The red skins
gathered around the door and bean to try to
burst it in. As the door was not exceedingly
strong, and the man inside thought he was
sure to be killed any way, he began firing
through the door at the Indians and brought
several of them down. They soon gave up
their plan of going through the door as a bad
(12)
gO THE ADVENTURES OF
job, and some of then: got on the tup of the
house and began shooting down through, but
they were no more successful here than at
the door. The Indians will not fight if they
can not do so without losing men. [ heard
the old chief of the Ogallahs say that it did
not pay to give man for man, and that he
wouldn’t do it. One resolute and experienced
man can hold fifty Indians at bay, if he has a
good position and manages itcorrectly. These
red skins, finding that they could not get their
man without considerable loss, finally moved
back about a half mile and stationed themselves
on a small hill to watch the dug-out, that he
might not escape before dark, when they would
maké another attack, and‘take ‘him im.’ But.
as soon as it began to get dark, he crept out
and made his escape, but ran a very narrow
risk. Although this poor fellow escaped from
the Indians, he was soon overtaken by a worse
fate, if a worse fate than falling into the hands
ot the red devils is possible. He and his two
partners were out hunting and were caught in
a snow storm and frozen to death, and their
CHARLES IL.. YOUNGBLOOD., Qi
bodies nearly eaten up by wolves before they
were discovered.
A short time after this myself and my son
went out one morning and got after two but-
falo cows, and followed them about twelve
miles before we got them. We were then
within about six miles of Silver Lake, and
started for that point. It suddenly began to
turn, fiercely .cold,;:and | began to expect a
blizzard, so we hurried on toward the lake
and our camp, and when about a mile from our
halting place, and the sun almost down and
the cold increasing, I saw, about a mile and a
half to my left, a very large herd of buffalo.
I think there must have been two thousand of
them, and I was anxious to get at them, but
as it was so frightfully cold and night was fast
coming on, I told my boy we would go down
to the spring and wait until morning, and then
we would try what we could do for them.
About the time we lay down for the night I
noticed a very black cloud hanging in the
north, but we made extensive speculations on
the number of buffalo we were to get the
Q2 THE ADVENTURES’ OF
next morning, but when we waked ‘up we
found the snow fully a foot deep, and
the air piercing cold, and the snow still falling.
The air was bitterly cold and I proposed to he
still until the storm was over, but my boy
soon became tired and got up to kindle a fire.
In this he failed and soon commenced crying
because of the cold, and I was compelled to
get up and make a fire myself, which I suc-
ceeded in accomplishing after considerable
trouble. Our horses could not be found, as
they had gone off in search of shelter from the
storm, and Jimmy was crying to go to Sher-
lock, a distance of thirteen miles, so I was in
a rather queer position. I was almost afraid
to start to wade the snow to Sherlock, but
finally consented to try and make the trip.
When we got started we found it even colder
and more difficult traveling than we had ex-
pected. The snow was drifting everywhere
and the wind was blowing fiercely, driving
the snow through our clothing, and while the
heat from our bodies melted it, the piercing
cold froze our clothing stiff, and besides, walk-
{
;
‘
CHARLES 1. YOUNGBLOOD. 93
ing through, the snow knee deep was very
fatizyuing and wearisome. It Was several
hours before we succeeded in getting to the
station, and when we entered a hotela women
met us at the door and asked if we were not
frozen. I told her that we were all right and
for her to prepare us something to eat. After
we had eaten, she asked if I did not get very
cold. I told her that I was colder then than
I had been any time during the day. She
then pointed to a red hot stove and told me I
had better sit down near it and warm myself.
I was not slow to act on her suggestion and
soon had my feet almost against the glowing
stove. I had not sat long until I discovered
that there was something wrong with my feet.
They first felt numb, but in a few moments
they began to ache, and in a short time pained
me so much that I could scarcely stand it. I
went to bed leaving my socks on, but suffered
so much with my feet that I could not sleep
any, and the next morning my feet were
almost perfectly black and swelled frightfully,
and covered with blisters. There was no
94 THE ADVENTURES OF
longer any mistake about the matter; my feet
were badly ‘frozen, so much so that I could
not walk for more than seven months. At
the end of twenty days my feet showed strong
symtoms of mortification, and I was put on a
train and taken to Fort Dodge, a distance of
sixty. moles, for medical treatment, “Evere uw
employed a physician to attend me for two
dollars a day. He burned off the dead flesh
and scraped the buoe, and at the end of seven
months I was able to walk a little, but was -
lame tor a long time.
CHARLES L. YOUNGBLOOD. 95
CHAPTER) XU.
ON THE PLAINS ONCE MORE-—-—-PLENTY OF GAME
—IN*A BAD FIX—HE COULDN’T STAND THE
INDIANS—NOR LIGHTNING EITHER.
As soon as I was able I went to Sherlock
and again started to hunting. I was scarcely
able to walk, and would drive as near the herd
as I dared and then get out of the wagon and
crawl up within range.
Leaving Sherlock we (my son and myselt )
went west about twenty miles and, crosssing
the Arkansas River, went south about thirty
miles to Cimarron Creek, and, after following
this stream about ten miles, I struck a big
herd of buffalo. I succeeded in kliliug three,
and we thought we would go in with them.
We went about ten miles on the road to the
station and camped for the night. When we
got up in the morning my boy went out after
the horses, and had gone but a short distance
when he whistled for me to look around, when
I did so and saw a large herd of buffalo.
gO THE ADVENTURES OF
I took my gun, and, going cut, lay down in
their course, and when they were close enough
I fired and killed one. The others gathered
around it and kept bellowing, and I kept firing
until I got nine. We dressed them and again
started on, but only made about five miles
that day, and again stopped for the night, and
the next morning, when we got up we found
one of the horses dead. Isent my sonin after
a team, and he succeeded in finding one of my
old partners who was glad to help me out of
a scrape, and he came right out and hauled
my meat-in for me.
I bought another horse Geared ail and
Was again after buttalo, this time about forty
miles back on Cimarron Creek. We camped
the first night in the bed of a dry lake, and
slept in the wagon. In the morning when I
raised up I saw a herd of something about two
miles off, but could not tell whether they were
buffaloes or not, and asked my boy if he could
make them out. He began rubbing his eyes,
and, happening to turn his head in the opposite
direction, saw a herd of buffalo about a quarter
CHARLES L. YOUNGBLOOD. Q7
of a mile wide and tully a mile long, bearing
right toward us, and nearly uponus. Hecalled .
my attention to them as soon as possible, and
by the time I could get my gun they were
within twenty paces of us. We could.dis-
tinctly feel the ground tremble as they gal-
loped past, and during the time they were
passing I put in good time shooting, and when
they had gone by I hada good load, so we
dressed them and again went in.
My boy then went back to Missouri, and I
hired a man by the name of George Daniels
for thirty dollars a month to go with me, but
he only stayed three weeks, when the Indians
scared him out, and he could not be persuaded
to stay any longer. I sent him out one morn-
ing after the horses, and, when about a quar-
ter of a mile from camp, he discovered-a
a couple of Indians making a charge on him.
He came almost flying toward camp, scream-
ing for help at every jump. I ran out to see
what could be the matter, and the reds were
right after him, but I persuaded them to stop,
and he came up breathless from fright and
(18)
98 THE ADVENTURES OF
violent exercise. He thought that such ad-
ventures were frightful, and said he wouldn't
stay for five hundred dollars a month. I told
him that such little brushes were nothing
when one got used to it. “But,” he replied,
“Tl would never get used to such. Why, here
are snakes, lightning skunks, centipedes, tar-
antulas and Indians.” I tried to console and
reassure him, by telling him that if he wasn’t
born to be killed by an Indian he never would
be, and if he was he couldn’t escape it anyhow.
But he said, “Born or not born, they would
have gotten me if it hadn’t been for you.”
I told him that unless it was God’s will he
would not have allowed them to hurt him, but
he said he would rather depend upon me than
God when the Indians were after him. But
he was such a coward that I could not get any
satisfaction from him, and I verily believe that
his cowardice made his life a misery to him.
It would be hard to find anything that he was
not afraid of. One day as we were driving
along we saw some antelopes near, and he
asked me to let him take my gun and kill one.
CHARLES L. YOUNGBLOOD. 99
There were plenty of antelope but I seldom
tried to kill any, but he wanted to kill some-
thing, and I told him he could try. He was
slipping along toward them very slyly, when,
all at once, he turned and came running toward
the wagon as hard as he could. When he
came up I asked him what the matter was,
and he ‘said, “Didn’t you see it lightning? |
don’t want. any steel in my hands when it is
lightning. Why, I have jerked many a knife
out of my pocket and thrown it away on that
account.” I laughed and told him that if he
wasn’t careful he would get killed betore his
time yet. He didn’t stay any longer, and as
we gotin to the station he went east, and I hired
a fellow by the name of George Johnson,,who
was, if any difference, a bigger coward than
‘Daniels. He stayed with me about twenty
days, when he happened to an accident that
caused him to leave. It happened in this
wise: We had taken a load of meat in to the
station, and were selling it out to the emigrants,
‘of which there were a large number. Johnson
struck up an acquaintance with some of them
100 THE ADVENTURES OF
and was showing out to some young ladies, |
boasting of killing buffalo, riding wild horses
and a great many things that he never did.
While he was telling them how well
her-could ride, one’ of them +'said,) “1a,
I wish you would ride one of Pa’s horses.
He throws nearly everybody off that tries
to: ride’ him.”
Johnson said he could ride anything, he
aidn’'t care’ what it was; “and sone’ ‘ofr
the men saddled the horse and brought
him out to Johnson By the time things
were in readiness for the show to begin, quite
a crowd of folks of all ages, sizes and sexes
had assembled to watch developments and to
see the fun, and the wonderful feats of horse-
manship. Johnson climbed into the saddle
and told them to let the horse go. They did
so, and he began to rear and plunge in a fear-
ful manner, and after a few jumps changed to
the old trick of bucking and kicking. All at
once he jumped suddenly and stiffly on his
fore legs, threw his head down to the ground
and kicked as high as he could. ‘This was too
CHARLES L. YOUNGBLOOD. IOI
much fer the great horseman, and he went
over the horse’s head, with his arms, legs and
fingers spread out for something to get hold
of. As he went over, the seat of his pants
caught on the horn of the saddle, and he left
it behind him. He struck the ground on
his all-fours, and, looking for the horse
to be right on him, scrambled off on
his hands and knees as fast as he could
with that part of him, which, in a beef,
is called the best steak, shining like a
porcelain door-knob. He crawled along in
this way for some distance, when finally he
ventured to look back, and, seeing that the
horse was not after him, he raised to his feet,
and, gathering the back part of his pants in
both hands, slunk away. Itis hardly necessary
to state that he did not come back to see the
girls who saw him ride any more. He called
on me the next morning and asked for his pay,
and said he was going to leave the country,
as he would never here the last of his ride if
he stayed, and could never look into the faces
IO2 THE ADVENTURES OF
ot the young ladies again. I told him not to
mind it as the horse had thrown everybody
that;had tried-to, ride him. | “But,’. he said,
“they never had their breeches torn off as J
had mine. It’s no use totalk; I won’t stay.”
Being thoroughly convinced that I could not
prevail on him to remain any longer with me, I
paid him off and he went away, and I had to
look out for somebody to take his place.
ae
QE)
4 ——<———
TT
CHARLES L. YOUNGBLOOD. Lor
CHAPTER XIII.
WILD HORSES—THIRSTY AND HUNGRY —
WATER AT LAST-——-EONES ON THE (PLAINS
—THE RESULT OF STRONGHEADEDNESS.
