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THE WOLF HUNTERS
THE WOLF HUNTERS
"Then come a puff of smoke and the prairie was afire." [Page 237] THE WOLF HUNTERS A STORY OF THE BUFFALO PLAINS EDITED AND ARRANGED FROM THE MANUSCRIPT ACCOUNT OF ROBERT M. PECK BY GEORGE BIRD GRINNELL Illustrated CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS NEW YORK:::::::::::::::::::::1914 Copyright, 1914, by CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS Published September, 1914...
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CHAPTER I TOM'S PLAN
CHAPTER I TOM'S PLAN
"Well, men, what will we do?" said Jack Flanagan. "We can re-enlist or go back to the States and each hunt his job, or we can try to get something to do where we can all three stick together." "Let's stick together if we can," said I. "Now, hold on, men," advised Tom Vance, "until you hear what I have got to say. I have been thinking a lot about what we'd best do, and last night I think it come to me." "Tell us what it is, Tom," said Jack eagerly. "'Tis yourself has the wise head on his shoulder
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CHAPTER II WE GET OUR DISCHARGES
CHAPTER II WE GET OUR DISCHARGES
The next day Tom came to me looking rather serious, and I saw that he had something on his mind, and when he had gotten me alone he explained what this was. "I've been thinking it over, Peck," he said, "and I've pretty near made up my mind that we'd better drop Jack and either pick up another man or else you and me go it without a third man. I am afraid that Jack's fondness for liquor will get him into trouble and so make trouble for us. I hate to go back on him, for he's a rattlin' good fellow
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CHAPTER III WE FIND AN OUTFIT
CHAPTER III WE FIND AN OUTFIT
When the dusty bull train came rolling along the road past the garrison it found us waiting. Our property was stowed in an empty wagon, and, again shouting good-bys to the comrades who had come out to see us off, we began our tedious, dusty, dirty march with the bull train. At that time Majors & Russell, of Leavenworth, Kansas, had the contract for transporting government supplies to all frontier posts. Mr. Majors had the reputation of being a very religious man, and in fitting out train
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CHAPTER IV BACK TO THE BUFFALO RANGE
CHAPTER IV BACK TO THE BUFFALO RANGE
As we started back up-town Bill exclaimed gleefully: "Well, boys, what do you think? When I offered them fellows the money you paid me for the outfit they would not take a dollar of it, but told me to keep it for an advance payment—a sort of retaining fee—for my services next season. They're coming out again next spring with a bigger party and made me promise to meet them here and go with them." After Bill left us Tom said: "Bill never did know the value of money. He could just as well as not ha
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CHAPTER V WE MEET DOUBTFUL CHARACTERS
CHAPTER V WE MEET DOUBTFUL CHARACTERS
One day, on stopping at a store to buy some feed, just before reaching the crossing of a timbered creek, we noticed two saddled horses hitched to the fence and on entering the store found two well-armed, rough-looking fellows lounging about, one of whom seemed to be half tipsy. The store was also a post-office and presided over by a very old man. While Tom and the storekeeper retired to a back room to measure out some grain, the two ruffians began to manifest considerable interest in our affairs
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CHAPTER VI STANDING OFF THE JAYHAWKERS
CHAPTER VI STANDING OFF THE JAYHAWKERS
While Jack and I stowed away the sack of corn and waited for Tom's reply to my question, he stood watching the disappearing riders till an intervening rise of ground hid them and then began to unfold his plans. "It's earlier in the day than we generally camp," said Tom thoughtfully, "but under the circumstances we must select a camp not far from here an' hang up till we see what they're going to do. Ef we try to go on farther they'll think we're running from 'em. We must camp in open ground wher
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CHAPTER VII JACK TAKES A PRISONER
CHAPTER VII JACK TAKES A PRISONER
Jack had been gone a couple of hours and it had become quite dark, when our dog Found, by growling, pricking up his ears, and looking toward the road, gave notice that some one was approaching. On listening closely we could hear some one coming, but the tramping sounded like that of a horse. We had made no light after dark, for we did not intend to cook any supper and our experience in the Indian country had taught us to dispense with lights when in the vicinity of an enemy. As soon as we were a
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CHAPTER VIII TOM'S STRATEGY
CHAPTER VIII TOM'S STRATEGY
Calling us inside the tent and changing our bayonet candlestick to a position where it would be protected from the wind, while the light would still shine on the prisoner through the open tent door, Tom, in a low voice, began giving us the talk that we intended Tucker should overhear. "Now, men," began the old man, "the objects of our expedition are so nearly accomplished that I thought I'd better explain the situation to you more fully so that you will clearly understand the parts you are to pl
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CHAPTER IX BUFFALO NEAR THE BIG BEND
CHAPTER IX BUFFALO NEAR THE BIG BEND
