BUFFALO HUNTING IN KANSAS. 
STUBB, 
We had sown our fall wheat and having 
nothing further to do at home, Charles S., 
Bill K. and I started for meat. We trav- 
eled West about 100 miles and saw only old 
signs. I carried a 38 rim fire Remington, 
Bill a 44 rim fire, and Charles a 44 rim fire 
Ballard carbine. 
After getting above running water on 
the Pawnee river we turned South and 
crossed the Arkansas. In due time we ar- 
rived at Dodge City, a bad town at that 
time. There we saw hundreds of buffalo 
hides, all of which came from the South, so 
South we went. After traveling one day 
we reached Crooked creek, and there close 
to our camp, some one had killed 3 
buffalo a day or so before. One day’s hunt 
revealed no game, however, but antelope 
and those were not tame, so we got none of 
them. That evening we held a council. 
Bill and Charley decided to go home, but 
I had made up my mind to see a live buf- 
falo. Next morning I went back with the 
boys to Dodge City for more provisions, 
and then started South. 
I spent the night at our old camping 
ground, and the next evening about sunset a 
party of Texans drove up. They said they 
had seen no buffalo for 3 weeks. They in- 
vited me to go with them as they wanted 
to go into Texas and some of the Reds 
were out from their reservation on a hunt. 
Early the next morning we were on our 
way. The day passed without incident and 
that night we camped at Lone Tree, a good 
camping ground on account of water, but 
more interesting to me on account of its 
being the scene of a disastrous fight be- 
tween 5 white men and a band of Reds 
only 3 or 4 months before. The graves of 
the 5 white men told the tale without 
words. 
The next morning just after starting I 
saw my first live wild buffalo, a cow and a 
calf. I wanted to kill them and go home, 
but the boys persuaded me to go farther 
and get a good load. We arrived at their 
camp that evening, and the next morning, 
which was Christmas, we started South- 
west. Before noon one of the men, who 
was in advance of the teams, killed a large 
buck. We took it aboard, also the hunter, 
and proceeded some distance when I saw 
another buck, standing in some _ small 
brush and looking at us. As I had no 
driver, I spoke to the man who had killed 
the first buck and pointed out the second. 
He started, but had not gone 200 yards 
when in going over a small ridge he ran 
almost on to a large buffalo, asleep. John 
soon woke him with his 50 caliber Sharps 
11! 
frontier gun. The buffalo arose and ran 
but seemed dazed. The 50’s were going 
through him too fast for any kind of com- 
fort. Finally, getting tired of it, he turned 
on his enemy; but he had waited too long 
for he went only a few steps and fell, the 
victim of 8 50-caliber bullets. 
We soon had him skinned and the meat 
cut off. About a mile farther we came to a 
spring of water and camped for the day. 
We had buffalo tenderloin and venison for 
our Christmas dinner. As soon as it was 
over I took a run. I saw no buffalo but 
shot my first deer, also 3 coyotes, and 
thought it a wonderful Christmas for me. 
The next morning we again started 
Southwest, crossing the North Canadian 
river about % mile from camp and there 
I saw the coveted cattle. After getting to 
the high ground it was buffalo everywhere. 
John handed me his Sharps sighted for 
100 yards, half way to the hump 150, and 
top of hump 200 yards, which he said was 
as far as I would wish to shoot. The game 
was feeding in a ravine, and we had no 
trouble to get within 50 yards. Bill was to 
shoot, as he knew just where, and I was to 
wait until told to fire. He shot, but did not 
strike within a foot of where he had in- 
tended to. The buffalo started, but stopped 
and looked back at about 150 yards. After 
some persuasion, Bill let me shoot and 
down went a cow. The others showed no 
signs of running, and Bill said we would 
get a closer stand. 
“Why not shoot from here?” 
“Too far. That hit was an accident.” 
I felt flattered, but moved around after 
Bill to the other side of the bunch and to 
about 60 yards distance. By that time the 
cow I had shot was on her feet and was 
blundering about. Bill told me to shoot 
her again, as she would lead the bunch 
away. 
“You shoot one, and I will drop her at 
the crack of your gun,” I said, so he shot 
again, but struck the ground between us 
and the buffalo, and the ball went scream- 
ing over them. That started them on a 
wild run. 
“Give it to them, they won’t stop again,” 
shouted Bill, and I obeyed, firing about 2 
shots to his one. When I quit there were 
6 buffalo on their feet, but 10 down. Seven 
fell at the crack of my gun and Bill 
knocked down another. 
Thus ended my first day among the buf- 
falo. We dressed the carcasses so the 
meat would be all right the next morning. 
Then we went to camp, tired and hungry, 
but happy. 
