Survival and Suspense in the Wild West: Josiah Wright Mooar's Thrilling Adventure into Frontier Life and Buffalo Hunting

Ever thought about how life was in the Wild West? Imagine, the rawness of survival against the elements, the adrenaline of buffalo hunts, and the intrigue of lawmen and outlaws! I'm inviting you to saddle up and join us on this journey as we live vicariously through the life of our protagonist, Josiah Wright Mooar, a young man discovering the thrills and perils of the frontier. 

Our tale begins in Fort Hays, Kansas, where Josiah sets up a buffalo hunting team with a seasoned hunter, James White. From acquiring a wagon and camping supplies to the exhilarating hunt itself, we are right there with them. We encounter the mysterious figure of Thomas Nixon, who offers us an exciting opportunity to buy a buffalo hide business. But as a fierce storm threatens our hunt and a stampede sets off, tension rises. How will Josiah and Jim navigate these sudden threats? 

Through this captivating narrative, we uncover the vibrant life of the Wild West, the frontiersman and Buffalo hunters who shaped it and the crucial role they played in frontier survival. Moreover, we delve into the techniques used in buffalo hunting and how these adapted to the changing environment. So, get ready for a riveting exploration of the Wild West's legacy, one that promises to keep you on the edge of your seat!

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:18

My name is Josiah Wright Moore. I'm from New England. I was born on August 10th 1851, on a farm in Bennington, vermont. I grew up reading stories about the early Western explorers and at the age of 19 decided to move out west. I arrived at Fort Hayes, kansas, in 1870. I came west with a vision to make my fortune on the new frontier.

Speaker 1: 0:43

It did not take long for the realities of hard time to soon catch up with me. I supported my living by hauling wood for the Army Post here. I chopped trees and a stand of trees along Walnut Creek 30 miles to the south of Fort Hayes. They paid me $2 a cord. This country was wild. The Indians had become unpredictable and this caused me to keep my rifle close at hand Each day. Out of my travels to Walnut Creek I could see large herds of buffalo migrating across the plains. Although these times had been tough, I had the good fortune of meeting a man by the name of James White. He was a buffalo hunter. I had so much respect for James White, his greater age and experience. He was 20 years older than me. I remember the day I met him.

Speaker 1: 1:41

I was going about from one stable to another, hoping to find a ready-made camp outfit, team and wagon offered for sale cheap. I was growing tired of cutting wood and knew I needed another way to make my fortune. I heard Buffalo hunting pay was good pay and the Army needed food suppliers. I entered one of the local stables and within an instant I heard a voice coming from a dark corner. Can I help you? I squinted my eyes and looked to find the individual behind the voice. The obscureness of the stable failed my sight until a beam of light peaked through the cracks of the wood-boarded roof. This one glimmer of light found the image of a man pulling up his pants Through the mid-morning light of the open doorway. His image walked toward me. He brushed the hay out of his hair and stepped out in front of the open entrance. Yes, sir, I said. I'm sorry if I disturbed you.

Speaker 1: 2:38

I was startled by the tall man's image. He looked like a mountain man. His long hair, thick black beard and hawk-like visage made me think he had spent most of his time in the wilderness. I'm here to find a wagon, I said with some hesitation. Well, you won't find one in this place, boomed his voice with harshness. Now remove yourself from my place before I throw you out. I'm the owner of this stable and all the contents within, so you best get out of here while you're able.

Speaker 1: 3:09

His loud and direct voice caused me to back up and stumble over the rail of the hitching post. I fell backwards onto the ground. My back shoulders landed first. The blow pushed the air from my lungs as I felt my head hit the wood railing of a cattle pin. My head was spinning and he echoes a laughter over me. Who are you kid? Chuckled the man as he reached out his hand. I reached up and grabbed the man's hand and with the strength of one pull I was back to my feet Again, rubbing my head with inordinate embarrassment. I'm Josiah Wright Moore, I replied, and dismay. I want to purchase a rig. Now, why do you want to purchase a rig? The man firmly replied I want to hunt Buffalo and make some real money.

