The country today is truly delightful. The prairies are smooth, the
streams frequent, and meandering so as to present a vigorous growth of
stately trees on every side. The flowers of spring have disappeared
and left the numerous stalks covered with seeds as mementoes of vernal
fragrance, but the autumnal blossoms mixed with the prairie grass
never fail to attract the eye with delight, or refresh the lungs by
their sweet odours. My late travelling companion, Dr. O’Dwyer, says
Eden was here and not on the Euphrates: “Adam’s paradise was in these
prairies!”
Mr. Irving said often today that the most splendid parks in England
did not surpass the beautiful scenery around us, and yet between both
there was such a striking resemblance as to recall to his mind at once
the delightful rambles he had in Europe where art had been lavish in
her favors to enhance the beauties of nature. I can say also, though
my residence in Europe was short, that I beheld no scenery there so
truly beautiful and grand as the rich prairies of the West. And if the
prairies now are so charming, what must they be decked with the
variegated plumage of spring?...
I ought perhaps to mention the woods on these parks afforded excellent
varieties of fruits. The season now was too late for most of them—the
persimmon, haws, and winter grape were very abundant.
Our ride was made more cheering by the fresh signs of buffalo. Not the
short grass but tracks and recent dung (resembling entirely that of
our oxen and cows) assured us we should soon meet these _terrific_
animals. Excavations in the ground showed where they indulged in their
great pastime, in _wallowing_. The excavations are generally about 10
feet in diameter and 12 to 20 inches deep. It is these hollows,
especially when filled with water, that make the chase, as I found it
afterwards, so difficult and dangerous. The trees also furnish _their_
evidence and every low limb was worn by the buffalo while scratching
his skin after coming out of his mud or sand bath.
As soon as we had arrived at camp this evening, Billet requested the
privilege to hunt a while, and mounting his horse with lariat and gun,
cantered off, and was soon out of sight. The firing on all sides
assured us we should have plenty of game, and the hunters soon
returned loaded with deer, turkeys, etc. It was not until after supper
that Billet came to our camp quite out of breath and asked for help to
bring in a wild horse he had just caught the other side of Red Fork.
He had brought him through the river, but got him no farther....
The horse was soon brought in, trembling at the sight of so many new
things. He was between two and three years old, well made, and will
doubtless make an excellent horse. The horse struggled for a while
against Billet’s mode of civilization and fell exhausted in the
struggle. He panted and lay as submissive as a lamb. Twenty or thirty
handled him from head to foot without any offer on his part to make
resistance. He gave up the contest and submitted unconditionally and
never afterwards was more disobedient than colts in general, nor
indeed as much.... Tomorrow Billet said he should pack him with a
saddle and make him do his share of work. We did not believe it
possible and waited with curiosity to see the experiment. [_He
succeeded. Eds._]
Billet is an adventuresome as well as brave man. He has had both arms
and one leg broken during exploits besides having his ribs on one side
mashed in. He told us when he saw the horses they were distant from
him. He stopped, laid down his gun, adjusted his saddle, and with
lariat in hand he put spurs to his race horse, whose speed I never saw
excelled. The wild horses stood amazed for a moment, then started and
fled. They ran up a small hill and descending again were for a moment
out of sight. When Billet came to the brow, he was frightened: a
precipice was before him which he must leap or lose his prize. He
chose the former, shut his eyes, and strained upon the reins and
safely landed upon the bottom—a leap of 25 feet. His horse, accustomed
to the race, soon recovered from the shock and continued pursuit. The
race now continued for 1½ miles. He then reached the horses, and
having failed in his first effort to take a Pawnee mare (with a slit
in her ears) he put his lariat over the head of the horse brought to
the camp. It was truly a great exploit....
No sooner had I reined my horse towards the buffalo (notwithstanding
he had been racing several hours and was then wet with perspiration)
than he pricked up his ears and entered into a full run. I _never_
went _half so fast before or mean to again_. I ran a quarter of a mile
before [_the_] buffalo apprehended danger. They then began to make the
best of their way to the west. Billet called out: “Remember the holes;
let _him run_; let _him run_.” After running 1½ miles with gun in
hand, almost tired to death and shook not a little, I came along side
of the animal I had selected. He appeared a monster, for his weight
was 1600. I fired. Billet said: “Take care; he will be upon you.” The
animal now began to throw blood from his mouth and nose, which
satisfied me I had reached his heart. He stopped. I fired again. Both
balls entered just _back of his fore shoulder_. He now came towards me
with his tongue extended and his round full eye darting vengeance. My
horse parried his movements, and I fired my rifle pistol and then
seized the remaining one. At this moment the buffalo fell, exhausted
with the loss of blood, and stretching out his legs died before I
could get to him.... Billet performed the operation of cutting out his
tongue, by opening the flesh on the under jaw and through this
aperture taking the tongue, which I tied to my saddle and reached the
camp a little after sunset.