AFTER Johnson left me I ran across two
young men by the name of Stanfield and
formed a partnership withthem. At that time
there were a great many wild horses in that
vicinity, and we concluded to try our luck
after them. So we started out and soon struck
a large drove, I think about seventy-five.
They were going west, and, as we had had
no experience in that particular line of hunt-
ing, we did not have any idea how far they
were likely to go, but followed them as closely
as we could, intending to get back that night,
but instead followed them about one hundred
and forty miles. As we had not intended any
such chase, we had made no preparations
for it and did not take any provisions with us,
and were compelled to do entirely without
food. I tasted no water at all on the first and
104 THE ADVENTURES OF
second days, and on the third day I came toa
dry branch and got off my horse and began
scratching in the mud for water. While thus
engaged my horse jerked loose from me and
started off across the prairie. I started after
him, but he was soon out of my sight and I
was left afoot and alone, having gotten sep-
arated from the others the day before. I was
so thirsty that I tried chewing grass, and so
weak that I could hardly walk. I gave up
the chase and turned my whole attention to
trying to get out of the scrape, and was doing
my best to find water, but was so faint and
weak that I could only make a short distance
before having to stop and rest. I was drag-
ging myself along in this manner when I saw
a drove of wild horses ahead of me and com-
ing nearly toward me. They kept looking
back as if at something behind them, and I
soon saw two men following them, and I be-
gan to make very emphatic signs for them to
come to me. As soon as they saw me they
came up to me and asked me what was the
matter, but my tongue and throat were so
CHARLES L. YOUNGBLOOD. 105
dry and parched that I could not speak. It
was one of the Stanfield boys and a man
named Reece. They had no water but gave
me some dried apples to chew, to create a
flow of saliva to moisten my mouth, but it did
no good. Stanfield then took me on the horse
behind him and hurried off with me to a spring
about ten miles away. It took-us over an hour
to get there, and I was very careful not to
drink too much at once, but took about a pint |
and after waiting a few minutes, another, con-
tinuing in this manner until I knew there was
no danger. It took a prodigious quantity to
satisfy me, and it was two or three days before
I got over my thirst. The horse that broke
away from me died for want of water.
Many a man has gone out on the plains as
1 did, and died from thirst and hunger, or
cold, and it isno uncommon thing to find their
bones strewn over the ground where they
have so perished. _ I have found many myself
whose death doubtless came about in this way.
[ found one skeleton, the owner of which, had
certainly frozen, as he had burned his wagon
(14)
106 THE ADVENTURES OF
and even his gun stock. He had died but
recently, but the wolves had mangled his body
beyond all possibility of recognition. Another
whose bones I discovered had a bullet hole in
his head, and, judging from the position of his
gun, had evidently shot himself to put an end
to his sufferings. Still another had his cloak
wrapped about him, and had probably frozen
or died trom hunger and cold together, as there
were no marks of violence on the body.
These are only a few of the many instances I
might mention, but of course a great many
of the skeletons were those of Indians, but I
could not distinguish them from those of
whites. It is enough to know that they per-
ished alone on the plains, and what their sut-
ferings were no one knows.
My readers will see that it is much the safer
plan, when persons are unacquainted. with the
plains go out on them, to emply a goed guide,
and even then it will not do to take every one
that offers himself, as there are plenty who
profess to be acquainted with the country that
know nothing about it, anda person would be
CHARLES L.. YOUNGBLOOD. 107
as well off without them. I have helped
several men out of bad scrapes that they had
gotten into by trusting poor pilots, and would
recommend everyone to be careful to get one
that understands his business.
J] remember once when I was hunting near
Lakin Station, on the Atchison and Topekn
railroad, and while there a couple of men asked
me to pilot them across the country to the
south of the Arkansas River. We soon struck
a bargain and set out. I took a saddle horse
with me, and they had a good team of mules.
_ We traveled about twenty miles the first day,
and camped at night on a small lake where
there was plenty of water, and, when ready
to start the next morning, I told them that
they had better take some water along, as it
was nearly twenty-five miles to the next water
on our route. They had a barrel in the wagon,
and I wanted them to put some water in it,
but they said they,could stand it, and besides
the water would soon get warm and unfit to
drink any wav. So_ they contented themselves
with drinking as much as they could, and
108 THE ADVENTURES OF °
announced themselves ready to start, doubt-
less under the impression that would not get
thirsty any more that day. But in this way
they were sadly mistaken, for, as it was a
very hot day, and we were compelled to travel
in the broiling sun, about eleven o’clock they
began to want a drink, and would drive out
of the way to examine old dry lakes in the
hope of finding water. I told them that they
were only losing time and that the nearest
water was the lake I had spoken of, and that
we would get water sooner by driving directly
there, instead of wasting time in exploring
dry lake beds. They finally got angry and
told me that I did not know what I was doing,
and that they knew more about the country
than I did, and that there was no water within
forty miles of us. They got so incorrigible
that I told them that they might go to a
warmer country for all I cared and rode off
and left them. When I had gotten off a short
distance, I looked back to see if they were
following, but I saw that they had turned to
go back to Lakin. It was only about twenty
i
CHARLES Il.. YOUNGBLOOD. 109
miles in a direct line and about thirty-five the
way we had come, but to go directly there
one must pass through a range of sand hills,
which it is almost impossible to cross. ‘They
were in a hurry to get back, and thinking that
they knew all about the country, took the
direct line and ran straight into the sand hills,
and, after traveling all that night and the next
day, came out of the sand hills about thirty
miles from the place they intended to strike.
Here, however, they found water, but their
mules had given out betore they got through
the hills; and they had left the wagon and
walked the rest of the way, leading their
mules, and when they had rested they gave a
pilot five dollars a day to go back with them
after the wagon, and all trom thinking that
they knew more than their guide.
|i Ee THE ADVENTURES OF
CEAP ER Rivery,
NEW YORKERS ON .A, HUNT--NOT SO (VERY
DEAD—NEW GAME—-A REGULAR CHASE
AFTER WILD HORSES.
AxsoutT the liveliest buffalo hunt that I ever
experienced happened inthis way: A couple
of New Yorkers went out west on business,
and having a few days of spare time con-
cluded that they wanted to take a buffalo chase.
They had never seen a buffalo, but wanted to
very badly, and they thought they would like
to kill a few dozen too. So one day, after
they had been talking to the landlord about
wanting to go after buffalo, he said he would
see me, as he thought I would go with them.
He accordingly came to me and asked what
I would charge to go. I asked him how they
wanted to go, and told him if they proposed
to go on foot that I would rather be excused.
He said that if they went they would take a
two-horse carriage, and I agreed to go as
pilot for three dollars a day, and in a few
CHARLES 1... YOUNGBLOOD. IIl
moments all arrangements were completed
and we were on our way, the landlord join-
ing us.
Crossnig the Arkansas River, we went
abuut thirty miles south that evening, and
camped for the night xear the north fork of
Cimarron River, and the next day, after driv-
ing about twenty miles, we struck game. We
attacked a big herd and had a lively time with
them for a while, and when the buffalo lett
the field we noticed four lying on the ground
dead, or supposed to be so. When we ap-
proached them, one was lying on his back,
and Potter, the landlord, remarked that we
had “given that one h—l,” but a little closer
examination showed no blood, and further, the
animal was breathing rather lively for a dead
buffalo, and I rightly conjectured that he had
been knocked into the ditch by the others and
had been unable to get out, and I took the
precaution to observe him from a point a few
feet away, for I was expecting him to make a
mighty effort and come out in a way that
would make it unsafe to be tou near him, and
Ir2 THE ADVENTURES OF
I was right. Scarce a minute had elapsad,
whez, summoning all his strength he floun-
dered, plungged and finally gained his teet
and mad made quite a scatterment among his
captors, who, however, recovered from their
surprise in time to perforate him with bullets,
and make him safely dead. During the racket
the herd stampeded, and the horses becoming
frightened mixed with them, and ran about
three miles before they got clear and stopped.
When the horses were brought back, Potter
proposed that we make another dash on
them, but I objected, as we already had more
meat than we could take back with us
and I did not like to see it wasted. He said
he wanted to see one of the New Yorkers kill
one anyhow, and the two went again after the
herd, which by this time had begun to get
together again, and in about for hours came
back with thirty-six. buffalo tongues. It an-
gered me to see such auseless waste of meat,
but they were proud of their achievement and
didn’t care for me. ‘The two New Yorkers
were enjoyed, and one of them said that he
ee ee F once Raa oe = —e
——— EEE EOE EO Oe -
CHARLES L. YOUNGBLOOD. 113
wouldn’t take a thousand dollars for his sport.
By they the time they returned I had the four
we had killed dressed, and we loaded up and
went back having been three days.
While out on this three days trip we saw a |
great many wild horses, and happened to be
speaking of them to a bystander named Boslen,
who he began to get considerably interested,
and finally asked me what I would charge
to catch some forhim. I answered by saying
that I did not have a sufficient number of
saddle horses for such a chase. He said that
he had plenty, and inquired how many I would
need, and proposed to furnish the saddle
horses and as many men as | wanted if I
would go, and offered me five dollars a day.
I told him that I did not wish to hire in that
way, for I might fail to catch any, and he
might perhaps think I did not try, but said if
he would be at all the expense and iurnish me
six saddle horses and two good hands, and
give me five dollars a head for all I could
catch I would go, to which he readily agreed,
and we closed the bargain forthwith. I then
(15)
114 THE ADVENTURES OF
chose six horses from his stable and we
made preparations for the chase, and were
soon on our way. We found several herds
before we struck one that suitedus. The herd
we finally concluded to capture one that I had
seen a great many times when I was out after
buffalo, and I was well acquainted with their
range. We went as close them as we dared
and after carefully examining them by the aid
ot field glasses, mv employer, Boslen, said
that they would do. The next thing to do
was to fix the camp as near the centre of their
range as possible, as wild horses, when chased,
seldom or never leave their range, though this
may somtimes contain hundreds of square
miles, and it is necessary to know the range
and place the camp near the centre, in order
that fresh horses horses for the chasers may
be ready any time they happen to pass near
the camp. I told Boslen where to fix the
camp and announced my intention of starting
the herd early the next morning. The point
I selected for our base of operations was an
old and well-known camping place on Cimar-
CHARLES IL.. YOUNGBLOOD. II5
ron River, about thirty miles west of where
we then were. This I chose as the most
suitable place because it was near the centre
of the range of our game, and because there
was plenty of good water there, whereas in
most places the lakes had nearly gone dry
and what little water that was left was going.
So next morning Boslen and the two men
started to the camping place, and I started for
the wild horses. I was mounted on a good
horse and rode up to the herd. When I was
within about a half mile of them they saw me,
and while some would elevate their heads and
watch me very, while others would
stick their tails straight up into the air, and
taking along, high trot would circle around
among the others and snort. But | rode on,
and the whole herd finally began to circle
around me_ snorting, and occasionally one
would stop to get a better look at me, and after
satisfying himself would snort loudly and move
on with the rest. I sat perfectly still on my
horse and waited for them tu move off, which,
after makiug a half dozen circles, they did,
116 THE ADVENTURES OF
going west toward the place where I had told
Boslen to fix our headquarters. When they
struck out I followed them as fast as I could,
but could only keep in sight and had a good
horse to ride too. Shortly after they started
they struck a wagon road called the Doby
Wall Trail, and following it passed close to
our headquarters, where I wanted to change
horses, but I knew that the others were not
there yet and | followed on. My plan was to
chase them down and capture the whole
herd. We might have chased them awhile
and then dashed into them and lassoed a few,
but I concluded to keep up the chase until
they were chased down. As the wild horse
gets tired he gets less wild, and by having
suitable headquarters so that one can change
his horse without giving them much rest, the
whole herd can be caught.
