westward, and all eyes were bent upon the hills and prairie, which is
here of great breadth, to spy if possible some object that might be
killed and eaten. Presently a Wolf was seen, and Owen went after it, and
it was not until he had disappeared below the first low range of hills,
and Owen also, that the latter came within shot of the rascal, which
dodged in all sorts of manners; but Owen would not give up, and after
shooting more than once, he killed the beast. A man had followed him to
help bring in the Wolf, and when near the river he saw a Buffalo, about
two miles off, grazing peaceably, as he perhaps thought, safe in his own
dominions; but, alas! white hunters had fixed their eyes upon him, and
from that moment his doom was pronounced. Mr. Culbertson threw down his
hat, bound his head with a handkerchief, his saddle was on his mare, he
was mounted and off and away at a swift gallop, more quickly than I can
describe, not towards the Buffalo, but towards the place where Owen had
killed the Wolf. The man brought the Wolf on old Peter, and Owen, who
was returning to the camp, heard the signal gun fired by Mr. Culbertson,
and at once altered his course; his mare was evidently a little heated
and blown by the Wolf chase, but both hunters went after the Buffalo,
slowly at first, to rest Owen's steed, but soon, when getting within
running distance, they gave whip, overhauled the Bison, and shot at it
twice with balls; this halted the animal; the hunters had no more
balls, and now loaded with pebbles, with which the poor beast was
finally killed. The wagon had been sent from the camp. Harris, Bell, and
Squires mounted on horseback, and travelled to the scene of action. They
met Mr. Culbertson returning to camp, and he told Bell the Buffalo was a
superb one, and had better be skinned. A man was sent to assist in the
skinning who had been preparing the Wolf which was now cooking, as we
had expected to dine upon its flesh; but when Mr. Culbertson returned,
covered with blood and looking like a wild Indian, it was decided to
throw it away; so I cut out the liver, and old Provost and I went
fishing and caught eighteen catfish. I hooked two tortoises, but put
them back in the river. I took a good swim, which refreshed me much, and
I came to dinner with a fine appetite. This meal consisted wholly of
fish, and we were all fairly satisfied. Before long the flesh of the
Buffalo reached the camp, as well as the hide. The animal was very fat,
and we have meat for some days. It was now decided that Squires,
Provost, and Basil (one of the men) should proceed down the river to the
Charbonneau, and there try their luck at Otters and Beavers, and the
rest of us, with the cart, would make our way back to the fort. All was
arranged, and at half-past three this afternoon we were travelling
towards Fort Union. But hours previous to this, and before our scanty
dinner, Owen had seen another bull, and Harris and Bell joined us in the
hunt. The bull was shot at by McKenzie, who stopped its career, but as
friend Harris pursued it with two of the hunters and finished it I was
about to return, and thought sport over for the day. However, at this
stage of the proceedings Owen discovered another bull making his way
slowly over the prairie towards us. I was the only one who had balls,
and would gladly have claimed the privilege of running him, but fearing
I might make out badly on my slower steed, and so lose meat which we
really needed, I handed my gun and balls to Owen McKenzie, and Bell and
I went to an eminence to view the chase. Owen approached the bull, which
continued to advance, and was now less than a quarter of a mile distant;
either it did not see, or did not heed him, and they came directly
towards each other, until they were about seventy or eighty yards apart,
when the Buffalo started at a good run, and Owen's mare, which had
already had two hard runs this morning, had great difficulty in
preserving her distance. Owen, perceiving this, breathed her a minute,
and then applying the whip was soon within shooting distance, and fired
a shot which visibly checked the progress of the bull, and enabled Owen
to soon be alongside of him, when the contents of the second barrel were
discharged into the lungs, passing through the shoulder blade. This
brought him to a stand. Bell and I now started at full speed, and as
soon as we were within speaking distance, called to Owen not to shoot
again. The bull did not appear to be much exhausted, but he was so
stiffened by the shot on the shoulder that he could not turn quickly,
and taking advantage of this we approached him; as we came near he
worked himself slowly round to face us, and then made a lunge at us; we