That afternoon we reached Council Grove, on the west bank of Neosho River. It was then a place of less than a hundred and fifty inhabitants but an important business point—the outpost of Kansas settlements and the last town, going westward, until Denver, Colorado, was reached. Travellers going to the plains usually halted here to lay in any requisites for their trip that might have been overlooked in starting from the Missouri River and also for last repairs on wagons and for horseshoeing. The t
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CHAPTER X WHY SATANK KILLED PEACOCK
CHAPTER X WHY SATANK KILLED PEACOCK
After supper, as we lay on our beds in the tent talking over old times, Jack recalled to my mind the Cheyenne campaign of 1857 and how we used to gather wild plums in the sand-hills near where we were now camped. He spoke also of a man bitten by a rattlesnake near here. This called out a story from Tom, who said: "Speakin' of rattlesnakes reminds me of a little incident that happened out in New Mexico when I was in the old First Dragoons. I was a sergeant, an' we had a new recruit in the company
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CHAPTER XI WE REACH FORT LARNED
CHAPTER XI WE REACH FORT LARNED
"Now, men," said old Tom as we gathered around the mess box for breakfast next morning, "we want to get an early start for we've got a big drive before us. It's only about thirty-eight miles from here to Fort Larned, but that's too much to do with a load in one day; an' we can't divide the distance equally because there's no water anywhere nigh the half-way p'int. By takin' the river road we could get water to camp at the half-way station, but that route, by way of the mouth of Pawnee Fork, woul
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CHAPTER XII OUR CAMP ON WALNUT CREEK
CHAPTER XII OUR CAMP ON WALNUT CREEK
Next morning at breakfast I said: "How was it, Tom, that when we were buying our outfit at Leavenworth we forgot to get a compass? That is a pretty useful thing in travelling across the prairie, where there is no road or trail to follow?" "Well," replied Tom, "it would be handy to have a compass, but we haven't got one and so we'll have to do the next best thing, and thank the Lord I have a good watch to run our course by." "What!" I exclaimed. "Do you mean that you can tell the points of the co
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CHAPTER XIII KILLED BY THE INDIANS
CHAPTER XIII KILLED BY THE INDIANS
For the next few days we were all very busy. Tom was putting the finishing touches on our quarters, while Jack and I were doing the trapping, baiting, and skinning. I assisted Jack in trapping beaver and he helped me in killing buffalo and taking care of the wolfskins. While working at these tasks we were riding the surrounding country, east and west, up and down the creek, and north and south in open prairie. At a distance of about three miles down the creek, on the north side, we found a serie
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CHAPTER XIV SATANTA'S STORY
CHAPTER XIV SATANTA'S STORY
Next day, mounted on Black Prince, Tom started for Fort Larned. He had stowed the skull of the supposed deceased wolf hunter in a gunny sack tied to his saddle, but the buffalo shoulder-blade he wrapped carefully in the fur of a fox skin, to make sure that no chafing should further obliterate the already obscure record. These relics he intended to submit to the best sign readers to be found about the fort, to ascertain if any light could be thrown on the supposed tragedy. As I was writing a lett
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CHAPTER XV WILD BILL VISITS US
CHAPTER XV WILD BILL VISITS US
In preparing for a probable blizzard we had hauled up several loads of good, dry wood and chopped much of it into stove wood, carrying it into our quarters and stowing it away in the tunnel, still leaving a passageway, however. We found that the tunnel acted as a flue and caused such a draught through our little room that we were forced to temporarily close up the opening in the tent by placing a bale of wolfskins over the hole. We now put our stock into their dugout stable at night, giving them
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CHAPTER XVI TOM LOCKS THE STABLE DOOR
CHAPTER XVI TOM LOCKS THE STABLE DOOR
This evening, just before dark, when we were bringing in the tools and making things secure for the night, I noticed that Tom had got out an old padlock that had long lain unused in the mess-chest, and then had found a piece of trace-chain, and with the two had securely locked the stable door—a precaution that we had never thought necessary before—and I asked him: "What are you doing that for, Tom? Seen any fresh signs about?" "No," he answered, "but 'tain't much trouble an' it's always best to
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CHAPTER XVII VOLUNTEER TROOPS AT LARNED
CHAPTER XVII VOLUNTEER TROOPS AT LARNED
Tom returned from Fort Larned that evening. He hoped that his intercession for Flaherty would procure a mitigation of the usual penalty; but desertion, even under extenuating circumstances, was too serious an offence to pass without at least a form of punishment. The culprit was put in the guard-house, with a fair prospect, however, of being released and restored to duty before long. The long-expected three companies of volunteer cavalry had arrived to relieve the old garrison, and as soon as th
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CHAPTER XVIII BILL RETURNS FROM HIS SCOUT