This herd passed near our proposed camp
and went on west to the line between Kansas
,and Colorado, here they turned to the south
and kept this course until they struck the south
fork of Cimarron River, when they turned
CHARLES L. YOUNGBLOOD. 117
east, passing our camp again again, this time
onthe south. I took advantage of this oppor-
tunity to change horses, and was again atter
them with more vigor than before. They went
on east near the place where I started them.
Here I saw two mén who had been lost two
days, and could not find their way out, as the
sky was cloudy, and they could not keep their
course. They said they were nearly starved
and would like something to eat. On the
frontier it is customary to divide, as long as you
have any thing to divide, and I gave them a
biscuit apiece, half of what I had, told them
which way to go, and went on after my horses
The herd did not seem disposed to go any
where near the camp, but played back and
forth across the country between Wild Horse
and White lakes. This did not suit me, as
my nag was getting fagged and I was afraid
I would have to go all the way to camp to
change. This I did not like to do, as it would
give them a chance to rest, and I would con-
sequently lose nearly, or quite, all I had accom-
plished in two days hard work. However, as
118 THE ADVENTURES OF
good luck would have it, I ran across a cow-
boy, and gave him five dollars to go to camp
and tell them to meet me with a fresh horse
on the old Santa Fe trail, and I was again in
pursuit of my horses. They were getting tired,
and almost directly after I left the cowboy
they struck out nearly toward camp, and I
stayed within ten miles of the camp that night,
and the next morning very early I started to
intercept the men who were to bring the horse,
and struck the Santa Fe trail just in the nick
of time. There I got a fresh horse and some
grub, and as soon as possible was chasing my
wild horses. [I found them near the place
where I had left them, and most of them were
lying down. They have wonderful en-
durance, which the reader will perhaps under-
stand when I state that that night one of the
mares gave birth to a colt which traveled with
the rest all the next day, until about an hour
by sun in the evening, when I halted for the
night, knowing that the herd would stay there
with the colt. By this time I had them so
worried and cowed that they grazed all around
CHARLES L. YOUNGBLOOD. I19g
me in the night, and when I waked the next
morning, they were nearly all lying down,
stretched out like dead. When I started them
they moved off very slowly, being very stift
and sore, in a westerly direction, and I fol-
lowed them again into Colorado, when they
took nearly the same route as before, turning
south and then east and coming back into
Kansas, and when I again stopped for the
night I was within about a half mile of camp,
but it was cloudy and so dark that I could not
see the camp, though I knew I was near it,
but was surprised when I waked up in the
morning to find myself so much nearer
than [I expected. I found the boys all
asleep, but soon waked them up and got a
fresh horse and more grub and went back to
see about the herd. This time I took one of
the men with me to take care of the colt
when it should give down, which I knew
would not be long.
When I started the horses this morning
they were so tired and stiff, as to be nearly
docile and I was able to drive them nearly as
£20 THE ADVENTURES OF
I chose. So | drove them about to suit my-
selt that day, and at night had them back near
camp. We turned the colt out with them,
and I told Boslen that we would ‘start tor
Lakin Station with them the next morning,
but when morning came I concluded to drive
them around before we undertook to drive
them in, and when we did start in with them
we took a direct line for the station, and
crossed the sand hills. We were two days
crossing them, during which time the horses
got no water at all, but as soon as we were
over them we struck a lake and they drank to
repletion, from the effects of which eight of
them died, and I lost forty dollars. We then
drove them about twelve miles to a cow
corrall, where we corralled them, closed them
in, and drove them across the river to Lakin,
sately housing the twenty-four head.
CHARLES L. YOUNGBLOOD. I21
CHAPTER XV.
AFTER WILID HORSES AGAIN— INDIANS —A
BIG DRIVE—A CLOSE BRUSH WITH INDIAS.
My good luck in this chase inspired me to
try it again. I wrote to Missouri for my son
and son-in-law to come out and help me, and
in the meantime I allowed the saddle horses
to rest and recuperate. ‘They arrived in a few
days and we started out, again south of the
Arkansas River. When we arrived in the
region of Wild Horse Lake, we found that it
had rained very heavily, and the lakes were
all full, so I told the boys to establish the camp
about ten miles west of Wild Horse Lake, and
I started a drove of seventy-two horses. |]
drove them twelve days, but at the end of that
time found that we were nearly out of pro-
visions, and told the boys that one of them must
go back to the station for more. While he
was preparing to start I discovered a herd of
buffalo, and told them to put the horses to
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22 THE ADVENTURES OF
the wagon and I would get a load of meat for
them to take in with them. As we were
going out after the buffalo, I discovered a band
ot Indians about three miles off and coming
toward us. My son was just starting to get
a young antelope that he saw, and I beckoned
tor him tocome up, as I did not know whether
the Indians were friendly or not, and wanted
to be ready in case of an emergency. When
he came up I showed them the Indians, and
told them that it was possible that we might
have to fight, and for them to keep cool and
not get excited. I told them ‘to get all the
ammunition together and I.would go out
toward them and find out how the land lay.
I went a few hundred yards toward them, and
took a position where I could watch their
movements. They came down into the creek
bottom, which was about a mile wide, and
were out of my sight for some time, and in
the interim I changed my position so that I
could see them as soon as they emerged from
the bottom. When they again came in sight
they were about half a mile from me, and
CHARLES L. YOUNGBLOOD. 123
seemed amazed at seeing us. They halted
and gathered in a close groop, and seemed to
be holding a consultation. I signalled to learn
what tribe they belonged to, but they paid
no attention to me. | [ then signalled to know
if they were friendly and what they wanted,
but received no reply. I then went back to
the wagon and told the boys that they meant
no good, and'ordered the ammunition placed
where it would be most convenient. By the
time we had things in readiness, the Indians
had formed and were ready to make a dash
onus. As soon as they ‘started I lay down
and levelled my gun to drop the foremost, but
he saw my intention, and, whirling his horse
about, dashed back. The next followed him,
and the next in like manner, until the whole
band were out of range, when they again
stopped and held another council. I stood up
on the wagon to watch them, and saw that
they were preparing to surround us. The hill
was in the shape of a half circle, and their plan
was to go around the back of it, where we
could not see them until they got around. So
124 THE ADVENTURES OF
1 told the boys to get ready and get to the top
of the hill as fast as they could, as the Indians
meant to surround us, and we must get to the
top to intercept them. I sprang on the sad-
dle horse and left them to come up with the
wagon, and dashed to the top of the hill,
where I could see the whole game of the
Indians. They were coming around the hill
stationing one of their number about every
hundred yards, and would have been all
around us in a fewmoments. I sprang from
my horse and crawled up where I could see
over the crest of the hill and could have picked
one off every shot. But they saw me and
knew that they were beaten, and whirled sud-
denly around, and, lying flat on their horses,
beat a hasty retreat, and did not stop until
entirely out of sight. We did not leave that
night, but picketed our horses and remained
until morning, for I knew that they would not
attack us any more that night, though the
boys thought sure that we would get our hair
lifted before daylight. The boys were afraid
to go in by themselves in the morning and I
CHARLES L. YOUNGBLOOD. i2
ct
had to go in with them, and, after laying in a
good supply of provisions, we started out again
to gee what had become of my wild horses.
We tound them without any difficulty, and |
again started them. Th‘s time I tollowed
them, with several little ups and downs, tor
fitteen days, at the end of which time they
were docile enough that I could drive them
almost as I chose.
Thinking that they were about ready to
drive in, I drove them near the camp one even-
ing, and then next morning got one of the boys
to help me and we started them toward the
station. I had had a long chase and my
saddle horses were considerably jaded, and
when within about thirty-five miles of the
station, I found it necessary to go in and get
some tresh horses. So I left the boys to
manage as well as they could and mounted
the freshest horse, and procuring three fresh
horses, hastened back and found them just a
little nearer than when I had left them. We
had good luck until we attemped to corrall
them, to get them across the river. They
126 THE ADVENTURES OF
were afraid to go in the corrall and we could
not persuade them in any way to do so, and
we finally gave it up and swam them over the
river. I wasa little afraid of the experiment,
but it worked all right, and I drove sixty-nine
head of horses into the station the next day.
This was a good haul, but catching wild horses
is not by any means desirable work, and does
not pay as well as one would suppose, as it is
a long, hard job to capture a herd, and they
are generally small and scrawny at that, and
sell at almost nothing.
This was my last wild horse chase for the
season, as it suited me much better to hunt
buffalo than run wild horses, and I got a con-
tract to furnish meat for the hotels and went
out after buffalo.
I hired a man by the name of Black to go
with me, but the Indians were so troublesome
that he only remained with me a few days,
and I hunted by myself. I established my
camp on the Pawnee River, right on the old
Indian trail, and went to work to get some
meat. The first night I stayed alone I began
CHARLES L. YOUNGBLOOD. . 127
to have fears of the Indians, and during the
night this fear grew upon me so much that it
was impossible for me to dismiss them from
my mind. I did not sleep at all that night,
and the next morning I was up bright and
early preparing to shift my quarters. I went
back from the river about three miles on the
flats, but still on the trail. I stopped here but
a short time, as I did not feel much safer than
where I was, and hitched up again and drove
to the top of a hill about a mile and a half
farther on. Here I halted and looked around
to see what I could see, and discovered some-
thing moving toward me a couple of miles to
the northeast. I at first thought they were
buffalo, but in a moment I saw that they did
not move like buffalo. While watching them
they went out of sight and soon reappeared
again, which satisfied me that they were not
buffalo. When they were nearer me I saw
that they were men, and mounted, and I then
knew that they were Indians moving right
toward me, and I began to make preparations
to give them a warm reception.
128 THE ADVENTURES OF
The most suitable spot for a fight that I
could see was an elevated place about a quar-
ter of /mile to my left. ‘Herel posted mye
self and commenced filling my empty car-
tridges. The Indians were fast getting nearer
and it seemed to me that I never made as
slow progress in filling cartridges before, and
yet I was working as for dear life. However,
there were only six of the red skins, and I
knew that with anything like a fair show |
could take care of myself. When they were
about two hundred yards off, I rose to my feet
and waved my trying pan toward them, and
no sooner did they see it than they raised the
yell and dashed toward me. I motioned to
them to stop, but they paid no heed and came
dashing on. I dropped on one knee and
resting my elbow on the other levelled my
eun at the foremost. At this they whirled
with their horses sideways to me and turned
their saddles on the farther side and kept
themselves where I could not see them at all.
As they hung on the farther side of their
horses they would occasionally peep over their
CHARLES L. YOUNGBLOOD. 129
horse’s withers to see what I was doing and
watching for a chance to rush upon me un-
awares. In this relative position we remained
for some minutes, when they slid off their
horses on the opposite side, taking care to
keep their bodies protected by their ponies,
but watching me intently all the while. Still
holding my gun in position to cover any one
of them in an instant, I asked them what tribe
they belonged to, but they only answered
“Yah.” I said “Shriam,” but they still an-
swered- “Yah.” «Again 1 asked, “Are. you
Ogallahs, Arrapahoes, Utes, or what?” but
still they answered as before. I then took my
gun from my face, but still held it in a position
to do quick shooting, when they began to
separate and move to the right and left, evi-
dently intending to surround me. I motioned
to them with my gun, to stay together, when
they made signs to the effect that they wanted
something to eat. I was afraid that this was
only a trick to get me off my guard, but I
moved cautiously toward the wagon, at the
same time watching them very narrowly, to
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130 THE ADVENTURES OF
catch any suspicious movement on their part.