then stopped on one side and commenced discharging our pistols with
little or no effect, except to increase his fury with every shot. His
appearance was now one to inspire terror had we not felt satisfied of
our ability to avoid him. However, even so, I came very near being
overtaken by him. Through my own imprudence, I placed myself directly in
front of him, and as he advanced I fired at his head, and then ran
_ahead_ of him, instead of veering to one side, not supposing that he
was able to overtake me; but turning my head over my shoulder, I saw to
my horror, Mr. Bull within three feet of me, prepared to give me a taste
of his horns. The next instant I turned sharply off, and the Buffalo
being unable to turn quickly enough to follow me, Bell took the gun
from Owen and shot him directly behind the shoulder blade. He tottered
for a moment, with an increased jet of blood from the mouth and
nostrils, fell forward on his horns, then rolled over on his side, and
was dead. He was a very old animal, in poor case, and only part of him
was worth taking to the fort. Provost, Squires, and Basil were left at
the camp preparing for their departure after Otter and Beaver as
decided. We left them eight or nine catfish and a quantity of meat, of
which they took care to secure the best, namely the boss or hump. On our
homeward way we saw several Antelopes, some quite in the prairie, others
far away on the hills, but all of them on the alert. Owen tried
unsuccessfully to approach several of them at different times. At one
place where two were seen he dismounted, and went round a small hill
(for these animals when startled or suddenly alarmed always make to
these places), and we hoped would have had a shot; but alas! no! One of
the Antelopes ran off to the top of another hill, and the other stood
looking at him, and us perhaps, till Owen (who had been re-mounted)
galloped off towards us. My surprise was great when I saw the other
Antelope following him at a good pace (but not by bounds or leaps, as I
had been told by a former traveller they sometimes did), until it either
smelt him, or found out he was no friend, and turning round galloped
speedily off to join the one on the lookout. We saw seven or eight
Grouse, and Bell killed one on the ground. We saw a Sand-hill Crane
about two years old, looking quite majestic in a grassy bottom, but it
flew away before we were near enough to get a shot. We passed a fine
pond or small lake, but no bird was there. We saw several parcels of
Ducks in sundry places, all of which no doubt had young near. When we
turned the corner of the great prairie we found Owen's mare close by us.
She had run away while he was after Antelopes. We tied her to a log to
be ready for him when he should reach the spot. He had to walk about
three miles before he did this. However, to one as young and alert as
Owen, such things are nothing. Once they were not to me. We saw more
Antelope at a distance, here called "Cabris," and after a while we
reached the wood near the river, and finding abundance of
service-berries, we all got out to break branches of these plants, Mr.
Culbertson alone remaining in the wagon; he pushed on for the landing.
We walked after him munching our berries, which we found very good, and
reached the landing as the sun was going down behind the hills. Young
McKenzie was already there, having cut across the point. We decided on
crossing the river ourselves, and leaving all behind us except our guns.
We took to the ferry-boat, cordelled it up the river for a while, then
took to the nearest sand-bar, and leaping into the mud and water, hauled
the heavy boat, Bell and Harris steering and poling the while. I had
pulled off my shoes and socks, and when we reached the shore walked up
to the fort barefooted, and made my feet quite sore again; but we have
had a rest and a good supper, and I am writing in Mr. Culbertson's room,
thinking over all God's blessings on this delightful day.
_July 17, Monday._ A beautiful day, with a west wind. Sprague, who is
very industrious at all times, drew some flowers, and I have been busy
both writing and drawing. In the afternoon Bell went after Rabbits, but
saw one only, which he could not get, and Sprague walked to the hills
about two miles off, but could not see any portion of the Yellowstone
River, which Mr. Catlin has given in his view, as if he had been in a
balloon some thousands of feet above the earth. Two men arrived last
evening by land from Fort Pierre, and brought a letter, but no news of
any importance; one is a cook as well as a hunter, the other named
Wolff, a German, and a tinsmith by trade, though now a trapper.
