Army Letters from an Officers Wife, 1871-1888 | Page 8

ready for battle. It was plain to be seen that the poor horse was
not enjoying the meeting, for every now and then he would try to back
away, or give a jump sideways. The buffalo was wounded and unable
to run, but he could still turn around fast enough to keep his head
toward the horse, and this he did every time Lieutenant Alden tried to
get an aim at his side.
There was no possibility of his killing him without assistance, and of
course the poor beast could not be abandoned in such a helpless
condition, so Faye decided to go over and worry him, while Lieutenant
Alden got in the fatal shot. As soon as Faye got there I put my fingers
over my ears so that I would not hear the report of the pistol. After a
while I looked across, and there was the buffalo still standing, and both
Faye and Lieutenant Alden were beckoning for me to come to them. At
first I could not understand what they wanted, and I started to go over,
but it finally dawned upon me that they were actually waiting for me to
come and kill that buffalo! I saw no glory in shooting a wounded
animal, so I turned my horse back again, but had not gone far before I
heard the pistol shot.
Then I rode over to see the huge animal, and found Faye and
Lieutenant Alden in a state of great excitement. They said he was a
magnificent specimen--unusually large, and very black--what they call
a blue skin--with a splendid head and beard. I had been exposed to a
bitterly cold wind, without the warming exercise of riding, for over an
hour, and my hands were so cold and stiff that I could scarcely hold the
reins, so they jumped me up on the shoulders of the warm body, and I
buried my hands in the long fur on his neck. He fell on his wounded
side, and looked precisely as though he was asleep---so much so that I

half expected him to spring up and resent the indignity he was being
subjected to.
Very soon after that Faye and I came on home, reaching the post about
seven o'clock. We had been in our saddles most of the time for twelve
hours, on a cold day, and were tired and stiff, and when Faye tried to
assist me from my horse I fell to the ground in a heap. But I got
through the day very well, considering the very short time I have been
riding--that is, really riding. The hunt was a grand sight, and something
that probably I will never have a chance of seeing again--and, to be
honest, I do not want to see another, for the sight of one of those
splendid animals running for his life is not a pleasant one.
The rest of the party did not come in until several hours later; but they
brought the meat and skins of four buffalo, and the head of Lieutenant
Alden's, which he will send East to be mounted. The skin he intends to
take to an Indian camp, to be tanned by the squaws. Lieutenant
Baldwin followed his buffalo until he got in the position he wanted,
and then killed him with one shot. Faye says that only a cool head and
experience could have done that. Much depends upon the horse, too,
for so many horses are afraid of a buffalo, and lunge sideways just at
the critical moment.
Several experienced hunters tell marvelous tales of how they have
stood within a few yards of a buffalo and fired shot after shot from a
Springfield rifle, straight at his head, the balls producing no effect
whatever, except, perhaps, a toss of the head and the flying out of a tuft
of hair. Every time the ball would glance off from the thick skull. The
wonderful mat of curly hair must break the force some, too. This mat,
or cushion, in between the horns of the buffalo Lieutenant Alden killed,
was so thick and tangled that I could not begin to get my fingers in it.
FORT LYON, COLORADO TERRITORY, December, 1871.
OUR first Christmas on the frontier was ever so pleasant, but it
certainly was most vexatious not to have that box from home. And I
expect that it has been at Kit Carson for days, waiting to be brought
down. We had quite a little Christmas without it, however, for a
number of things came from the girls, and several women of the
garrison sent pretty little gifts to me. It was so kind and thoughtful of
them to remember that I might be a bit homesick just now. All the little
presents were spread out on