Scarcely had I started toward the wagon than
one of them made arush toward me, but I was
watching him, and turning suddenly around
stopped him effectually. The last act of his
life was to cover his face with his hands and
cry out “ow, ow, ow.” I then motioned for
the rest to come to him, so that I would have
them close together and could cover them
easily with my gun. They came forward,
leaving their guns hanging on their saddles, in
pretence of friendship. When within about
about fifteen paces I ordered them to halt,
which they did, but expressed a desire to shake
hands with me, and kept saying ‘“‘How, how,
how.” I found it rather a delicate affair to
manage, as they could, if they chose, have
taken me in, but they were sure that some of
them would pay the penalty with their lives,
and they did not care to make an open
attack, and wanted to get me at a disadvan-
tage, and, while I could have readily shot
one or more of them down, I was afraid to do
so, because I didnot know what effect it would
CHARLES L. YOUNGBLOOD. 131
have on the rest. It might so frighten them
as to make them leave in a hurry, but it might
exasperate them and cause them to rush right
upon me and overpower me, which they
could easily do should they take a notion to
do so. It was the most trying time I ever
experienced, and I held them in this manner
for more than an hour, when they gave up the
hope of getting to shake hands with me, and
began to try to steal back to their guns, but
when one would make a move toward his
horse I would instantly cover him and order
him back into the squad. My attention was
called to one who acted as if he did not know
I was anywhere near, and was doing his best
to assume a careless air, and seemed to be
carelessly twirling a lariot which he held in
hishand. After swinging it round a while, he
arrarently let it loose accidentally, and one end
of it fellalmost at my feet. After letting it lie
fora moment he began winding it up, but
instead of drawing the rope toward him, he
was following it toward me as he wound ::
up, but I understood his plan, and stopped } -
132 THE ADVENTURES OF
game and his existence about the samie time.
i then brought my gun to bear on the rest
who sprang on their horses and hurried away.
I watched them until they disappeared about
two miles off.
The same day that I had a brush with the
Indians,- the same band ran across a man
named Matthews, and two men who were
driving aherd of cattle, and by appearing very
- friendly succeeded in throwing the men off
their guard. “They approached’ them’ ma
friendly manner, and, after shaking hands with
them, called for something to eat—an Indian
is always hungry—and partook liberally. But
they were only watching for an opportunity,
and no sooner did it appear than they shot two
of them down. Matthews sprang on his horse
and dashed away in time to save his life, but
was badly wounded in the shoulder by a shot
sent after him as he was fleeing for his life.
This will show my readers how treacherous
is the red man of the forest, and how little confi-
dence can be placed in his professions of sincere
friendship. I never saw one yet that it was
CHARLES. t.. YOUNGBLOOD. 133
safe to trust, and | believe that my suspicions
in this direction have several times saved my
lite. I have seen but very few Indians that
were not dangerous and they were dead.
Immediately after this I went across to
Silver Lake to join an old hunter who was
camped there, as I did not like to be alone
while the Indians were so troublesome. Be-
sides, he was, as I have said, an old hunter,
and in a scrimmage with red skins his equal
was hard to find. Many an Indian had drepped
at the crack of his rifle and he was well known
among them, and was as universally feared as
he was known. With him, and ten minutes
notice, we could have made it warm for any
number of reds likely to attack us, but when
I came to his camp, I found that he had gone
in to the station and | was compelled to stay by
myself at last, with the Indians passing nearly
every day. However, I continued hunting
for some time without molestation from them,
but succeeded in getting into some scrapes
not much more agreeable than an Indian
fight.
134 THE ADVENTURES OF
One day when I was out hunting the
weather became cloudy and a cold rain set in
which lasted two days and nights, completely
soaking my blankets and-chilling me nearly to
death. Finally the clouds broke away and the
rain ceased, and I went out for game. After
eoing about four miles I saw two very large
buffalo, and, slipping as close as I dared, shot
one as it lay, and, while the other was exam-
ining it to see what ailed it, brought it down
too. The weather was still cold tor October,
and it had clouded over again and was be-
ginning to snow. I turned out my team and
dressed the animals I had killed and, laying
them with their backs nearly together, spread
my blankets over them. I spread the green
hides over that with the hairy side down, and
then crawled in between the hides and blank-
ets and lay there until the snow storm was
over, which was two days, only coming out
occasionally to get something to eat. While
lying there the buffalo came all around me,
and when it cleared away I got out and began
to scatter them. I killed two and after dre<--
CHARLES L. YOUNGBLOOD. 135
ing them I[ put the four into the wagon. By
this time the snow was melting rapidly and it
was late in the evening. I drove over to the
place where [ had camped during the rain
storm. I discovered when I arrived that a
band of Indians had camped there during the
snow storm and had but recently left. It was.
a narrow escape, but as the old saying goes
‘“a miss is as good as a mile,” and I did not
get frightened after the danger was all over.
This spring was a noted camping place, being
right on a much used Indian trail, and was
used by white men as well as red skins. I
thought I might find some game farther on
and drove several on several miles, but, not
finding anything, concluded to drive in with
what Ihad. As I passed the spring on my
return | saw a squad of red skins camped
there again, but, as I had no occasion to stop,
passed by, within half a mile of them. If
I had been as thirsty then as I have been
many times, I most certainly should have
stopped, but the snow was melting and I could
get all the water I wanted without fighting
136 THE ADVENTURES OF
for it. When I was about a mile from their
camp, I saw three buffalo lying with cheir
backs toward me, but I did not know whether
to kill them or not, as I already had four, and
besides, the Indians had not yet seen me, and
te report of my gun might rouse them and
get them after me, but the temptation was too
strong, and driving as near as I dared I took
my gun and began to slip along toward them.
When I was about close enough I looked to
the left and saw three Indians stealing up on
the buffalo that I was. They had not dis-
covered me and I stopped and was watching
them, but in a short time they discovered me.
I straightened up and we stood for some
moments watching each other, but I soon got
tired of that, and again advanced on the
buffalo, keeping an eye on the Indians as I did
so. As soon as one of the buffalo got on his
feet, | shot him down. The others sprang up
and seem surprised that the one I had shot
was lying down, but in less than a minute IJ
had them also. I then got my wagon, and
putting it between me and the red skins, who
CHARLES L. YOUNGBLOOD. 13 /
remained in the same place, proceeded to
dress them, but closely watching the Indians,
who, shortly after I began skinning my game,
sat down on the ground and looked at me
until I got through, when I loaded them on
the wagon and drove off.
When I got in to Sherlock station I found
a great excitement about the Indians, and the
people supposed that they had killed me as I
had been out so long. This was about the
time General Custer and his command were
killed by them. Uncle Sam had fed and
fattened the red devils until they were in good
fighting trim, and they went at it, and were
killing people every day. About fifty were
killed in the vicinity of where I was. They
surprised the people at different places, almost
before they were known to be anywhere near,
and shot them down like wild beasts. Some
were tortured and mutillated in the most
revolting manner, and scalped and left to die.
At one place a band of them surprised a school
that was taught by a lady teacher, and cap-
tured the whole: school. They did not kill
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138 THE ADVENTURES OF
any of them, but satisfied themselves with
frightening them nearly to death. They
thumped and banged them about, and made
as if they would tomahawk them, and pulled
their hair and laughed when the frightened
girls begged for their lives. Three young
ladies of the school were stripped entirely
naked and told to go home in that condition.
After they had satisfied themselves with the
pupils they started off, but the people had risen,
and not half of those devils ever saw Sitting
Bull again. But they stole a great many
horses and cattle, and the cow-boys joined in
pnrsuit. The cow-boys were more than a
match for the reds, and tuok especial delight
in fighting them. ‘The troops finally came to
the relief of the people, but they nearly always
move too slow to catch Indians.
In this raid, however, Col. Lewis did good
work, but was killed with several of his men,
in an engagement on White Woman Creek.
When this happened I was hunting on the
same creek, but did not take much part in the
fighting, as J thought that if the government
CHARLES 1... YOUNGBLOOD, 139
fed and fattened the Indians for fighing, and
kept soldiers to kill them when they were
fattened, they might go ahead and do it. Buz
while I did not take an active part in the hos-
tilities, my occupation brought me in frequent
collision with the redskins, but all the fighting
I did was merely a pure matter of self defense,
and I made it a point not to get into any un-
necessary conflict with them.
One evening, a few days after the fight on
“White Woman’s Creek, I saw a bunch of
something in aside draw of the creek, and
supposed it to be buffalo, but it was so smoky
that I could not distinguish what it was, and
went nearer. We were then within about a
half mile of them, and, on going closer, I
brought my field glass to bear on them and
found they were Indians. They were lying on
the ground holding their horses, which I re-
garded as rather suspicious, and was afraid
that they had scouts stationed between me
and them. I had with me at that time a man
by the name of Brank Howard, and I told
him that we would withdraw a few hundred
140 THE ADVENTURES OF
yards to aravine, or washout, to stay all night.
This was a good position and afforded us a
fair opportunity to repel any attack they should
make. We hurried our supper all we could
and as soon as possible put the fire out, so that
it would not betray our position, and put our-
selves in as good condition for defense as we
could, when we sat down to watch and wait.
Shortly after dark our dog began to bark and
run savagely down the washout and then
back, keeping up an incessant growling and
barking, and we knew that the reds were
prying around our camp with no gocd intent.
Soon he grew more furious, and, after dashing
about fifty yards down the ravine, he would
come back with his tail between his legs as if
frightened. This is the way a dog acts when
Indians are about,.and we expected to be
attacked all the time, and-kept ourselves in
readiness to go to work in a second’s notice.
It was so dark and smoky that I never got to
see them once, and after about two hours
they went away, the dog became quiet, and
‘Howard and myself took turn about sleeping
= See
CHARLES LL. YOUNGBLOOD. 141
and watching during the night. *] examine
the ground around our camping place as soon’
as I could see in the morning and found that
they had been within twenty paces of us.
These were a remnant of the band that had
the fight with Lewis a few days before, and |
suppose, perhaps, that the reason they did not
attack us was, that they were dodging the
sodiers and were in a hurry to get out of the
country.
The whites were not the only ones that
suffered during the trouble, for the Indians
were compelled to undergo some rather severe
privations. I remember the: case of an old
squaw and a papoose about seven years old.
When the Indians were scattered in the fight
on White Woman, this squaw and child could
not get away, and, to avoid being taken by the
soldiers, hid themselves in a washout, and
when the soldiers left did not know which way
to go, as the tribe was scattered and broken
up, so they remained where they were. They
could get plenty of water, but nothing to eat,
except the carcasses of the animals that had
142 THE ADVENTURES OF
been slain in the fight, and so severe was their
hunger, and so. tong did they remain there, that
they had eaten one mule nearly up, the flesh
of which, when they were found, was putrefied
and smelled horribly, and the squaw and child
smelled but little better. They were carried
prisoners to Ft. Dodge.
CHARLES L. YOUNGBLOOD. 143
CHAPTER XVI.
ENGLISHMEN ON’ A LARK.
Nor very long after the occurrences men-
tioned in the preceding chapter, five English-
men came to Lakin Station on a lark. They
were not peers of the realm, neither were they
dukes or baronets, but they were regular built,
right lordly Englishmen, of the pure blcod
and true type, and were on a sight-seeing tour
over this country. They had plenty of money
with them, and I should judge from the way
they scattered it right and left, that there was
plenty more where that came from. They
were seeing their fun and were paying for it
too. They arrived at Lakin fully resolved to
take a buffalo hunt on the plains.
They had the best of guns, each having a
wood rifle and shotgun apiece. They asked
me what I would take to pilot them out on the
“range” and I answered thatif they were going
to do the shooting that I would go as a pilot
144 THE ADVENTURES OF
for tive dollars a day. They said they would
give it, and remarked that the price was cheap
enough. ‘The next day they procured a two-
horse carriage, and, after laying in a full stock
of ammunition and provisions, we started. [|
did not ride in the carriage, but took my
wagon and team, so that I would be ready
when they got tired of paying five dollars a
day. When we left Lakin we started in a
northeasterly direction. When about twenty
miles out we ran across a large rattlesnake,
which they thought was wonderful. As they
wished to see all about it, I made it sing for
them, and when I finally killed it, one of them
had me to skin it to make him a hat band.
