Fort Snelling is well built, and beautifully situated: as usual, I found
the officers gentlemanlike, intelligent, and hospitable; and together
with their wives and families, the society was the most agreeable that I
became acquainted with in America. They are better supplied here than
either at Fort Crawford or Fort Winnebago, having a fine stock of cattle
on the prairie, and an extensive garden cultivated for the use of the
garrison. The principal amusement of the officers is, as may be
supposed, the chase; there is no want of game in the season, and they
have some very good dogs of every variety. And I here had the pleasure
of falling in with Captain Scott, one of the first Nimrods of the United
States, and who, perhaps, has seen more of every variety of hunting than
any other person. His reputation as a marksman is very great; and there
is one feat which he has often performed that appears almost incredible.
Two potatoes being thrown up in the air, he will watch his opportunity
and pass his rifle ball through them both. I had long conversations with
him; and as, from his celebrity, he may be accounted a public character,
I use no ceremony in amusing my readers with two or three personal
anecdotes which he related to me.
First—Showing how it was that, in his after life, Captain Scott became
so celebrated a hunter:—
"I was hardly twelve years old, and had never been allowed to go out
gunning, although I was permitted to rest my father's gun upon a rail
when he returned home with it charged, and fire it off in that way; and
that was the greatest pleasuie I then knew. We lived at Beddington, in
the State of Vermont, where I was born. One morning they brought down
the intelligence that three bears had been seen near the mill, about a
mile from my father's house. The whole country turned out, some with
rifles, and others with what weapons they could get; the blacksmith
shouldered his sledge hammer, the labourer his pitch-fork; for all I
know to the contrary, the barber carried his pole. There were two other
boys, my companions, but older than me, whose names were Pratt; they
went out and carried guns. The chase proved to be an old she bear, a
gray-nose, as they are termed, with her two cubs. One of the boys had
been stationed on a road near the mill, more to keep him out of harm's-
way than for any thing else; but it so happened that one of the cubs
came out in that direction, and was shot by him. The people fixed the
bear's carcase on two poles, mounted him on it, and carried him home in
triumph. I can hardly express what were my feelings on that occasion,
although time has not obliterated them: I was dying of jealousy; young
Pratt had killed a bear, and I had not.
"I went to bed, but could not sleep a wink. The next day the chase was
renewed, and it so happened that, much in the same way, the other cub
was killed by the other brother, who, in the same manner, was carried
home in triumph. I thought I should have died that night; it was on a
Saturday evening when they returned from this second expedition, and
they did not go out the next day, as it was the Sabbath. On Sunday
evening I went over to a cross old man, who had a good dog, and after a
deal of persuasion, I obtained the loan of it, pledging myself before
another party, that if it was not returned safe, I would pay him ten
dollars—rather a bold promise for a boy to make, who had never had more
than twenty-five cents in his pocket at one time during his life. I took
the dog to my bed room, tied him fast to my wrist that he might not
escape during the night, and tried to go to sleep. I rose before
daylight on Monday morning, and found that my father had discovered that
I had employed the Sabbath in looking for a dog; and in consequence, as
he was a very strict man, I received a severe caning. On these
memorable occasions, he always used to hold me by the wrist with one
hand, while he chastised me with the other. I found the best plan was
to run round him as fast as I could, which obliged my father to turn
round after me with the stick, and then in a short time he left off; not
because he thought I had enough, but because he became so giddy that he
could not stand. A greater punishment, however, was threatened--that of
not being permitted to go to the bear-hunt, which was to take place on
that day; but I pleaded hard, and asked my father how he would have
liked it, if he had been prevented from going to the battle of
B---(where he had very much distinguished himself). This was taking the
old man on his weak side, and I was, at last, permitted to be present.
Then there arose another difficulty. I was thought too little to carry
a gun, which I had provided; but a neighbour, who had witnessed my
anxiety, took my part, said that he would be answerable for me, and that
I should not quit his side; so at last all was settled to my
satisfaction. As for the caning, I thought nothing at all of that.
