hunting the grisly and other sketches-第40章

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we　were　showing　him　some　sign　of　consideration；　for　he'd　begun　to
believe　he'd　fallen　into　a　den　of　sharks；　and　that　we　gave　him　a
runaway　team　a　purpose。　That　made　me　hot；　calling　that　a　runaway　team。
Why；　there　was　one　of　them　horses　never　/could/　have　run　away　before；
it　hadn't　never　been　druv　but　twice！　And　the　other　horse　maybe　had　run
away　a　few　times；　but　there　was　lots　of　times　he　/hadn't/　run　away。　I
esteemed　that　team　full　as　liable　not　to　run　away　as　it　was　to　run
away；〃　concluded　my　foreman；　evidently　deeming　this　as　good　a　warranty
of　gentleness　as　the　most　exacting　could　require。

The　definition　of　good　behavior　on　the　frontier　is　even　more　elastic
for　a　saddle…horse　than　for　a　team。　Last　spring　one　of　the　Three…Seven
riders；　a　magnificent　horseman　was　killed　on　the　round…up　near
Belfield；　his　horse　bucking　and　falling　on　him。　〃It　was　accounted　a
plumb　gentle　horse　too；〃　said　my　informant；　〃only　it　sometimes　sulked
and　acted　a　little　mean　when　it　was　cinched　up　behind。〃　The
unfortunate　rider　did　not　know　of　this　failing　of　the　〃plumb　gentle
horse；〃　and　as　soon　as　he　was　in　the　saddle　it　threw　itself　over
sideways　with　a　great　bound；　and　he　fell　on　his　head；　and　never　spoke
again。

Such　accidents　are　too　common　in　the　wild　country　to　attract　very　much
attention；　the　men　accept　them　with　grim　quiet；　as　inevitable　in　such
lives　as　theirslives　that　are　harsh　and　narrow　in　their　toil　and
their　pleasure　alike；　and　that　are　ever…bounded　by　an　iron　horizon　of
hazard　and　hardship。　During　the　last　year　and　a　half　three　other　men
from　the　ranches　in　my　immediate　neighborhood　have　met　their　deaths　in
the　course　of　their　work。　One；　a　trail　boss　of　the　O　X；　was　drowned
while　swimming　his　herd　across　a　swollen　river。　Another；　one　of　the
fancy　ropers　of　the　W　Bar；　was　killed　while　roping　cattle　in　a　corral；
his　saddle　turned；　the　rope　twisted　round　him；　he　was　pulled　off；　and
trampled　to　death　by　his　own　horse。

The　fourth　man；　a　cowpuncher　named　Hamilton；　lost　his　life　during　the
last　week　of　October；　1891；　in　the　first　heavy　snowstorm　of　the
season。　Yet　he　was　a　skilled　plainsman；　on　ground　he　knew　well；　and
just　before　straying　himself；　he　successfully　instructed　two　men　who
did　not　know　the　country　how　to　get　to　camp。　They　were　all　three　with
the　round…up；　and　were　making　a　circle　through　the　Bad　Lands；　the
wagons　had　camped　on　the　eastern　edge　of　these　Bad　Lands；　where　they
merged　into　the　prairie；　at　the　head　of　an　old　disused　road；　which　led
about　due　east　from　the　Little　Missouri。　It　was　a　gray；　lowering　day；
and　as　darkness　came　on　Hamilton's　horse　played　out；　and　he　told　his
two　companions　not　to　wait；　as　it　had　begun　to　snow；　but　to　keep　on
towards　the　north；　skirting　some　particularly　rough　buttes；　and　as
soon　as　they　struck　the　road　to　turn　to　the　right　and　follow　it　out　to
the　prairie；　where　they　would　find　camp；　he　particularly　warned　them
to　keep　a　sharp　look…out；　so　as　not　to　pass　over　the　dim　trail
unawares　in　the　dusk　and　the　storm。　They　followed　his　advice；　and
reached　camp　safely；　and　after　they　had　left　him　nobody　ever　again　saw
him　alive。　Evidently　he　himself；　plodding　northwards；　passed　over　the
road　without　seeing　it　in　the　gathering　gloom；　probably　he　struck　it
at　some　point　where　the　ground　was　bad；　and　the　dim　trail　in
consequence　disappeared　entirely；　as　is　the　way　with　these　prairie
roadsmaking　them　landmarks　to　be　used　with　caution。　He　must　then
have　walked　on　and　on；　over　rugged　hills　and　across　deep　ravines；
until　his　horse　came　to　a　standstill；　he　took　off　its　saddle　and
picketed　it　to　a　dwarfed　ash。　Its　frozen　carcass　was　found　with　the
saddle　near　by；　two　months　later。　He　now　evidently　recognized　some
landmark；　and　realized　that　he　had　passed　the　road；　and　was　far　to　the
north　of　the　round…up　wagons；　but　he　was　a　resolute；　self…confident
man；　and　he　determined　to　strike　out　for　a　line　camp；　which　he　knew
lay　about　due　east　of　him；　two　or　three　miles　out　on　the　prairie；　on
one　of　the　head　branches　of　Knife　River。　Night　must　have　fallen　by
this　time；　and　he　missed　the　camp；　probably　passing　it　within　less
than　a　mile；　but　he　did　pass　it；　and　with　it　all　hopes　of　life；　and
walked　wearily　on　to　his　doom；　through　the　thick　darkness　and　the
driving　snow。　At　last　his　strength　failed；　and　he　lay　down　in　the　tall
grass　of　a　little　hollow。　Five　months　later；　in　the　early　spring；　the
riders　from　the　line　camp　found　his　body；　resting；　face　downwards；
with　the　forehead　on　the　folded　arms。

