THE WOLF HUNTERS 



from passing oufits and, after resting and re- 

 cruiting such animals, sold them to other travel- 

 lers needing fresh animals. 



The Santa Fe mail contractors, Hall & Porter, of 

 Independence, Missouri, had established stations 

 at certain ranches, but beyond Council Grove there 

 were, as yet, no regular eating or lodging stations 

 for passengers in the mail-coaches. They had to 

 carry their own bedding and take camp fare with 

 the mail hands — two drivers and a conductor to 

 each coach. 



At Cottonwood Creek, the next camp west of 

 Lost Springs, we began to see buffalo — a few 

 straggling old bulls at some distance from the 

 road — but as yet no herds. By the time we had 

 reached the Little Arkansas small bands became 

 more numerous and neighborly; and from there on 

 the herds grew larger, till by the time we reached 

 the vicinity of Fort Larned — much later — dense 

 masses of them were to be seen in every direc- 

 tion. 



As far west as Lost Springs we found multi- 

 tudes of prairie-chickens along the road and our 

 shotgun kept our mess supplied with fresh meat. 

 From Lost Springs westward we saw no more 

 prairie-chickens, but as we soon reached the 

 buffalo range we killed young buffalo or antelope. 



In running buffalo we used the black horse, 

 Jack's capture, and although at first somewhat 

 shy of the brown, woolly monsters, he soon got 



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