I knew from the experience of others, that my enemy might stay for hours
by the tree--perhaps for days!
Hours would be enough. I could not stand it long. I already hungered,
but a worse appetite began to torture me: thirst. The hot sun, the
dust, the violent exercise of the past hour, all contributed to make me
thirsty. Even then, I would have risked life for a draught of water.
What would it come to should I not be relieved?
I had but one hope--that my companions would come to my relief; but I
knew that that would not be before morning. They would miss me of
course. Perhaps my horse would return to camp--that would send them out
in search for me--but not before night had fallen. In the darkness they
could not follow my trail. Could they do so in the light?
This last question, which I had put to myself, startled me. I was just
in a condition to look upon the dark side of everything, and it now
occurred to me that they might not be able to find me!
There were many possibilities that they might not. There were numerous
horse-trails on the prairie, where Indians had passed. I saw this when
tracking the buffalo. Besides, it might rain in the night, and
obliterate them all--my own with the rest. They were not likely to find
me by chance. A circle of ten miles diameter is a large tract. It was
a rolling prairie, as already stated, full of inequalities, ridges with
valleys between. The tree upon which I was perched stood in the bottom
of one of the valleys--it could not be seen from any point over three
hundred yards distant. Those searching for me might pass within hail
without perceiving either the tree or the valley.
I remained for a long time busied with such gloomy thoughts and
forebodings. Night was coming on, but the fierce and obstinate brute
showed no disposition to raise the siege. He remained watchful as ever,
walking round and round at intervals, lashing his tail, and uttering
that snorting sound so well-known, to the prairie-hunter, and which so
much resembles the grunting of hogs when suddenly alarmed. Occasionally
he would bellow loudly like the common bull.
While watching his various manoeuvres, an object on the ground drew my
attention--it was the trail-rope left by my horse. One end of it was
fastened round the trunk by a firm knot--the other lay far out upon the
prairie, where it had been dragged. My attention had been drawn to it
by the bull himself, that in crossing over it had noticed it, and now
and then pawed it with his hoofs.
All at once a bright idea flashed upon me--a sudden hope arose within
me--a plan of escape presented itself, so feasible and possible, that I
leaped in my perch as the thought struck me.
The first step was to get possession of the rope. This was not such an
easy matter. The rope was fastened around the tree, but the knot had
slipped down the trunk and lay upon the ground. I dared not descend for
it.
Necessity soon suggested a plan.
My "picker"--a piece of straight wire with a ring-end--hung from one of
my breast buttons. This I took hold of, and bent into the shape of a
grappling-hook. I had no cord, but my knife was still sate in its
sheath; and, drawing this, I cut several thongs from the skirt or my
buckskin shirt, and knotted them together until they formed a string
long enough to reach the ground. To one end I attached the picker; and
then letting it down, I commenced angling for the rope.
After a few transverse drags, the hook caught the latter, and I pulled
it up into the tree, taking the whole of it in until I held the loose
end in my hands. The other end I permitted to remain as it was; I saw
it was securely knotted around the trunk, and that was just what I
wanted.
It was my intention to lasso the bull; and for this purpose I proceeded
to make a running-noose on the end of the trail-rope.
This I executed with great care, and with all my skill. I could depend
upon the rope; it was raw hide, and a hotter was never twisted; but I
knew that if anything should chance to slip at a critical moment, it
might cost me my life. With this knowledge, therefore, I spliced the
eye, and made the knot as firm as possible, and then the loop was reeved
through, and the thing was ready.
I could throw a lasso tolerably well, but the branches prevented me from
winding it around my head. It was necessary, therefore, to get the
animal in a certain position under the tree, which, by shouts and other
demonstrations, I at length succeeded in effecting.
The moment of success had arrived. He stood almost directly below me.
The noose was shot down--I had the gratification to see it settle around
his neck; and with a quick jerk I tightened it. The rope ran
beautifully through the eye, until both eye and loop were buried beneath
the shaggy hair of the animal's neck. It embraced his throat in the
right place, and I felt confident it would hold.
The moment the bull felt the jerk upon his throat, he dashed madly out
from the tree, and then commenced running in circles around it.
Contrary to my intention, the rope had slipped from my hands at the
first drag upon it. My position was rather an unsteady one, for the
branches were slender, and I could not manage matters as well as I could
have wished.
But I now felt confident enough. The bull was tethered, and it only
remained for me to get out beyond the length of his tether, and take to
my heels.
My gun lay on one side, near the tree, where I had dropped it in my
race: this, of course, I meant to carry off with me.
I waited then until the animal, in one of his circles, had got round to
the opposite side, and slipping silently down the trunk, I sprang out,
picked up my rifle, and ran.
I knew the trail-rope to be about twenty yards in length, but I ran a
hundred, at least, before making halt. I had even thoughts of
continuing on, as I still could not help some misgivings about the rope.
The bull was one of the largest and strongest. The rope might break,
the knot upon the tree might give way, or the noose might slip over his
head.
Curiosity, however, or rather a desire to be assured of my safety,
prompted me to look around, when, to my joy, I beheld the huge monster
stretched upon the plain. I could see the rope as taut as a bow-string;
and the tongue protruding from the animal's jaws showed me that he was
strangling himself as fast as I could desire.
At the sight, the idea of buffalo-tongue for supper returned in all its
vigour; and it now occurred to me that I should eat that very tongue,
and no other.
I immediately turned in my tracks, ran towards my powder and balls--
which, in my eagerness to escape, I had forgotten all about--seized the
horn and pouch, poured in a charge, rammed down a bullet, and then
stealing nimbly up behind the still struggling bull, I placed the muzzle
within three feet of his brisket, and fired. He gave a death-kick or
two, and then lay quiet: it was all over with him.
I had the tongue from between his teeth in a twinkling; and proceeding
to the other bull, I finished the operations I had commenced upon him.
I was too tired to think of carrying a very heavy load; so I contented
myself with the tongues, and slinging these over the barrel of my rifle,
I shouldered it, and set out to grope my way back to camp.
The moon had risen, and I had no difficulty in following my own trail;
but before I had got half-way, I met several of my companions shouting,
and at intervals firing off their guns.
My horse had got back a little before sunset. His appearance had, of
course, produced alarm, and the camp had turned out in search of me.
Several who had a relish for fresh meat galloped back to strip the two
bulls of the remaining tit-bits; but before midnight all had returned;
and to the accompaniment of the hump-ribs spurting in the cheerful
blaze, I recounted the details of my adventure.