Then they all had to take a swig of beer, of
which they had brought a goodly quantity,
which emptied one bottle. They then made
a bet as to who could break the bottle while
flying in the air, and began tossing the bottle
up into the air and firing at it. Finally one of
them succeeded in hitting it, and they all got
into the carriage and we again started on.
We had gone but a short ‘distance when one
CHARLES t.. YOUNGBLOOD., 145
of them, who had his head sticking out of the
carriage, exclaimed “Law, look there,” and
called for the driver to stop the carriage. |]
thought he saw a buffalo or something of the
kind, and began to look around for it, but
tailing to see any, I looked at him to see which
way he was looking, and saw that he was
almost going into hysterics over a large spec-
imen of terrapin. They all clambered out and
took a good look at it, turned it over with
their guns and shoved it about with their boots
until they were satisfied, then they drank
another bottle of beer, made a bet as to who
could hit it in the air, and when it was finally
broken they got intv the carriage and we
again drove on.
We had gone perhaps a mile when four
antelopes came dashing past us at full speed.
All five «f them jumped out with their guns
and began firing at them as fast as they could.
They were about the most excited set of
men leversaw. They fired about fifty shots
and the poor antelopes raz for dear life, badly
scared but not seriously injured, and I sup-
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146 THE ADVENTURES OF
pose not much more excited than the English-
mien. The men were sadly disappointed at
the escape of their game, but consoled them-
selves by drinking anot'er bottle of beer and
breaking the bottle a before. We moved on
1 couple of miles and camped for the night on
a small creek, and when we arose in the
morning we could see antelope in every direc-
tion, but we hitched up and drove on. The
antelope seemed to be tolerably tame, and the
pleasure hunters kept up a continual firing at
them as we passed alons until after noon, but
without any other eftect than to trighten the
animals. When we stopped for dinner one of
them suggested that they put “the old man”—
meaninz me—to shooting or we would starve
before we could get back to the station.
“because,” said he) “we \ Dave’ fired ive
’undred shots to-day and kille’ nothing, hand
it this thing is kept hup we will soon be out
of hammunition hand no game heither.” They
then put it to a vote and it was unanimously
agreed that I should kill them an antelope. I
told them that if they would all stay in the
CHARLES L. YOUNGBLOOD. 147
carriage I would try, and I thought perhaps
that we might have antelope forsupper. Long
before we got to our camping place I saw a
drove of antelope and got quietly out of the
wagon, slipped up as close to them as I could,
for I did not want to miss after poking so
much fun at the markmanship of the others,
and when close enough to shoot J] lay down
in the grass and waited for “a good chance.”
In a moment I got two in range and fired
bringing both of them down at the first shot.
At this the men leaped out of the carriage and
came running up to me, more excited, if possi-
ble, than when they fired the fifty shots at the
four scared antelope. After allowing them to
thoroughly examine the first dead antelopes
they had ever seen, I -took the entrails out,
threw the carcasses in the wagon and the
procession moved on. The Englishmen still
kept firing at antelopes, badgers, hawks and
everything they saw. This was kept up until
we reached Clear Creek, where we camped
for the night. Here we found ducks almost
in swarms, and my friends got among them
148 THE ADVENTURES OF
with their shotguns and killed several of -hem,
and we had a regular feast of antelope and
duck for supper. |
In the morning we harnessed up again and
started in a northwesterly direction and trav-
eled until we came to Bear Creek, where we
once more camred for the night, and in the
morning moved on again. When we had
gone about a mile we discovered fine buffalo.
These were the tinest we had seen on the trip
and the English gentlemen were very anxious
to kill them all, and jumped out of the car-
riage and started bolély toward. them, very
much as if they thought the buffalo would be
glad to see them, but when they were within
about a quarter of a mile of them the buffalo
raised their heads, and, taking a short look,
galloped off, leaving the nabobs sadly disap-
pointed. When they complained of their bad
luck to me I told them that they had done
much better than I expected, as I thought they
would frighten them away before they got
half so near. They gave the buffalo up rather
reluctantly and kept up a continual firing at
CHARLES L. YOUNGBLOOD. 149
antelopes and fowls as we traveled along until
night, but with their usualluck. We camped
for the night on a small creek called Rocky
Branch, and in the morning while eating break-
fast one of them said, “Mr. Youngblood, how
much do we owe you?” I told him that |
had been with them five days, and at five
dollars a day it would make twenty five
dollars. They paid me the money and said,
“We are done hunting, and want to see you
shoot a little.” I told them that it was all
right, and if they would stay with me awhile
I would probably shoot something. We
moved about six miles to White Woman
Creek, where I struck a large herd of buffalo.
I killed one the first fire, and got a
“stand” on them and killed seven. We
dressed them and moved on. As we passed
along I kill four antelopes. When we stopped
for night I cooked some of the buffalo humps,
and my English lords thought it the finest meat
they ever tasted. I had a good deal of fun out
of them on account of their shooting. I
told them that they had had me five days
150 THE ADVENTURES OF
for twenty-five dollars and got nothing, and
in one day I had made twice that amount.
We drove back to the station, and there we
had some more of the humps cooked for dinner,
but my friends did not like them as well! as
they did my cooking out on the range.
The next day I bade my English friends
farewell, and with the man Howard, men-
tioned before, again struck out for the range.
At White Woman Creek I struck a large herd
of buffalo, standing in the creek drinking, but
before I could get close enough to shoot they
started out, and I fired on them at long range,
killing a large cow. She was just going up
the bank, and when I struck her she came
rolling down toward the water. She rolled
off the bluff bank, about twelve feet high, and
struck in thin mud and went most entirely
under. Howard and I worked some time
trying to get her out, but so deep was she in
the mud that we could not move her. So we
gave it up as a bad job and went on after the
rest of the herd. I fired several shots at them
but only breaking the shoulder of a calf about
CHARLES L. YOUNGBLOOD. I5!
six months old. It could not keep up, with
the rest and we followed it along up the bed
of a “side draw,” until finally I saw that the
herd had stopped farther up the draw. The
calf had gotten tired by this time and very
gentle, and I could easily have shot it, but I
did not want to frighten the herd, so we
herded it off and began to try tocatch it. I
could.get tolerably close to it, but not close
enough to catchit. It was small andI thought
it could not hurt me much, and when I would
let it pass me it would make at me for a fight.
I supposed I could push it off when it got to
me and stood my ground, and it came bowing
and shaking its head, and when within a few
teet of me made a big dash right at me like
an old ram, and before I could do anything
knocked me down and began trampling me
into the ground. Finding that it did not mean
to let me up, I reached up and got it by the ears
and after quite a tussle got it down and fin-
ished it with my knife. As soon as we could
dress it we started on after the herd, but had
to follow them about twelve miles before I
$52 THE ADVENTURES OF
could get a shot at them to suit me. Here I
shot one and it ran on about three hundred
vards on ahifiand tell. This was on Beaver’s
Creek, and the beavers had built a dam across
the creek, so that we could not across with the
team and wagon, and, as it was about sun-
down, I told Howard to turn the horses out
and J] would go over and skin the buffalo. |
crossed the creek on a beaver dam, and had
hardly began dressing my game when I
noticed three men about three quarters of a
mile off on borseback and coming toward us.
I took them to be Indians and told Howard to
gather up the ammunition and get it handy as
the I: dians were coming, and I picked up my
gun and started back to the wagon. But it
was a false alarm, as the men were cow-boys
looking up some lost cattle.
I had noticed that Howard did not seem to
be in an easy franie of mind, any of the time
le was with me, and I supposed that he had
eotten into trouble somewhere and was
dodving. I continually met men of this clase
out there and soon learned to think but little
CHARLES 2 YOUNGBLOOD. I
a |
SS)
of it, and let it pass without any remarks or
inquiries. I had not said a word to Howard,
but noticed that, as we prepared to start in
with our load, he grew more nervous and ill
at ease than ever, and seemed to be extremely
anxious and uneasy. In fact he was so much
so that I thought it would be right for me to
speak to him about it and give him a chance
to unload himself to me, as it would be likely
to relieve the strain upon his mind. So the
first opportunity that offered I asked him if
something was not troubling him, and if I
could do anything for him. He then said with
a sorrowful smile, “Do I act as if something
was bothering me?” “I have seen many a
man in your condition,” answered I, “and can
guess pretty well as to the cause; and if you
are in a difficulty, and half way innocent, I
will try to help youin some way or other, and
if you are really guilty of some infernal crime
I will agree not to give you away, So spit it
out, and we will see what can be done. My
opinion is that you gotaway with some fellow
where you came from, but whatever it is let’s
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154 THE ADVENTURES: OF
$9
have it. He looked at me fora moment as
f amazed, and finally said, “You have guess-
ae
ud ell. [amin trouble and/in the way you
say, but | am neo guilty of wilful murder, yet
[| dread the consequences of being apprehended.
At Fort Scott, Mo., I traded horses with a
jockey, and the next day he came to me and
said I should trade back, as [had cheated him
by Wis about my horse. I! told him that I
never traded ce when I traded and found
ee te ted T had to stand to my bargain,
camel, F<] happened to make a good trade I
mean: to keep it. He then grew furious and
said he would make me trade back, but I told
sim he would do nothing of the kind, when
ne flew at me with his raw-hide whip and
began whipping me over the head and face
wvith it. This was more than I could stand,
and, as he was a large bully, I drew my knife
and used it with fatal effect. I fled imme-
diately, not because | was afraid of being
hanged, but J knewit would cause me a great
‘eal of trouble and cost me a large amount of
money to vindicate myself, as I had no friends
CHARLES L. YOUNGBLOOD. 155
with me atthe time, and I knew the few spec-
taturs to be very reckless and predjudiced
against me. I have sent for my family to
meet me at Lakin, and they will be there to-
morrow or the next day, and I have been
thinking that the officers may follow them and
trace me outinthat way. Now, what I want
to know of you is this: Do you blame me
for using my knife on him, and will you do
anything against me?”
"Noy tsa 1. ldo: not blame, you: at:all,
if itis the way you say, and will be glad to
help you if I can. So if you have anything
you wish me to do, let me hear it.”
“Tf have nothing for you to do at present,”
said he, “except that when we go in to the
Station, you goin first and find out if there are
any strangers in town, and if they are from
Pt. Scott, onstaativicinity.. If, there:.are,/1
want you to pry around and find out what
their business is, and report to me; if vou find
my family already there you can tell them
how it is, and let me know as soon as you can
see how the land lays.”
156 THE ADVENTURES OF
I teld him I would do so and in the morning
started in without him. . When I got in I
noticed a stranger, but paid no attention to him
then, and began getting rid of my load of
meat, but soon the stranger came up to the
wagon and began -looking at the meat, re-
marking that it was the first he had ever seen.
“It is;” said I in feigned astonishment.
‘Where did you come from?”
“From Missouri, near Ft. Scott,” ‘was his
‘iy Swer.
Then I knew he was adetective, hunting for
i{loward, but thought him very stupid to tell
where he was from and give himself away so
easily. He took quite an in erest in me and fol-
lowed me about questioning me at every
opportunity. ‘“Let’s see, whatis your name?”
he asked. I told him my name. ._ “Do you
hunt tor a living.” I replied in the affirmative.
“Do you hunt by yourself?”
“Sometimes I do.”
‘“TTave you any one with you now.”
“Yes, but I do not know where he is.”
“When are you going out again?”