Speaker 1: 3:56

My last statement to him must have been persuasive, for he introduced himself to me. He said his name was Jim White and he was born in 1828 as Jim Wilson, out of Illinois. He told me he found his way into the Southwest as a young man where he was a freighter with ox-drawn wagons when the Civil War broke out in 1861, he said he served in the Confederate Army. He told me that the Civil War had an acute impact on him and at the end of the war he married and returned to the Southwest. From this point on Jim and I became good friends. I'm not sure why, but he took me under his wings. He said he'd teach me how to become a Buffalo Hunter.

Speaker 1: 4:42

For two days Jim and I went about from one stable to another hoping to find a few good mules to haul my wagon and camp outfit. For me To buy mule team wagon and camping supplies at the Asking Prices would take all the money I had. Then on the second day, by luck, a man driving a freighter wagon pulled in along Chestnut Street. The man holding the reins looked promptly at us, handed over the reins to the man sitting next to him and jumped off the wagon. With one leap he crossed over the busy street where Jim and I stood. Hey, he said.

Speaker 1: 5:15

My name is Thomas Nixon. They call me Tom. I hear you gentlemen may be looking for a hunting outfit. I may have a rig for you if you're interested. Tom grand and extended his hand. What's your name, he asked. I shook Tom's hand and introduced him to Jim White. I heard of Jim White. He said You're well known in these parts, I could tell Tom's comments about Jim made him interested in what he had to offer.

Speaker 1: 5:45

What kind of hunting outfit do you have, tom asked, staring directly into Nixon's eyes. It was if Jim was looking for the man's character. He told us he had just returned from a buffalo hunt and he'd been hired by a group of sporting men from back east. They have a splendid team of mules and camping supplies they wanted to sell, said Tom. They'll take anything they can fetch for him. Why do you suppose these men want to sell at any given price, I asked. Well, tom took a deep breath and said I'd come to Fort Hayes about a month ago to hunt buffalo meat for the army. They told me they had already contracted out these jobs and did not need any additional help.

Speaker 1: 6:27

Feeling somewhat dejected, we decided to go to the saloon to get over our disappointment when I ran into these Easterners. Well, look at it, these men had been looking for a guide. I persuaded them. Me, tom Nixon and my partner AC Myers were just who they had been looking for. Tom paused for a minute, looked down and kicked the dirt a few times. Well, hell, I could not pass up a deal like this. Tom said these men had plenty of money. So these fellas from back east hired me to buy a team. I rigged up the whole hunting outfit for them and agreed to be their guide.

Speaker 1: 7:05

Tom looked over across the street pointing in the direction of his wagon. In the large freighter wagon sat a man holding the reins back on 12 mules they hired. The two of us. Clarified Tom, why don't you come over to my wagon and meet my partner? Tom introduced us to his partner, ac Myers. Nixon told us they'd be interested in forming a four-man team and continue the hunt with Gemini. He jumped onto the wagon, reached underneath the wooden planks of the seat, pulled out a circular and handed it down to me.

Speaker 1: 7:40

I got this circular from these Easterners. Nixon said they handed them out to all the hunters. The circular offered to sell poison for killing vermin which might damage the hides. But what was written at the bottom of the circular gave promise to a new enterprise. The buffalo hides could be sold to a dealer for $2.25 a hide if the directions on the circular were followed. The flyer listed several dealers who would buy the hides. The closest hide dealer registered was Charlie Rath and he was setting up business in Osage City. Tom looked down from the wagon, reached over and pulled the circular away from me. Well, boys, are you interested in teaming up with Myers and me on this new enterprise? Tom probed while stuffing the circular into his vest pocket. If you jump in, I'll take you over to the stable so you can look at your new rig.

Speaker 1: 8:56

It was not long before we made our way for the livery stable. There we found a wagon in the back lot, the team and a good pair of mules in the stable. When we looked over the well-appointed rig and made a rough estimate of its probable value, we began to fear that the owners would ask more than we could pay for it. I inquired to Jim with some puzzlement what do you think of the outfit, jim? It's one of the best hunting rigs I ever saw. Jim then hesitated, but I'm afraid it's too rich for our blood. But those mules and harnesses alone would be cheap at $250. The wagon's easily worth another hundred and there's no telling what the camp outfit cost. Why do you suppose these men want to sell at any given price, I asked. I asked Tom if he was willing to let us unload the wagon and look at its contents, we found that an extraordinarily complete outfit with many duplicate parts for the wagon a sibling tent, a sheet iron cook stove, a mess chest and a complete mess kit for cooking. There was a large number of provisions left over the wagon and the animals were good and the Broncos had saddles and bridles.

