A number of men in the train
wanted to go with me for a buffalo hunt. "The more the merrier," I
said, so we and started, six of us together.
About two miles from camp we saw a band of fifteen that had not
yet seen us. We at once dropped back over the hill and taking a
circuitous route, we rode on the opposite side of them from camp,
and cautiously to within about a hundred and fifty yards, when
they raised their heads, took a good look at us and started off
toward the train. I told Saunders as he was on a fast horse to
take one side and I would take the other and let the other boys
bring up the rear, as by so doing we could drive them near camp
and save packing the meat so far. When we were in the valley just
below camp I told each man to select his buffalo and fire, which
they did, when within a quarter of a mile from camp. We then all
commenced yelling like Indians, and Jim Bridger said that he never
saw a crowd of men get to their guns as quick as the men in the
train did, for they actually thought we were Indians.
We succeeded in killing four buffalo out of the band, the last one
being within a hundred yards of camp. We dressed them and all
hands volunteered to carry the meat to camp where it was turned
over to the committee to be distributed among the people of the
entire train.
This was a great treat to them, for they had been living on bacon
for a long time, having no fresh meat whatever.
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