"We set off and before we reached the mill, we passed a hollow; the dog
barked furiously, and I let him go. After a time I heard a noise in a
bush. `Did you not hear?' said I to my neighbour.--`Yes,' replied he;
`but I also heard a rustling on the bank this way. Do you look out
sharp in that direction, whilst I look out in this.' He had hardly said
so, and I had not turned my head, when out came the old she-bear, in the
direction where my neighbour had been watching, and sat upon her hind
legs in a clear place. My friend levelled his gun; to my delight he had
forgotten to cock it. While he was cocking it, the bear dropped down on
her fore legs, and I fired; the ball passed through her chest into her
shoulder. She was at that time on the brink of a shelving quarry of
sharp stone, down which she retreated. I halloo'd for the dog, and
followed, slipping and tumbling after her, for I was mad at the idea of
her escaping me. Down we went together, the dog following; when we
arrived at the bottom, the dog seized her. She was so weak that she
supported herself against a rock; at last she rolled on her back,
hogging the dog in her fore paws. This was a terrible source of alarm
to me. I caught the dog by the tail, pulling at it as hard as I could
to release him, crying out, although no one was near me, `Save the dog--
save the dog--or I'll have to pay ten dollars.' But, fortunately, the
bear, although she held the dog fast, had not sufficient strength left
to kill it. Other people now came up; my own musket was down the bear's
throat, where, in my anxiety, I had thrust it; one of them handed me
his, and I shot the bear through the head. Even then, so fearful was I
of losing my prey, that I seized a large stone and beat the animal on
the head till I was exhausted. Then I had my triumph. The Pratts had
only killed bear-cubs; I had killed a full-grown bear. I was, as you
may suppose, also carried home upon the animal's back; and from that
day, was pointed out as a bear-hunter."
Secondly. "I was once buffalo hunting in Arkansas. I was on a strong
well-trained horse, pursuing a bull, when we arrived at a rent or crack
in the prairie, so wide, that it was necessary for the animals to leap
it. The bull went over first, and I, on the horse, following it close,
rose on my stirrups, craning a little, that I might perceive the width
of the rent. At that moment the bull turned round to charge; the horse,
perceiving it, and knowing his work, immediately wheeled also. This
sudden change of motion threw me off my saddle, and I remained hanging
by the side of the horse, with my leg over his neck: there I was,
hanging on only by my leg, with my head downwards below the horse's
belly. The bull rushed on to the charge, ranging up to the flank of the
horse on the side where I was dangling, and the horse was so encumbered
by my weight in that awkward position, that each moment the bull gained
upon him. At last my strength failed me; I felt that I could hold on
but a few seconds longer; the head of the bull was close to me, and the
steam from his nostrils blew into my face. I gave myself up for lost;
all the prayer I could possibly call to mind at the time was, the first
two lines of a hymn I used to repeat as a child:--`Lord now I lay me
down to sleep,' and that I repeated two or three times, when,
fortunately, the horse wheeled short round, evaded the bull, and leaped
the gap. The bull was at fault; the jolt of the leap, after nearly
dropping me into the gap, threw me up so high, that I gained the neck of
my horse, and eventually my saddle. I then thought of my rifle, and
found that I had held it grasped in my hand during the whole time. I
wheeled my horse and resumed the chase, and in a minute the bull was
dead at my horse's feet."
Thirdly. "I was riding out one day in Arkansas, and it so happened I
had not my rifle with me, nor indeed a weapon of any description, not
even my jack-knife. As I came upon the skirts of a prairie, near a
small copse, a buck started out, and dashed away as if much alarmed. I
thought it was my sudden appearance which had alarmed him; I stopped my
horse to look after him, and turning my eyes afterwards in the direction
from whence it had started, I perceived, as I thought, on a small mound
of earth raised by an animal called a gopher, just the head of the doe,
her body concealed by the high grass. I had no arms, but it occurred to
me, that if I could contrive to crawl up very softly, the high grass
might conceal my approach, and I should be able to spring upon her and
secure her by main strength. `If I can manage this,' said I to myself,
`it will be something to talk about.' I tied my horse to a tree, and
commenced crawling very softly on my hands and knees towards the gopher
hill; I arrived close to it, and the doe had not started; I rose gently
with both hands ready for a grab, and prepared to spring, slowly raising
my head that I might get a sight of the animal. It appeared that the
animal was equally inquisitive, and wished to gain a sight of me, and it
slowly raised its head from the grass as I did mine. Imagine what was
my surprise and consternation, to find that, instead of a doe, I was
face to face with a large male panther. It was this brute which had so
scared the buck, and now equally scared me. There I was, at hardly one
yard's distance from him, without arms of any description, and almost in
the paws of the panther. I knew that my only chance was keeping my eyes
fixed steadfastly on his, and not moving hand or foot; the least motion
to retreat would have been his signal to spring: so there I was, as
white as a sheet, with my eyes fixed on him. Luckily he did not know
what was passing within me. For some seconds the animal met my gaze,
and I began to give myself up for lost. 'Tis time for you to go,
thought I, or I am gone: will you never go? At last, the animal
blinked, and then his eyes opened like balls of fire; I remained
fascinated as it were; he blinked again, turned his head a very little,
then turned round and went away at a light canter. Imagine the relief.
I hastened back to my horse, and away also went I at a light canter, and
with a lighter heart, grateful to Heaven for having preserved me."