_July 18, Tuesday._ When I went to bed last night the mosquitoes were
so numerous downstairs that I took my bed under my arm and went to a
room above, where I slept well. On going down this morning, I found two
other persons from Fort Pierre, and Mr. Culbertson very busy reading and
writing letters. Immediately after breakfast young McKenzie and another
man were despatched on mules, with a letter for Mr. Kipp, and Owen
expects to overtake the boat in three or four days. An Indian arrived
with a stolen squaw, both Assiniboins; and I am told such things are of
frequent occurrence among these sons of nature. Mr. Culbertson proposed
that we should take a ride to see the mowers, and Harris and I joined
him. We found the men at work, among them one called Bernard Adams, of
Charleston, S.C., who knew the Bachmans quite well, and who had read the
whole of the "Biographies of Birds." Leaving the men, we entered a
ravine in search of plants, etc., and having started an Owl, which I
took for the barred one, I left my horse and went in search of it, but
could not see it, and hearing a new note soon saw a bird not to be
mistaken, and killed it, when it proved, as I expected, to be the Rock
Wren; then I shot another sitting by the mouth of a hole. The bird did
not fly off; Mr. Culbertson watched it closely, but when the hole was
demolished no bird was to be found. Harris saw a Shrike, but of what
species he could not tell, and he also found some Rock Wrens in another
ravine. We returned to the fort and promised to visit the place this
afternoon, which we have done, and procured three more Wrens, and killed
the Owl, which proves to be precisely the resemblance of the Northern
specimen of the Great Horned Owl, which we published under another name.
The Rock Wren, which might as well be called the Ground Wren, builds its
nest in holes, and now the young are well able to fly, and we procured
one in the act. In two instances we saw these birds enter a hole here,
and an investigation showed a passage or communication, and on my
pointing out a hole to Bell where one had entered, he pushed his arm in
and touched the little fellow, but it escaped by running up his arm and
away it flew. Black clouds now arose in the west, and we moved
homewards. Harris and Bell went to the mowers to get a drink of water,
and we reached home without getting wet, though it rained violently for
some time, and the weather is much cooler. Not a word yet from Provost
and Squires.
_July 19, Wednesday._ Squires and Provost returned early this morning,
and again I give the former my journal that I may have the account of
the hunt in his own words. "As Mr. Audubon has said, he left Provost,
Basil, and myself making ready for our voyage down the Yellowstone. The
party for the fort were far in the blue distance ere we bid adieu to our
camping-ground. We had wished the return party a pleasant ride and safe
arrival at the fort as they left us, looking forward to a good supper,
and what I _now_ call a comfortable bed. We seated ourselves around some
boiled Buffalo hump, which, as has been before said, we took good care
to appropriate to ourselves according to the established rule of this
country, which is, 'When you can, take the best,' and we had done so in
this case, more to our satisfaction than to that of the hunters. Our
meal finished, we packed everything we had in the skiff, and were soon
on our way down the Yellowstone, happy as could be; Provost acting
pilot, Basil oarsman, and your humble servant seated on a Buffalo robe,
quietly smoking, and looking on the things around. We found the general
appearance of the Yellowstone much like the Missouri, but with a
stronger current, and the water more muddy. After a voyage of two hours
Charbonneau River made its appearance, issuing from a clump of willows;
the mouth of this river we found to be about ten feet wide, and so
shallow that we were obliged to push our boat over the slippery mud for
about forty feet. This passed, we entered a pond formed by the
contraction of the mouth and the collection of mud and sticks
thereabouts, the pond so formed being six or eight feet deep, and about
fifty feet wide, extending about a mile up the river, which is very
crooked indeed. For about half a mile from the Yellowstone the shore is
lined with willows, beyond which is a level prairie, and on the shores
of the stream just beyond the willows are a few scattered trees. About a
quarter of a mile from the mouth of the river, we discovered what we
were in search of, the Beaver lodge. To measure it was impossible, as it
was not perfect, in the first place, in the next it was so muddy that we
could not get ashore, but as well as I can I will describe it. The lodge
is what is called the summer lodge; it was comprised wholly of brush,
willow chiefly, with a single hole for the entrance and exit of the
Beaver. The pile resembled, as much as anything to which I can compare
it, a brush heap about six feet high, and about ten or fifteen feet
base, and standing seven or eight feet from the water. There were a few
Beaver tracks about, which gave us some encouragement. We proceeded to
our camping-ground on the edge of the prairie; here we landed all our
baggage; while Basil made a fire, Provost and I started to set our
traps--the two extremes of hunters, the skilful old one, and the
ignorant pupil; but I was soon initiated in the art of setting Beaver