I told him I could not tell, as it depended
CHARLES L. YOUNGBLOOD. 157
entirely upon circumstances ; I might go out
the next day, and I might not go again for a
week or more. “Well,” said he, “it you go out
to-morrow I would like to go with you.” I
told him I would see about it and left him.
When I went to the hotel I found Howard’s
family there sure enough, but the stranger
Watched me so closely that I could have no
conversation with thewo man. I was very
roughly dressed and my clothes were bloody,
and I suppose the woman at first took me for
a desperado, reeking with the blood of his vic-
tims. As soon, however, asshe found out that
I was the “old hunter” that her husband was
with, she manifested a desire to speak to me,
but was watching the stranger as well as I and
would not speak to me in his presence, for she
had noticed him getting on and off the cars
every time that she did, and had pretty well
divined his purpose. The first chance I could
get I told her where her husband was, and she
begged me to help them to outwit the detective
and get away. I promised her that I would do
so, and about ten o’clock that night slipped out,
went to Howard and reported what I had
158 THE ADVENTURES OF
seen and heard. I told him to keep still until
the next night and | would try io get him out
and away. I talked about the Station the
next day, and spent some time in the company
of the stranger from Ft. Scott, and in his
presence announced my intention of soon go-
ing on another hunt, and told him that if my
partner did not come back I would be pleased
to have him go with me. He was anxious to
do so and we parted fast friends, but when he
got up the next morning, the woman and chil-
dren that he had followed from Ft. Scott were
gone. As soon as everything was still that
night I harnessed up the team, and, taking
Howard’s family with me, drove to where he
was concealed, and started themtoward Col-
orado, telling them to keep hidden during the
day and travel during the night, and they were
soon out of the reach of the detective. | got
back to the hotel in time to get up for break-
fast with’ the rest, but when the detective
missed Howard’s family he looked sharply
at me, as if he thought that if I chose I could
tell how they got away. As good luck would
CHARLES L. YOUNGBLOOD. 159
have it, some one told him that a woman and
children got on a train that passed during the
night, and he boarded the first train and left
on a false track. This isthe last I ever saw of
_ either of the parties, but have since heard that
Howard was caught, taken back to Ft. Scott,
tried and acguitted.
160 THE ADVENTURES OF
CHAPTER XV i:
HUNTING ON THE “RANGE,” ETC.
Tue events detailed in the preceding chapter
resulted in leaving me without a hand, but I
soon struck a man by the name of Henderson.
He had a good team, and we were soon on
our way tothe “range” with two teams. We
first went to White Woman Creek, and on
the way saw hundreds of antelopes, but we
were looking for buffalo, and did not disturb
them. Not finding any buffalo we crossed
the creek, where we camped for the night.
I killed an antelope for supper, and the next
day we moved on to Beaver Creek, and again
stopped tor the night, camping under the bluff
about twenty yards from the water. It was
cool, cloudy weather, and there was but little
water inthe creek, but when we got up in the
morning we were surprised to find ourselves
surrounded by water, the more especially so,
because it had not rained at all during the
night. We could not understand it, as the
CHARLES L. YOUNGBLOOD. 161
water had raised from four inches to six teet,
and evidently did not come from any freshet
above as the water was not at all muddy.
We managed to get out by wading and getting
uncomfortable wet. When breakfast was
over we proceeded down the creek to inves-
tigate as to the sudden rise. I knew that the
cause was some stoppage below, but could
not tell, though very anxious to find out what
it was. We had not gone far when we came
to a big beaver dam which the beavers were
"hard at work repairing. Then the cause ot
the sudden rise in the creek flashed upon me.
The dam had lately broken and let the water
in the creek run out, and the beavers had filled
up the break the day that we camped at
night and the mysterv of the night was ex-
plained.
As alittle sketch of the habits of this sin-
gularly intelligent animal may prove of inter-
est to some of my readers, I will stop long
enough to give in brief words what I know
of the beaver:
This animal is about three times as large as
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4
162 THE ADVENTURES OF
the common coon, with which all are familiar,
and always about the water. ‘They are par-
ticularly adapted to the water, having webbed
feet, and the power to stay under the water
for along time. They have a broad, flat tail
which they use as a trowel, and strong, heavy
teeth with which they cut down large trees.
They build houses of sticks and mud in the
shape of a circular arch, with the entrance
under the water, and have the different lodges
connected by pass ways. In order that they -
may always have water to play in, they fre-
quently build large dams across the stream.
These dams are built of mud, sticks, logs and
even large trees, the latter they cut down with
their teeth at some point in the creek above
the dam, and carried to the proper place by
floating it down the current. To one who
never before saw a beaver town and dam, the
sight is as much of a wonder to him as any-
thing you could show him. But as space
is limited I will give the beaver a rest and
pass on.
Leaving the beaver dam that had caused us
CHARLES L. YOUNGBLOOD. 163
so much astonishment, we passed down the
creek about twenty miles and then went
across to the Cold Train Lakes, where we
found numerous antelope watering. I told
Henderson that we would stop right there and
kill a load of antelope. Henderson turned out
the horses and I went to work and before
night I had killed twenty-four. The next
morning a large buffalo came in to water and
{ got him. This made our load and we pulled
in to Sherlock, where we sold out for $71.00,
one-third of which went to Henderson.
We only staid in Sherlock over night and
started out again, this time going on the bed
of the Pawnee River, as I supposed the buffalo
were there. But when we arrived we found
that the Indians had been there and had chased
them out of the country on horeback. It
trightens them badly to chase them on horse-
back, and when thus started do not soon stop.
Finding that we could get no buffalo there, I
set in and killed a load of antelope, and we
took them into Pierceville, the nearest station.
We then took another shoot, going in south of
164 THE ADVENTURES OF
the Arkansas River. I had killed plenty of
buffalo there and supposed I could easily do.so
again. We had only gotten about twenty
miles south when we came to where the
prate.’ had... been -).recently + —herted:
We traveled two more days that we
did}, nots see -anything :. at. ‘alls (but+he
burned prairie. The worst of all was, that
we had taken but very little grub along
with us, of course, expecting to find plenty of
game, but in this we were disappointed, as all
the game had been chased out by the fire. I
had two dogs along and they soon began to
manifest decided symtoms of hunger, but as we
had but a very little for ourselves we did not
think it exactly prudent to divide with them.
At last Il saw a badger lying near his hole
and shot him for my dogs, but they would not
taste it at all. I thought perhaps they might
get hungry enough to eat it before they got
anything else, so I threw it into the wagon and
took it along. When we camfed that night
I again offered them some badger, but they
were not ready for it yet. I dressed it and
CHARLES L YOUNGBLOOD. 165
roasted it nicely but they wouldn’t have it
yet. I still left it before them and by morn-
ing they had it nearly devoured. ‘The next
day, about 2 o’clock, we arrived on the north
fork of Cimarron Creek. About the time we
struck the creek, Henderson pointed to a hill
to the Jeit of us and said, “There are four
buffalo heads; some hunter has been here
not long ago.”
I jumped upon the wagon to see them,
but as soon as I looked I told him to squat
down for those heads were fast to the buffalo
yet. I took my gun, and, getting as close to
them as I dared, saw that one of them was a
cow and the other three were young‘ones. |
concluded to kill the cow first, and then I
would be pretty apt to get the whole lot. In
this I was right, for the old one never got up
after I shot her, and in two minutes I had
them all. It is useless to state that we had a
feast that night, dogs and all.
The. next day we drove about ten miles,
166 THE ADVENTURES OF
when we got out of the burnt district, and |
got on a high hill, and, scanning the plains
with my field glass, I discovered a large herd
of buffalo about six miles ahead of us. We
_drove as close as we could with the wagon,
and then I got out, and, shooting one down,
“got a stand” on them and killed all we could
haul in both wagons. As we were going in
we saw a large herd close to the road, and,
as we wished to pay them a visit when we
could take eare of some of them, we waited
ior them to move, not wishing to frighten
them. As soon as the buffalo moved out of
our way we drove past, and, when we reached
the station, disposed of our meat as fast as
possible, and; hiring a hand to go with us,
started back for the herd we had left. We
expeeted to find them on Bear Creek, as they
were heading that way, and, with that expec
tation, we drove up the creek, looking for
them, After traveling about forty miles we
had a snow storm, which left us with about
‘ix inches of snow, and we were compelled to
lay over for two days in the bed of Bear Creek.
CHARLES lL YOUNGBLOOD. 167
On the morning of the third day as I was
making a fire I heard a fearful racket near,
and ran up the bank to see what it could be.
When I got up the bank I saw a buffalo and
four wolves fighting. The buttalo somehow
got hurt in the loins during the fight and could
no longer run. As soon as the wolves saw
me they run off, leaving me in poOssession ot
the prize.
Despairing of finding the buffalo as [ had
expected, we turned south toward the north
fork of Cimarron Creek, and found a herd o!
fourteen and got eleven of them. This made
out our load and we again drove in.
When we got into the station (Ihakin) there
were three men from New York who had
never seen alive buffalo. They examined my
load very closely, and finally asked me what
I would charge to take them with me the next
time I went out. They merely wanted to go
along to see what they could see. I tolc
them that I would let them go for a dollar
apiece per day, and the bargain was soon
closed.
168 THE ADVENTURES OF
As soon as we could get ready we started
from Lakin 2nd went south of the Arkansas
River to the head waters of North Fork
Creek, about thirty miles back. We camped
for the night on the creek, and during the
night a snow fell about four inches deep. We
lay still until about tro o’clock, when the snow
degan to melt, and we harnessed up and drove
about fifteen niles wp the creek, when: |
thought it was about time to strike some
buffalo, and getting on a hill, where I could
wet a good view for miles, I took my field
lass and “viewed the landscape o’er.” I saw
an immense number of horses and cattle in
different directions, and, after looking some
time, I espied a herd of buffalo, about five
niles off.
When I went to the wagon and told my
-ompanions that [ had found a herd of buffalo,
‘1ey were very much elated, and we drove on
yward the herd. We soon got on lower
“round, and were out of sight of them for
“me time, but kept our course, and when we
maally' came in sight of them they were not
. CHARLES L. YOUNGBLOOD. 169
not more than ahalf mile off. We were then
as close as we dared drive. I usually crawl
on my hands and knees in the grass and get
as close to a herd as I wish, but this time the
ground was so cold and muddy that I did not
feel like crawling, but just ran toward them
until they began to get alarmed, and then
began shooting. I had to fire at long range
and after several shots I finally broke the
shoulder of one, and he soon dropped out of the
herd, not being able to keep up. I waited
until the wagon came up and put the dogs on
the crippled one and let them kill him, and
we would camp here forthe night. The crip-
pled buffalo made his way the best he could
after the herd, with the dogs laying him, until
he got on a rise in the ground, when the rest
of the herd, seeing the fight. turned and came
dashing back, and began to try to kill the dogs,
who, though laying at them all the time, kept
out of their way. They kept moving toward
us while they were fighting, and my New
York chaps began to get frightened and were
afraid they would come toward us, but I told
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170 THE ADVENTURES OF
them there was no danger, and if they would
come to me I would show thm how to kill
buffalo, but I could not get them any closer.
Finding it useless to waste time with them,
I went to within a hundred and fifty yards ot
the buffalo and began firing. The herd was
paying no attention to anything but the dogs,
and at every shot I fired a buffalo dropped.
I kept up firing until there was but one left,
and he seemed to suddenly become conscious
that he was alone and began to look for com-
pany, and started right toward the New
Yorkers. They thought sure that they were
gone and began darting here and there, but
when the buffalo was fifty yards of them it
stopped to see what they were, and I senta »
, bullet through its heart, and it dropped dead.