Speaker 1: 10:10

While we unpacked the wagon, tom told us something about the trip which, from the point of view of the hunters, had been very successful. Tom said the hunters came to Hayes because they ran ads in the Eastern newspapers about a new hide business back in England. This English tannery wanted to experiment with buffalo hides for a source of leather. So we took him out on the range to see the massive herds migrate in South. They became excited about what they saw and wanted to get back east to share the good news.

Speaker 1: 10:45

By the time Tom finished his story, the examination of the outfit was completed. Tom inquired what do you think of the outfit and what will you give me for the whole caboodle? It's a good rig, and no mistake. I countered with a seemingly hopeless sigh, but Jim and I are afraid we haven't money enough to buy it. The outfit was all right for our purposes. But we'll have to buy a good rifle, powder and lead. I'm not sure if we'll have enough money left over after buying a team and camp outfit To buy this outfit would clean us out. Well, said Tom, make a bid for what you can afford to give, not what it's worth. They don't expect to get what it's worth. Sounds like a mighty small price, tom, and I'm ashamed to make you the offer I said hesitatingly. But $200 is much we can afford to give and still buy our rifles and ammunition. Would your men consider such a bid, as that Boy is? That does seem like giving the outfit away and until I see my men I won't say whether they'll take it or not. But I'll talk for you a little and help you out all I can, said Tom. They told me to sell the rig for whatever I could get and I'll tell them that $200 is the best offer I've had. It's the only one. If they say it's a go, the outfit's yours.

Speaker 1: 12:13

Jim AC, myer Nixon and I walked over to the saloon to make our offer to the easterners. Three of us waited outside while Nixon played out our offer to purchase the wagon, mules and camp supplies. While waiting for Nixon's return. I looked over to Myers. I could tell by his actions he was a prince of a good fellow and a rare character in every respect. I asked Myers how he came to know Tom Nixon.

Speaker 1: 12:39

Myer leaned up against the wood pole support structure, taken in the shade of the overhang, looked down at his boot, kicked a rock between the boards and looked at me, squinting one eye as if he had serious intentions in regarding my question. I have respect for the man. Myer responded. Not one to be reckoned with, but a man you can put your back to in a bar fight. He's from the south. He has somewhat of a shady past, like most of us out here in this godforsaken country. I know him to tell tales about being his prospector once. He's a family man now and owns a ranch about eight miles west of Fort Dodge. Myers then looked directly into my eyes and said I feel I have to do the right thing here, no matter the cost. It's about my integrity and honor. I need to tell you the second. Myers was about to close his last words to us.

Speaker 1: 13:39

Nixon busted out of the swinging hinges at the saloon doors. You got the deal, boys. You got the deal. Howl Nixon in a jubilant voice. Now let's go pay the man and put our marks on the papers.

Speaker 1: 13:52

I stood up, smiled back at Jim, reached in my pocket for all the money I had and entered the saloon with a questionable smile. The four of us walked over to a table where the three well-dressed men sat. One of them, well groomed, stroking a cigar, had a dancehall girl in his lap. The man next to him, a white-bearded, older, distinguished gentleman, watched us approach with a questionable eye. His face was one of utmost assurance. Whatever game this man played, he wasn't accustomed to losing. He smiled at me like a long-lost friend.

Speaker 1: 14:27

He stood up as we approached, shook our hands and introduced himself as representant part of Mr Charles Rath. He told us Mr Rath needed 500 hides and he would offer me the contract to purchase the rig only if we fulfilled the hide order. He asked us to sit down at the table and offered us a drink. He had drawn out some papers in front of him and before our drinks were served, he handed me a quilled pen. Will you agree, he questioned, will you agree to provide the 500 hides that Mr Rath needs at the given price of $2.25 per hide? The man paused, handed over the pen and pointed to a line on the parchment. You get the wagon, mules and supplies you need for the hunt for $200. Plus the money you split between the four of you for 500 hides. Jim, who sat next to me, placed his spencer rifle across his chest. Damn boy, get to signing, give the man your money and let's get the hell outta here.

