A BUFFALO HUNT--A THRILLING SIGHT--CONVERSATIONS WITH THE
INDIANS--SCURVY--ANSWER TO PRAYER.
At this time we had an abundance of buffalo, deer and elk meat, killing
from five to forty buffaloes in one day, and as I have witnessed
several of these buffalo hunts, I will tell my young readers how the
Indians proceed in hunting and killing them.
In the first place, there is a chief or president over every company
starting out to hunt, so that good order may be kept; otherwise the
buffaloes would be frightened away, and perhaps only one or two of a
large herd be killed.
The chief in charge, when first in sight, calculating the number there
are, and the distance from them, gives his orders, telling who must
follow next to him, and who next, and so on until about twenty of those
who have good horses are chosen to follow him. After these, all who
have horses follow if they choose to do so.
Sometimes it is better to keep at a distance from the buffaloes, until
the chief and his chosen men scatter the band, when those behind follow
the buffaloes and soon kill them.
The chief and party start off, walking their horses, and on the lee
side of the buffaloes, until they are seen by the game, which sometimes
does not occur until they ride within a few rods of them. As soon as
the buffaloes see these horsemen they run from them.
The chief, riding in among them, first picks out the best and fattest
animal he can find, and kills it. Then follow the others, each doing
likewise. By this time the herd is scattered. These men load their guns
again and follow them, killing as many as they can. In a short time
as many as fifty Indians are after them on horses, and the buffaloes
scatter all over the country. They can be seen in twos, threes, or in
larger numbers, with Indians trying to catch up with them. Those having
the best horses kill the most buffaloes.
If the hunt is near a village, which is often the case, the old men and
women go out and skin the animals killed, and help themselves to as
much meat as they can pack. The robe belongs to the party who killed
the animal.
At one hunt there were about 400 buffaloes, the largest number I ever
saw together while with the Indians.
This was the best and most exciting hunt I ever saw, and I know of
no scene that I ever witnessed, either before or since, that was so
exciting and interesting to me. I saw a sham fight in 1838, when 20,000
British troops were engaged for three hours, and were viewed by Queen
Victoria, the Duke of Wellington, Lord Hill, Marshal Soult, and other
notables. The troops were well drilled, equipped in splendid style,
rode fine horses, and when moving in masses from one place to another
with their glittering accoutrements, breastplates, helmets, etc., they
presented a grand appearance; yet it was not to be compared for real
interest to the spectacle presented by this buffalo hunt.
Each Indian had nothing but a blanket or robe around his loins, and
carried only a bow and a quiver of arrows (but few having guns) for his
weapons.
To see those Indians galloping at full speed, with their hair flying in
the wind, after the black, wild animals, in a wild and desert country,
with only nature for their instructor, was to me the most thrilling and
soul-stirring sight I ever beheld in my life, and one I shall never
forget. Old as I am (62 years), I would go farther to see another such
a hunt, than I would to see a sham fight, such as the one mentioned.
Fifty buffaloes were killed in this hunt, and after it was over we
remained in camp for three weeks, to give the women a chance to dry the
meat and dress the robes, as we had no means of carrying them in their
green state.
By this time I had learned considerable of their language and was able
to converse tolerably well with them; and, when sitting in the evening
with some of the chiefs, they would ask me to talk to them about our
people, wishing to know where we were going, and why we were going so
far from our white brethren, etc.
An old Frenchman interpreted for us as I talked, he knowing that I
could understand enough of their language to detect it if he did not
translate my words correctly. I gave them a brief history of the
Church, the principles taught by the Prophet Joseph, his and his
brother Hyrum's death, and also of the Book of Mormon (having one with
me, which I showed them). I also told them where their forefathers
came from, where they first landed, and how they, like us, had been
scattered and driven from the rising almost to the setting sun.
These conversations were many, and always very interesting to them. I
may here mention that, when I left the nation, the chief with whom I
stayed asked me for the Book of Mormon, and told me he would keep it as
long as he lived, and his son would keep it after him; for he wanted
to have the book that could give the history of their fathers always
with them. I handed it to him, and he thanked me, kissing the book, and
saying it would be good medicine for his people, for he should feel as
though his fathers were with them when he had the book.
Eating, as I had, so much fresh meat without vegetables or bread, and
having but little exercise, I did not feel as well as I had done,
and found a kind of scurvy breaking out on my right side. I had seen
something of the kind on some of the Indians, but nothing so bad as
mine. All I could do was to apply buffalo fat to the parts affected.
The time came when we had got our robes dressed and meat sufficiently
dried to cache, so that we could leave the next morning. My leg was
swollen, and I feared if it continued it might get so bad that I could
not walk.
I prayed at night that the Lord would cause the swelling to go down,
and give me sufficient strength that I might be able to walk the next
day.
The next morning the swelling was gone, and I was able to walk nine
miles.
Here we killed more buffaloes, and stayed a few days to dry meat, which
we did by cutting it about an inch thick, and putting it upon sticks
above the fire in the lodges.
We next moved on to the upper forks of Running Water River, and very
near to the extent of the Poncas' hunting ground. Beyond theirs were
lands belonging to the Brules, a tribe of the Sioux.