The New Yorkers were greatly relieved when
they saw their enemy fall, and I suppose that
they believe to this day that I saved their
lives, though they were in no trouble at all.
I had then thirteen buffalo, with the sun only
about an hour high and all of them to dress
before I went to bed. My companions offered
CHARLES YOUNGBLOOD. 171
to help me and did the best they could, but
even that was not much, as they were banker’s
and lawyer’s clerks and had never seen a
buftalo before. With the exception of three
the buffalo lay in a radius of thirty feet, and
I built a fire near the center and by about
12 o’clock we had them in the wagons.
We talked the remainder of the night, and
the next morning we saw a herd of about
three hundred near us. [ pitched into this
herd and got eight. This made all we could
haul, and we started in to Lakin. When we
arrived at the hotel the landlord asked me
why I did not bring some antelope. I told him
that I was out after buffalo-and didn’t look for
antelope. He then asked it I couldn’t go out
the next day and get him some, and IJ replied
that I would try.
I took my old Indian pony and started, and
found a nice herd not far from the station,
and, slipping up as close as I could, I killed
three. [I had with me a rope about twenty
feet long that I used to picket my horse, and
tied my horse to the neck of one of the ante-
172 THE ADVENTURES OF
lopes, which was not dead yet, though I sup-
posed that it wes just about breathing its last,
and went on after the antelope. I started on
their trail, overtook them and killed six, and
when I got back to where I had ieft my horse,
he was missing, as was also the antelope I
hitched to him. I started out after them and
tound the antelope leading the horse by the
picket rope. I soon dispatched it and started
round gathering up what I had killed. I tied
their heads together, two and two, end threw
them across my horse until I got them all on,
then I went in driving my horse before me.
I must have presented an odd appearance as
I entered che station in this manner, but, be
this as it may, I gave them a good supply of
antelope and got my pay for them, too.
CHARLES L YOUNGBLOOD., 173
CHAPTER XVIII.
ALMOST STARVED—EATING PRAIRIE DOGS—
A GREEN HUNTER’S RELIC—HUNTING AN-
TELOPE, ETC.
I REMEMBER once [I started out on a hunt
to a range where I had been finding plenty of
game, but when I got there I found that the
lakes had dried up and the game had gone
elsewhere for water, and I drove three davs
without killing anything, and I soon began to
get hungry and was compelled to go two days
entirely without food. At last I struck a
dog town, and by that time I was so hungry
that I struck it for something to eat. I had
never eaten a prairie dog and had not regarded
them as at all choice as an article of food, but
I turned my horses out and shot one of the
little varmints, fried him nicely and ate
him. He tasted so nicely that I tried
another, and another, and still another until
I had eaten six. Ordinarily a man could
i74 THE ADVENTURES OF
not eat more than one, but I was so hungry
and had nothing to eat with them that I easily
got awey with six. I then hitched up and
drove about forty miles when I fell in with a
man named Edward Day, who had just killed
a buffalo and had the humps with him. I told
him that I was as hungry as a wolf and would
like to have something to eat, and we stopped,
built a fire and cooked a good mess.
After dinner 1 asked him where the game
had gone, and he replied tha’ he had seen a
large herd only about five miles trom where
we were. This revived my spirits considerably
and I immediately started for them and killed
six, . Uy. (camped: there: ‘that. night. andthe
next morning three men came to my camp in
a wagon. They had been out to kill buffalo,
but had failed, and started back with heavy
hearts. After we had talked a while they said
they would give me five dollars if I would
show them how to killa buffalo. I told them
I would do so, and we were soon after the
game. ‘The buffalo were very thick then and
we were not long in finding plenty. Bu: the
CHARLES L. YOUNGBLOOD. 175
one who offered five dollars to teach him how
to kill them was so much afraid of them that
I could hardly get him near enough to do so;
but I got him as close as I could and showed
him which one to kill and he fired away but
missed clear. I saw that I had a hard task
and must get him closer, so I shot and crippled
one and put him after it. It moved off slowly
and he fired some twenty shots at it without
any visible effect, and I moved him up within
fifty yards of it, but by this this time he was
so nervous that he shook as if he had an ague
fit, and missed again. The buffalo, seeing us
about to overtake it, turned for fight, and I
had to shoot it down at last. I told him to
shoot it quick before it was dead, and he ran
ran up and put a ball in its ham, and turning
to me handed me the five dollars. He thanked
me very kindly, asked me to skin its head,
and said he was going to have it stuffed and
when he was an old man he would exhibit it
to his grandchildren as a relic of his exploits
as a great hunter.
We then camped there for the night, but as
176 THE ADVENTURES OF
we had to build the fire of buffalo chips, my
friends were too extremely nice to touch them
and i -had to.gather ‘all-the. fuel. myself,
often found men when they were on the plains
for the first time that were too dainty of taste
to eat anything cooked by a fire made of
this kind of fuel; but they soon get over their
squeamishness and come to their senses.
About the only man I ever saw that took
kindly to buffalo chips at first dash was an old
tried of mine, with whom some of my readers
are acquainted—he sometimes rolls pills—_
who came out to Kansas to look at the coun-
try, and while out called to see me. We
went out after antelope, and stopping at the
head of a small branch we found a small hole
of water, at which I could see that the ante-
lope had been watering freely. I told my
friend that we would stop and get some of
them. We unhitched the horse and got the
buggy down in a draw where it would be
out of sight of the game, and we sat down to
take a lunch. While we were eating an an-
telope stepped in sight within twenty paces of
CHARLES L YOUNGBLOOD. a
us and I picked up my gun, which happened
to be within reach, and killed it. In a few
moments two more came to the spot where
the dead one was lying and I saved both ot
them. I then told my friend to build a fire
and I would skin the antelope, and we would
have some fresh meat. He said he would do
so and asked me where he would find some
wood. I pointed at some “chips” and told
him there was plenty. Contrary to my ex-
pectations he jumped right into them and
began raking them up with his hands, and it
was but a few minutes until he had a chunk ot
bread in one hand and a lump of meat in the
other.
(23)
178 FHE ADVENTURES OF
CHAPTER XTX.
A SHORT time after the occurrences detailed
in the last chapter, myself and a friend went
out on ahunt. We struck out south of the
Arkansas River until we came to the North
Fork, which was about thirty miles, then we
traveled up this stream tor nearly thirty miles,
when we went.south near the Point of Rock,
on the South Fork of Cimarron River. Here
we struck a large herd of buffalo, which my
friend tackled while I remained with the team.
The buffalo were down in a hollow and when
he fired on them they dashed right toward
me. I did not want to shootas we had a very
wild team and I did not care to be ran away
with, but they came so close that I picked up
my gun and blazed away. In my haste I
forgot to withdraw the gunstick, which I had
inserted with some oiled tow to prevent its
CHARLES L. YOUNGBLOOD. 179
rusting, and strung two on the gunstick. |
creased them on the loins and brought them
both down, but the horses were about to be-
come unmanageable, and | had to stop my
shooting and give them my whole attention.
When my friend came up he was surprised to
see that I had killed two as he had heard me
shoot but once.
We soon got our load and started back, and
after driving fifteen miles we camped by a
big spring for the night. About g o’clock the
Wolves, attracted by the smell of fresh meat,
began to howl around us. We had a dog
with us that would fight them, though he had
no business with a wolf, and they finally came
so near that they and the dog kept up a con-
tinual racket all night. He would rush out at
them and chase them a short distance, when
they would turn and drive him back to where
we were lying, then he would bay them until
he fot (them started, when. he would
drive them back again. This proceeding was
repeated every few minutes during the whole
night, and, as you may well imagine we did
180 THE ADVENTURES CYP
not sleep a wink. The wolves were nearly
starved and seemed determined to have some-
thing to eat. At one time during the night it
was really exciting and not at all pleasant.
At one time when they had chased the dog
right up to us, one of them attacked him and
they fought viciously over and upon us for
some time, but we pulled our buttalo robes
over us as soon as we could and did not get
injured at all, but we we were not at all com-
fortable until the fight was over, the dog fin-
ally driving the wolf off. In the morning we
got up feeling worse than when we lay down,
but got to sleep good the next night.
CHARLES L. YOUNGBLOOD. ISI
Cir PER xe
IN a few days after this I started on another
hunt, taking with me an editor who wanted
to see a herd of buffalo. On the second night
we camped on Carter Draw on a large lake.
We had not stopped long before we dis-
covered that the antelope were coming
in great numbers to the lake for water. The
next morning they began to come in before
sunrise, and [| told the editor that if he would
get breakfast | would go out and try to kill
some of them, and after a run of about an
hour | got ten. As soon as breakfast was
over, I drove around and ‘gathered up the
game, and then started in to Sycamore
Station, about. thirty miles distant, on
182 THE ADVENTURES OF
the Atchinson and Santa Fe Railroad, where
shipped the antelope to Fisher, the hotel
proprietor at Lakin.
From Syracuse we drove about forty miles
north, near White Woman Creek, where we
ran on to a large herd of buffalo, but as it was
about sundown when we discovered them we
only took a good look at them, and concluded
to wait unttl morning before we disturbed
them. It was avery large herd and closely
covered a half a mile square, and we went to
bed speculating on the big load we would get
in the morning, but when we got up nota
single buffalo was to be seen. The editor was
considerably discouraged, but it was easy to
tollow the trail, and as soon as we could get
ready we started on after them, and, after
about fifteen miles travel, came upon them
lying down. I slipped on them as close as I
could and killed four. We dressed them and
again drove on, and when we were near what
is called the State Line Trail, | concluded to
finish my load with antelope, and began kill-
ing them. When [had killed seven we ran
?
:
ee
CHARLES L YOUNGBLOOD. 183
across a fellow with a team, and I hired him
to take my load in to Sargeant Station aad
ship it to Lakin, andI drove on. We traveled
east a few miles and stopped on a small lake
where the buffalo and antelope were watering.
During the night several antelope came near
us to get water, and the editor shot one ot
them, his first, and, so tar as I know, his only
antelope. About 10 o’clock the horse we had
picketed near us suddenly began to snort and
act very much frightened. I sprang to my
feet thinging that the Indians were on us, but
was surprised to see a large herd of buffalo
within fifty yards of us coming for water.
There were plenty of them within a few feet
us, and they surrounded the wagon andso
frightened one of our horses that he broke
loose. I could easily have killed several but
was afraid that it would frighten the horse
still more and make him leave us entirely,,.
and I could only stand and look at them. As
soon as they passed I went and got the horse
and we again lay down, but in a few minutes
a single buffalo came down for a drink and I
184 THE ADVENTURES OF
shot him. We then put on our clothes and
dressed him and did not sleep any more that
night. In the morning we drove about five
miles, when we struck a large herd and got
six of them. This finished our load, and by
the time we had them dressed it was nearly
night, but I proposed to my partner that as
the moon would shine we might start in to
the station. :
Shortly after we started the sky became
cloudy and the night grew dark and I lost my
bearing, and for fear of getting still worse we
stopped for day. When we went to picket
our horses it was-found that our tether had
been left where we camped the night before,
and were compelled to take it turn about
holding the horses until daylight. We soon
‘tound where we were and pulled in to Aubery
Station, sold what I could and drove on to
Lakin. The editor published an accoant of
our hunt in his paper, and if you ever see it
you can compare it with this and see how they
tally. On this hunt I killed seventy-two ante-
CHARLES. L. YOUNGBLOOD. 185
lope and eleven buffalo, which, considering
the circumstances, did pretty well.
When I arrived at Lakin I found two
sportsmen from Connecticutt waiting for me.
They wanted me to go merely as a pilot and
they wanted to do all the shooting themselves.
