The Buzby Family -- An Alaska Pioneer Family
Early Days in Montana - page 4Two or three days later the herd came into our neighborhood. We killed a two year old heifer close to camp. The flesh we used for food for there was never better meat than a fat young Buffalo cow. Soon there were sufficient numbers to the north of our camp to warrant a killing in earnest. Monty had ideas of his own about every detail of the business. I being a much younger and inexperienced man of course deferred to his wish. I remember the morning we started out to kill, the air was clear and rather cool; we were posted on the rim of a flat that extended north and east for several miles down one fork of the Redwater. Here at least 200 buffalo within shooting distance of us and several thousand in sight to the north, northwest and east. The wind coming from the northwest everything seemed to be in our favor. I could see that Monty was a bit nervous and my blood was running at fever heat. Monty fired at an old cow standing about 400 yards from us - the shoot was a clean one going clear thro’ her lungs. She humped her back up for a few minutes, walked a few yards and lay down. The others had turned at the sound of the shot but seeing nothing they remained quietly feeding. The cow being down Monty shot at a big bull near the cow, but that shot was a little too far forward and high striking the animal well up In the shoulders. He collapsed at the crack of the rifle kicking for a few seconds. The others near by seemed somewhat surprised by his actions altho' they did not seem frightened. Monty told me to go to there but to shoot slowly while he dropped back from another cover a short distance away. Our saddle horses were behind us pinned down at the end of their ropes for it was always safer to keep ones horses close by. A man on foot on the plains was rather a weak proposition. By the time the sun was two hours high we had downed about twenty five fellows on a space of not more than two acres - and the others still remained. Those who did move away were replaced by others. It was a strange thing, that has often been remarked, how little attention buffalo paid to the odor or sight of blood - exactly opposite to domestic cattle. We were congratulating ourselves on our bright prospects when we noted a commotion among the animals a mile or more away to the northwest - within two minutes time that vast herd was in motion like a great army, moving slowly at first and then faster and faster until they were in full flight toward the east. What a great stampede it was! At the first movement we had pulled our field glasses and soon discovered the cause. About twenty five Indians riding light and carrying guns had cut into the herd two miles northwest of our position. They were coming our way driving that portion of the herd that was on that side straight toward us. Not a shot was fired and there was no sound save the hoof beats of the fleeing animals. |