traps, and to the uninitiated let me say, '_First_, find your game,
_then_ catch it,' if you can. The first we did, the latter we tried to
do. We proceeded to the place where the greatest number of tracks were
seen, and commenced operations. At the place where the path enters the
water, and about four inches beneath the surface, a level place is made
in the mud, upon which the trap is placed, the chain is then fastened to
a stake which is firmly driven in the ground under water. The end of a
willow twig is then chewed and dipped in the 'Medicine Horn,' which
contains the bait; this consists of castoreum mixed with spices; a
quantity is collected on the chewed end of the twig, the stick is then
placed or stuck in the mud on the edge of the water, leaving the part
with the bait about two inches above the surface and in front of the
trap; on each side the bait and about six inches from it, two dried
twigs are placed in the ground; this done, all's done, and we are ready
for the visit of Monsieur Castor. We set two traps, and returned to our
camp, where we had supper, then pitched our tent and soon were sound
asleep, but before we were asleep we heard a Beaver dive, and slap his
tail, which sounded like the falling of a round stone in the water; here
was encouragement again. In the morning (Monday) we examined our traps
and found--nothing. We did not therefore disturb the traps, but examined
farther up the river, where we discovered other tracks and resolved to
set our traps there, as Provost concluded that there was but one Beaver,
and that a male. We returned to camp and made a good breakfast on
Buffalo meat and coffee, _sans_ salt, _sans_ pepper, _sans_ sugar,
_sans_ anything else of any kind. After breakfast Provost shot a doe. In
the afternoon we removed one trap, Basil and I gathered some
wild-gooseberries which I stewed for supper, and made a sauce, which,
though _rather acid_, was very good with our meat. The next morning,
after again examining our traps and finding nothing, we decided to raise
camp, which was accordingly done; everything was packed in the skiff,
and we proceeded to the mouth of the river. The water had fallen so much
since we had entered, as to oblige us to strip, jump in the mud, and
haul the skiff over; rich and rare was the job; the mud was about half
thigh deep, and a kind of greasy, sticky, black stuff, with a something
about it so very peculiar as to be _rather_ unpleasant; however, we did
not mind much, and at last got into the Yellowstone, scraped and washed
the mud off, and encamped on a prairie about one hundred yards below
the Charbonneau. It was near sunset; Provost commenced fishing; we
joined him, and in half an hour we caught sixteen catfish, quite large
ones. During the day Provost started to the Mauvaises Terres to hunt
Bighorns, but returned unsuccessful. He baited his traps for the last
time. During his absence thunder clouds were observed rising all around
us; we stretched our tent, removed everything inside it, ate our supper
of meat and coffee, and then went to bed. It rained some part of the
night, but not enough to wet through the tent. The next morning
(Tuesday) at daylight, Provost started to examine his traps, while we at
the camp put everything in the boat, and sat down to await his return,
when we proceeded on our voyage down the Yellowstone to Fort Mortimer,
and from thence by land to Fort Union. Nothing of any interest occurred
except that we saw two does, one young and one buck of the Bighorns; I
fired at the buck which was on a high cliff about a hundred and fifty
yards from us; I fired above it to allow for the falling of the ball,
but the gun shot so well as to carry where I aimed. The animal was a
very large buck; Provost says one of the largest he had seen. As soon as
I fired he started and ran along the side of the hill which looked
almost perpendicular, and I was much astonished, not only at the feat,
but at the surprising quickness with which he moved along, with no
apparent foothold. We reached Fort Mortimer about seven o'clock; I left
Basil and Provost with the skiff, and I started for Fort Union on foot
to send a cart for them. On my way I met Mr. Audubon about to pay a
visit to Fort Mortimer; I found all well, despatched the cart, changed
my clothes, and feel none the worse for my five days' camping, and quite
ready for a dance I hear we are to have to-night."
This morning as I walked to Fort Mortimer, meeting Squires as he has
said, well and happy as a Lark, I was surprised to see a good number of
horses saddled, and packed in different ways, and I hastened on to find
what might be the matter. When I entered the miserable house in which
Mr. Collins sleeps and spends his time when not occupied out of doors,
he told me thirteen men and seven squaws were about to start for the
lakes, thirty-five miles off, to kill Buffaloes and dry their meat, as
the last his hunters brought in was already putrid. I saw the cavalcade
depart in an E.N.E. direction, remained a while, and then walked back.
Mr. Collins promised me half a dozen balls from young animals. Provost
was discomfited and crestfallen at the failure of the Beaver hunt; he
brought half a doe and about a dozen fine catfish. Mr. Culbertson and I
are going to see the mowers, and to-morrow we start on a grand Buffalo
hunt, and hope for Antelopes, Wolves, and Foxes.