CHAPTER THIRTY EIGHT.
A GRAND BATTUE.
The spot we had chosen for our camp was near the edge of a small rivuletwith low banks. In fact, the surface of the water was nearly on a levelwith that of the prairie. There was no wood, with the exception of afew straggling cotton-woods, and some of the long-leafed willowspeculiar to the prairie streams.
Out of the cotton-woods we had made our camp-fire, and this was sometwenty or thirty paces back from the water, not in a conspicuousposition, but in the bottom of a bowl-shaped depression in the prairie;a curious formation, for which none of us could account. It looked asif fashioned by art, as its form was circular, and its sides slopedregularly downward to the centre, like the crater of a volcano. But forits size, we might have taken it for a buffalo wallow, but it was ofvastly larger diameter than one of these, and altogether deeper and morefunnel-shaped.
We had noticed several other basins of the same sort near the place, andhad our circumstances been different, we should have been interested inendeavouring to account for their existence. As it was, we did nottrouble ourselves much about the geology of the neighbourhood we werein. We were only too anxious to get out of it; but seeing that thissingular hole would be a safe place for our camp-fire--for our thoughtsstill dwelt upon the rascally Pawnees--we had kindled it there.Reclined against the sloping sides of the basin, with our feet restingupon its bottom, our party disposed themselves, and in this positionwent to sleep.
One was to be awake all night as guard; though, of course, all tookturns, each awaking the sentinel whose watch was to follow his.
To the doctor was assigned the first two hours, and as we went to sleep,we could perceive his plump rounded form seated upon the outer rim ofthe circular bank above us. None of us had any great faith in thedoctor as a guard, but his watch was during the least dangerous time ofnight, so far as Indians are concerned. These never make their attackuntil the hours after midnight, as they know well that these are thehours of soundest sleep. The horse-drive of the previous night was anexception, but that had happened because they had drawn near and seen nohorse-guard. It was a very unusual case. They knew that we were now onthe alert; and if they had meditated farther mischief, would haveattempted it only after midnight hour. We had no apprehensionstherefore, and one and all of us being very much fatigued with the day'shunting afoot, slept soundly. The bank against which we rested was dryand comfortable; the fire warmed us well, and redoubled our desire forrepose.
It appears that the doctor fell asleep on his post, or else we might allof us have been better prepared for the invasion that we suffered duringthat night.
I was awakened by loud shouts--the guides were uttering them. I sprangto my feet in the full belief that we were attacked by Indians, and atfirst thought caught hold of my gun. All my companions were rousedabout the same time, and, labouring under a similar hallucination, wentthrough a like series of manoeuvres.
But when we looked up, and beheld the doctor stretched along the ridge,and still snoring soundly, we scarce knew what to make of it.
Ike and Redwood, however, accustomed to sleep with one eye open, hadwaked first, and had already climbed the ridge; and the double report oftheir guns confirmed our suspicions that we were attacked by Indians.What else could they be firing at?
"This way all of you!" cried Redwood, making signs for us to come upwhere he and his companion already were, waving their guns around theirheads, and acting in a very singular manner, "this way, bring your guns,pistols, and all--quick with you!"
We all dashed up the steep, just at the moment that the doctor suddenlyawaking ran terrified down. As we pressed up, we could hear a minglingof noises, the tramp of horsemen as we thought, and a loud bellowing, asif from a hundred bulls. The last sounds could not well have been morelike the bellowing of bulls, for in reality it was such. The night wasa bright moonlight, and the moment we raised our heads above the scarpof the ridge we saw at once the cause of our alarm. The plain around uswas black with buffaloes! Tens of thousands must have been in the drovewhich was passing us to a great depth on both sides. They were runningat a fast trot--some of them even galloping, and in some places theywere so thickly packed together, that one would be seen mounting uponthe hind-quarters of the other, while some were thrown down, andtrampled over by their companions.
"Hyur, hyur, all of ye!" cried Ike, "stand by hyur, or they'll git intothe hole, and tramp us to shucks!"
We saw at a glance the meaning of these instructions. The excitedanimals were rushing headlong, and nothing seemed to stay their course.We could see them dashing into and across the little streamlet withoutmaking any account of it. Should they pour into the circle in which westood, others would follow, and we might get mingled with the drove.There was not a spot on the prairie where we could have been safe. Theimpetuous mass was impelled from behind, and could neither halt norchange its course. Already a pair of bulls had fallen before the riflesof our guides, and to some extent prevented the others from breakingover the ring, but they would certainly have done so had it not been forthe shouts and gestures of the trappers. We rushed to the sideindicated, and each of us prepared to fire, but some of the more prudentheld their loads for a while, others pulled trigger, and a succession ofshots from rifles, double-barrels, and revolvers soon raised a pile ofdead buffaloes that blocked up the passage of the rest, as though it hadbeen a barrier built on purpose.
A breathing space was now allowed us, and each loaded his piece as fastas he was able. There was no time lost in firing, for the stream ofliving creatures swept on continuously, and a mark was found in a singleglance of the eye.
I think we must have continued the loading and firing for nearly aquarter of an hour. Then the great herd began to grow thinner andthinner, until the last buffalo had passed.
We now looked around us to contemplate the result. The ground on everyside of the circle was covered with dark hirsute forms, but upon thatwhere we stood a perfect mass of them lay together. These forms were inevery attitude, some stretched on their sides, others upon their knees,and still a number upon their feet, but evidently wounded.
Some of us were about to rush out of our charmed circle to complete thework, but were held back by the warning voices of the guides.
"For yur lives don't go," cried Redwood, "don't stir from hyur tillwe've knocked 'em all over. Thur's some o' them with life enough leftto do for a ween o' ye yet."
So saying, the trapper raised his long piece, selected one of the bullsthat were seen on their feet, and sent him rolling over.
Another and another was disposed of in the same way, and then those thatwere in a kneeling position were reconnoitred to see if they were stillalive, and when found to be so were speedily disposed of by a bullet.
When all were laid out we emerged from our hole, and counted the game.There were no less than twenty-five dead immediately around the circle,besides several wounded that we could see straggling off over the plain.
We did not think of going to rest again until each of us had eaten abouttwo pounds of fresh buffalo-beef, and what with the excitement of thisodd adventure, and the jokes that followed--not a few of them levelledat our _quondam_ guard--it was near morning before we closed our eyesagain in sleep.