CHAPTER XVIII BILL RETURNS FROM HIS SCOUT
During the time I had been at work on Lieutenant Lang's papers there had been another heavy snow, but it had soon passed off. Tom had come over to the fort once or twice, reporting all serene at Camp Coyotelope; and about the time I had finished my job and was preparing to return to wolf skinning, Wild Bill and John Adkins came into the post, returning from the main Kiowa camp by way of old To hausen's village on Walnut Creek. "When are you going over to Camp Coyotelope?" asked Bill after first
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CHAPTER XIX A NIGHT IN THE KIOWA CAMP
CHAPTER XIX A NIGHT IN THE KIOWA CAMP
We reached the dugout just before noon, and after unsaddling, watering, and feeding our horses and partaking of a good dinner that Jack had prepared we saddled up again. I now rode the gray mustang, as Tom had suggested, and on one of our mules packed my bedding for the use of Captain Saunders and myself at the Indian camp. We struck out down the creek for the Kiowa camp, I leading the mule and the captain bringing up the rear. This kind of campaigning was a revelation to Captain Saunders and se
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CHAPTER XX WE TRADE WITH INDIANS
CHAPTER XX WE TRADE WITH INDIANS
For the next week or two, although the weather had turned stormy, Jack and I put in all the time we could at poisoning and skinning wolves. It was now getting well along in February—nearing the close of the season for taking pelts. We had already taken about twenty-five hundred and were anxious to make our winter's catch an even three thousand before quitting. Tom's patient, old To hausen, had so far recovered that Tom had returned to our camp, but still made an occasional visit to the Kiowa vil
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CHAPTER XXI JACK'S CLOSE CALL
CHAPTER XXI JACK'S CLOSE CALL
On the plains a prairie fire is always something to be dreaded, for with the usual breeze, which often amounts to a gale, a fire in heavy, dry grass is almost invariably uncontrollable and a source of terror to the luckless traveller who happens to be in its track. Such a fire originates most commonly from the embers of a camp-fire—left by some careless or inexperienced traveller—blown by a rising wind out into the adjacent dry grass or, in the spring of the year, by fires purposely set out in t
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CHAPTER XXII SATANK ARRIVES
CHAPTER XXII SATANK ARRIVES
Early March found us closing up our affairs at the camp, preparatory to starting back to the settlements. We had succeeded in taking a few more than our three thousand wolfskins; and in addition to these we would have nearly a wagonful of bales of the dressed buffalo robes and other skins we had traded for with To hausen's people, together with the beaver, otter, antelope, and other pelts we had taken in our camp. We had hauled all our baled wolfskins over to Fort Larned and stored them there as
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CHAPTER XXIII SURROUNDED BY KIOWAS
CHAPTER XXIII SURROUNDED BY KIOWAS
As the shades of evening crept over the plain it became impossible for me to see anything distinctly. The occasional reports of their carbines assured me that my companions were still standing off the savages. I kept asking myself: "What can I do to help them?" But there was no reply. I had no inclination to eat or sleep but prepared for a long, dismal night of watchfulness. After attending to the horses in the stable I went into our dugout and carried out some blankets and a buffalo robe, and,
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CHAPTER XXIV CAPTAIN SAUNDERS' FIGHT
CHAPTER XXIV CAPTAIN SAUNDERS' FIGHT
Glancing around as Bill galloped away, I plainly saw, in the bushes at the edge of the timber back of our burnt haystack, two Indian ponies tied to some bushes, with saddles and bridles on. They were the mounts of the two Kiowas who had entertained me throughout the night and one of whom Bill had just killed. The other fellow, who set fire to the haystack, I supposed had made good his escape. And, as I thought this, I naturally turned to look at the spot from where he had fired the burning arrow
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CHAPTER XXV WE PART FROM FRIENDS
CHAPTER XXV WE PART FROM FRIENDS
The captain's party returned from To hausen's village about sunset. He said that he had had an amicable and satisfactory talk with the old chief and his followers, all of whom reiterated their former professions of friendship for the whites and declared that they would have no intercourse with the hostiles. "We've got to take that," said Wild Bill, who had been interpreter at the talk, "with a grain of salt, for while I was there I found out, by pumping some of their youngsters and women, that t
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CHAPTER XXVI BACK TO GOD'S COUNTRY
CHAPTER XXVI BACK TO GOD'S COUNTRY
We were a cheerful trio next morning as we started out of camp on the home-stretch for "God's country," with Jack singing: "Ain't we glad to get out of the wilderness!" I had brought my captured ponies along, thinking to use them for riding stock going in and to realize something on them after we reached Leavenworth, and for the first day tried them—Jack riding one and I the other—but they were in such poor condition that by the time we had reached Charley Rath's ranch, the first evening, I saw
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