They had an armory of six guns: two
breech-loading shot-guns, two breech-loading
rifles and two 18-inch rifles. They were to
give me three dollars a day as long as we were
out, and as soon as I was rested we started
south of the Arkansas River about twenty
miles. ‘Their forte seemed to be the shot-gun,
and they wanted to go where there was plenty
of fowls. It was new to me to see men want to
get after ducks and snipes where they can
find plenty of antelope and buffalo, but they
wanted fowls and I found what they wanted.
I took them to a large lake that was alive
with ducks and kendricks. The kendrick is
about the size of the guinea fowl, and its flesh
is delicate and finely flavored. There was
also a kind of snipe about the size of a quail,
and its flesh is excellent. What with ken-
(
186 THE ADVENTURES OF
dricks, snipe and the different kinds of ducks
the lake seemed almost alive, and my sports-
men had a gay old time. ‘They were partic-
ularly interested in the kendricks, and reg rded
them as a great curiosity; they have.long
legs for wading and an extremely long bill,
generally about seveninchesin length. ‘These
men would not shoot at a bird except on the
wing, and never fired on them when they
were in a bunch, but would make them fly up
and selecting one bring it down.
They kept up their sport until one of them
in firing at a duck on the wing harpened to
shoot the other with bird shot, but as the shot
they were using was small it did not kill nor
seriously injure him, but it put an end to the
hunt, and we went back to Lakin.
Here [ found two more men waiting for me
to pilot them “out:on a/tunt:- . They were
doctors from Chicago and we soon came to
terms. We started the next morning and
going about twenty came to a lake and stopped
for the night. Here we found aztelope and
killed seven. The doctors had shot-guns and
CHARLES L. YOUNGBLOOD. 187
kept blazing away at everything they saw.
The wolves seemed very hungry and came
howling around quite close to us and my doc-
tors killed several during the night with their
stot-guns.
They were well pleased with the sport and
in the morning we narnessed up and started
to find some buffalo. But just at that time
nearly everybody was after buffalo and ante-
lope, and some days one could see as many as
fifty wagons going in every direction for meat,
and would not know what to do if they should
happen to stumble on a herd. They were
around with anything they could get hold of,
including knives, pistols, shot guns, etc. They
would ask me if the buffalo would fight, and
some seemed to imagine that they could ride
right up by the side of one and kill it with a
pistol or knife, and if they found a herd they
would rush right up as if they expected them
to stand still until they caught them by the
tails and cut their throats. In fact their crazy
rush and racket frightened the buffalo and
antelope out of the country and caused them
188 REE ADVENT RES OF
to, seek .a). refuge) trom) the din -ane noise
farther west, and they were so frightened that
they did not come back for six months. Most
of these fellows had been gulled into coming
west by land agents to get cheap land and
had been bitten. At any rate they had driven
the buffalo off and we had to go back without
any.
CHARLES lL YOUNGBLOOD. core)
CHAP rE AX.
Ona ANULHER BUPRPALO« HUNT=—PRAIKIE, ON
RinRE—BUPEFALO. STAMPEDE—AN EXCITBD
COMPANION
NBARLY:, STARVED ——SNOW=
BOUND—HUNTING WILD HORSES) ETC.
I wILt now call your attention to a buftalo
hunt that I took with a man by the name ot
Edward Riley. We started out from Wallace
Station on the K. R. Railroad. On the second
day we found a very large herd. ‘They were
coming toward us, and as the prairie was on fire
behind them they were in a general stampede.
I left Riley with the team and killed five in a
very few moments, but was not long before
the fire was right on us and Riley became so
much frightened that I could not hardly do
anything with him, and while my attention was
directed to something else he turned and drove
off in a gallop to make his escape, leaving me
alone to do the best I could. After going a
Igo THE ADVENTURES OF
short distance be turned to come back, but by
this time the smoke was so dense that he
could net find me. I went on and dressed the
buftalo that I had killed, but Riley did not put
in #n appearance. By this «tite the danger
from ythe’ fire owas “over “and # i> waiter
patiently until dark. “Still “Riley did not
appear. I began to cast about to see how I
was going to keep from freezing, as I had
left my coat on the wagon when I started
after the buffalo, and Riley hal driven off
w th it, leaving ‘mein my shirt sleeves, and
the weather was very cold. I finally took the
hindes of two of the buffalo that I had killed
and rolled myself up in them as close as |
could, and it was not long until hev froze and
become as solid as a holler log. Still I was
warm, but could not move at all... I lay thus
until the sun was an hour high in the morn-
ing, and by dint of hard squeezing | managed
to crawl out of my prison and look around, but
no Riley was to’ be seen.
I went to the top of a high hill but could
not see him at all, though I could see for miles
CHARLES lk YOUNGBLOOD. Ig]
in every direction. J did not see him until
late in the evening when he came in sight.
You can imagine how glad I was to see him
when I tell you that I had not had a bite to
eat since he had left me, over twenty-four
hours before, as I had no matches to start a
fire to cook it with. Whenhe came up I got
a bite to eat, and we loaded up our meat and
started down Goose Creek. We had scarcely
started when it began to spit snow and indi-
cate a snow storm. We soon stopped and
camped in a draw and in the morning we
tound that the snow had drifted around our
tent to the depth of about four feet, though on
the level it was only about six inches deep.
We got out and started, but it was so cold
and disagreeable that we had to stop again,
and we soon found ourselves snow-bound.
When it cleared off we began to make prep-
arations to move out, but feund our wagon so
badly ‘“‘snowed in” that it took us some time
to shovel it out. After a hard tug we finally
got into Wallace, just two weeks from the
time we started.
19Q2 THE ADVENTURES OF
When we drove inthe people came running
up to ask if we had seen or heard anything of
the Indians. They then told that there had
been a big fight in the vicinity of the station,
in which twenty-eight Indians had been killed.
They had given us up for gone, though we
had never seen an Indian or thought of dan-
Cer,
I will now tell you of a wild horse chase
that I happened to get into a short time after
my buffalo hunt. Three of us started out to
take three herds, one’ apiece: We took tour
hands along with us. On the second day I
killed a load of buffalo and and sent a man in
to Lakin with it. and we went on until we
found wild horses, then we camped and pre-
pared tor business.
I selected for mine a herd of twenty-six—
twenty-five bays and a roan—while the other
two took one a herd of twenty-two and the
other a herd ot twenty-four, and we started
out to see who could do the best. The herds
started in the same general direction, going
northwest into Colorado about one hundred
CHARLES L. YOUNGBLOOD. 193
miles from where we started them. We
passed through a dry country but finally struck
a seciion where there had been plenty of rain
and the grasswas good. ‘Thehorses wanted to
stay here and began circling about. After
fifteen days’ hard driving we drove into Lakin
with fifty-six head. |
I had a corrall prepared for the purpose,
which was made of railroad ties set about
eighteen inches in the ground w.th wings
formed the same way leading into it. We got
them in the corrall after some difficulty, but
yet had a hard job on hand. They all had to
be broken or handled. ‘To do this an exper-
ienced cow-boy throws a lasso over the head
of one and chokes him down, when he is
bitted and held by long ropes until he gives up
and consents to be led about. It is important
that they be handled as soon as they are driven
in before they have time to rest up. They
should also be handled every day until they
become perfectly docile. |
In 1881 I started out from Aubrey on a
buffalo hunt, and went north of the Arkansas
(25)
194 THE ADVENTURES OF
River. When I had gone about forty miles
I came to a small lake where | found signs
that buffalo had been there very recently. I
ascertained which direction they went and
started after them. When I had gone about
five miles I discovered a herd. I had two
teams and two men with me. I left the men
with the wagons and slipped up as close as I
could and wounded but one when they dashed
over a hill and out of sight, but I noticed that
they were bearing around the bill and ran
across to intercept them if I could do so. As
was running along I heard something behind
me, and, on looking around, saw a buffalo calf
which had evidently been asleep when the rest
dashed oft and when it awakened it took right
after me. It was a small one and came right
to meé: I ‘seized it and held it until,.my amen
came up with the wagons when we tied it and
put it in a wagon. When I! got to the other
side of the hill I saw that the wounded one
had dropped close by the road side, but when
I got up to it I saw that one of its hams was
entirely gone. JI was very much surprised,
CHARLES L. YOUNGBLOOD. 195
but on looking up the road I saw a wagon
with three men in it driving rapidly off. Ly-
ing the ground near the buffalo was a fine
field glass, which the fellows who stole my
buffalo ham had dropped in their haste. After
I had examined it I considered myself well
paid for my ham and appropriated it. We
camped only about a mile off, and when we
got up in the morning saw two of the fellows
riding back and forth looking, as I naturally
supposed, for a field glass, but I doubt if they
found it. We drove afew miles that morning
and found five buffalo but only got one, when
it began to rain and we had to go into camp.
We laid up till the rain was over and started
in. My calf died on the journey, but | killed
enough antelope to make out a good load.
For the information of any person East who
may chance to read this little book, I will
devote part of this chapter to a brief description
of Western Kansas generally, and the rivers
and river valleys in particular.
Beginning at the northwester corner of the
State and coming south the first river is the
196 THE ADVENTURES OF
Republican River, which heads in Colorado
near, the foot of the mountains, and when it
comes into Kansas is about sixty yards wide
and is fed by springs. ‘The Republican River
has several southern tributaries, many of
which are supplied with water and skirted
with some timber, though not enough to make
it a good location for saw mills. The next
stream of note as you go south is Solomon
River, which in the extreme western part of
the State is a small stream and has no water,
but lower down it receives the waters of many
large springs and becomes quite a stream.
This stream is skirted in places with some
small timber and there are some good loca-
tions for ranches in this valley. South of
Solomon River is Cold Goose Creek, which is
fed by springs, andhas sometimber. There is
good mowing in many places and it has a fine
valley for ranches. The next stream south is
South Smoky River. This has plenty of
water and some timber. It is a good stream
for ranches, but is nearly all taken up.
South of the Arkansas River are many
CHARLES L: YOUNGBLOOD. IQ7
streams, some have plenty of water and others
have: not. There are many fine places for
ranches on them.
All this is in the valley of the Arkansas
River, and with its streams of water and good
erazing is the best buffalo region on the
S
elobe.
My buffalo hunting has not been confined
at all to Kansas, but I have frequently 791
into Nebraska, Colorado, New Mexico, Indian
Territory and Texas, in fact, there is hardly a
square mile of wesjern Kansas and the con-
tiguous territory that [ have not explored. I
think perhaps that I am better acquainted with
-it than any other living man. There is not a
creek that I cannot describe, not a skirt of
timber it I have not seen or a range of hills
4
that ! 10t famtiar with,
198 THE ADVENTURES OF
CER exe
CON CEMSLON :
AND now dear reader as the space allotted
to this little book is taken i will say a few
words by way of conclusion and bid you
adieu. I wish only to say in conclusion that
in this little book is no attempt at fancitul
destriptions of imaginary adventures or flow-
ery style of narration, but it has been my aim
to state.only facts and these: in the briefest
manner practicable, and if you do not consider
it sufficiently romantic and exciting please re-
member that it is not a dime novel; but;
so far as it goes, a true history of my life on
the (plains. \/Please ‘remember aise. states
was hurriedly written while on a visit to my
old home and my aged father in Warrick Co.,
Indiana, after an absence of sixteen years, and
that but few of my adventures are related,
though enough, I hope, to give you an idea of
the wild life I have led on the plains.
CHAKLES L ;YOUNGEBEOOD. 199
Should any ot my old acquaintances in old
Tloosierdom ever visit Western Kansas, they
will find me ona ranch near Granada, Col-
orado, where I will be glad to entertain them,
show them the country, or, if they wish, take
them out on a buffalo hunt.
But as the time allotted to this visit has
drawn to a close, and as I must return to my
ranch and my family, this volume must
close.
THE END.
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