Accidents　of　less　degree　are　common。　Men　break　their　collar…bones；
arms；　or　legs　by　falling　when　riding　at　speed　over　dangerous　ground；
when　cutting　cattle　or　trying　to　control　a　stampeded　herd；　or　by　being
thrown　or　rolled　on　by　bucking　or　rearing　horses；　or　their　horses；　and
on　rare　occasion　even　they　themselves；　are　gored　by　fighting　steers。
Death　by　storm　or　in　flood；　death　in　striving　to　master　a　wild　and
vicious　horse；　or　in　handling　maddened　cattle；　and　too　often　death　in
brutal　conflict　with　one　of　his　own　fellowsany　one　of　these　is　the
not　unnatural　end　of　the　life　of　the　dweller　on　the　plains　or　in　the
mountains。

But　a　few　years　ago　other　risks　had　to　be　run　from　savage　beasts；　and
from　the　Indians。　Since　I　have　been　ranching　on　the　Little　Missouri；
two　men　have　been　killed　by　bears　in　the　neighborhood　of　my　range；　and
in　the　early　years　of　my　residence　there；　several　men　living　or
travelling　in　the　country　were　slain　by　small　war…parties　of　young
braves。　All　the　old…time　trappers　and　hunters　could　tell　stirring
tales　of　their　encounters　with　Indians。

My　friend；　Tazewell　Woody；　was　among　the　chief　actors　in　one　of　the
most　noteworthy　adventures　of　this　kind。　He　was　a　very　quiet　man；　and
it　was　exceedingly　difficult　to　get　him　to　talk　over　any　of　his　past
experiences；　but　one　day；　when　he　was　in　high　good…humor　with　me　for
having　made　three　consecutive　straight　shots　at　elk；　he　became　quite
communicative；　and　I　was　able　to　get　him　to　tell　me　one　story　which　I
had　long　wished　to　hear　from　his　lips；　having　already　heard　of　it
through　one　of　the　other　survivors　of　the　incident。　When　he　found　that
I　already　knew　a　good　deal　old　Woody　told　me　the　rest。

It　was　in　the　spring　of　1875；　and　Woody　and　two　friends　were　trapping
on　the　Yellowstone。　The　Sioux　were　very　bad　at　the　time　and　had　killed
many　prospectors；　hunters；　cowboys；　and　settlers；　the　whites
retaliated　whenever　they　got　a　chance；　but；　as　always　in　Indian
warfare；　the　sly；　lurking；　bloodthirsty　savages　inflicted　much　more
loss　than　they　suffered。

The　three　men；　having　a　dozen　horses　with　them；　were　camped　by　the
river…side　in　a　triangular　patch　of　brush；　shaped　a　good　deal　like　a
common　flat…iron。　On　reaching　camp　they　started　to　put　out　their
traps；　and　when　he　came　back　in　the　evening　Woody　informed　his
companions　that　he　had　seen　a　great　deal　of　Indian　sign；　and　that　he
believed　there　were　Sioux　in　the　neighborhood。　His　companions　both
laughed　at　him；　assuring　him　that　they　were　not　Sioux　at　all　but
friendly　Crows；　and　that　they　would　be　in　camp　next　morning；　〃and　sure
enough；〃　said　Woody；　meditatively；　〃they　/were/　in　camp　next　morning。〃
By　dawn　one　of　the　men　went　down　the　river　to　look　at　some　of　the
traps；　while　Woody　started　out　to　where　the　horses　were；　the　third　man
remaining　in　camp　to　get　breakfast。　Suddenly　two　shots　were　heard　down
the　river；　and　in　another　moment　a　mounted　Indian　swept　towards　the
horses。　Woody　fired；　but　missed　him；　and　he　drove　off　five　while
Woody；　running　forward；　succeeded　in　herding　the　other　seven　into
camp。　Hardly　had　this　been　accomplished　before　the　man　who　had　gone
down　the　river　appeared；　out　of　breath　with　his　desperate　run；　having
been　surprised　by　several　Indians；　and　just　succeeding　in　making　his
escape　by　dodging　from　bush　to　bush；　threatening　his　pursuers　with　his
rifle。

These　proved　to　be　but　the　forerunners　of　a　great　war　party；　for　when
the　sun　rose　the　hills　around　seemed　black　with　Sioux。　Had　they　chosen
to　dash　right　in　on　the　camp；　running　the　risk　of　losing　several　of
their　men　in　the　charge；　they　could　of　course　have　eaten　up　the　three
hunters　in　a　minute；　but　such　a　charge