Speaker 1: 15:35

We left the saloon in wonderment. I thought a little suspicious of the deal we had just made and wondered why they would allow us to pay just $200 for the rig. We went straight to the livery, picked up our new belongings, loaded the wagon, hitched up our mule team, purchased our rifles at the general store and drove to Fort Hayes. It was late evening when we prepared ourselves for the next morning hunt. We stayed the night in the livery stables. I took the time that evening to ride my brother, john, in New York City. In my letter to John I told him about my purchase of the rig, how we signed a contract to obtain 500 hides and planned a trip out to the plains. I concluded my letter with my suspicions about the hides and would he be interested in a shipment to New York City? I signed and sealed my letter to be mailed the next morning from the camp post. All of service.

Speaker 1: 16:55

Our four man, two wagon team pulled out of Fort Hayes in the early spring of 1871. On our second day out we saw small bunches of buffalo among the low hills. It was a good sign. We found a location near the banks of the Saline River, northwest of Fort Hayes. The Saline River is a tributary of the Smoky Hill. The name Saline is French translation of Namistia, meaning salty.

Speaker 1: 17:24

Some conveyed to me that this area land was full of hostile Indians. He told me of an incident which occurred to a surveying crew of when they were attacked by 30 Cheyenne warriors. These six men had been surveying a route for the Union Pacific Railway in August of 1867. It appears these Cheyenne warriors did not like the idea of the construction of the iron rails for their homeland. Jim clarified as we drove along the river bank. All six of the railroad workers had been killed in the attack. The Union Pacific became upset about the incident and called upon the 10th cavalry to settle the Indian dispute.

Speaker 1: 18:04

A second battle occurred when 38 Buffalo soldiers pursued the Cheyenne out of Fort Hayes. Jim then laughed. The laugh came from Jim like something bigger was about to be said Strained at first, stopping and starting, I could tell by his voice there was more to come from his story. Jim paused from his laughter. Well, it did not take long for those Cheyenne to muster up 400 warriors. Those Buffalo soldiers soon found their units surrounded. Now this quick thinking captain by the name of George Ames rapidly ordered his men to dismount and fight on foot. Ames ordered his men to form a compact defensive maneuver by forming a hollow square around the cavalry horses. They used this formation to march back to Fort Hayes. The battle raged for six hours as the Buffalo soldiers fought off their attackers. That's a lot of shooting. I said Yep. Jim responded it was more of a smoke screen than a firefight. Jim laughed and explained In a 13 mile march those Buffalo soldiers shot off almost 2000 rounds of ammunition and only killed six Indians. Sadly to say, those Indians were not any better at killing soldiers, for they only killed one Buffalo soldier. We both laughed at Jim's statement. Yep, that captain Ames was a smart thinker.

Speaker 1: 19:39

That day Jim resolved by a statement. He marched that Indian attack all but 10 miles back to Fort Hayes. In fact, I think those Indians were so riled up that they may have gone inside the fort with him, but instead they just rode off. We located a place where there was a good stand of trees along the riverbank. There, at our decided campsite, we saw herds of deer, flocks of turkeys and schools of fish. While unpacking the wagons I asked Jim about his wife. He said he did not want to talk about it and told me to mind my own business. So I readily did what he told me and started helping prepare our camp.

Speaker 1: 20:25

Tom Nixon and AC Meyers spent the first day making pegs for stretchin' hides, putting up the tent and gathering buffalo chips and driftwood for the fire. Everyone pitched in and dug a fireplace in the bank and prepared for business. We bellied and hobbled our mules, then turned them loose on the nutritious grass of the river bottoms. We ate broiled venison for supper, after pipes and coffee. We turned in Then, later that night, jim and I huddled over the remnants of an exhausted campfire. He had his share of whiskey that evening, keeping mostly to himself, and began rumblin' about my question, the question about his wife. He stared into the low-blown coals of the fire.

Speaker 1: 21:17

I joined the Confederate army when the war broke out, workin' as a grain buyer and a wagon boss. Jim said takin' a stick stirrin' the cinders of the fire. After the conflict ended, I got married in 68, and my wife and I drifted down into Mexico. A Spaniard took fancy to my wife and convinced her she'd be better off with him than with me. He had a lot of wealth and I had nothin' but adventure in my blood, jim said. As I can tell the story he told me. It bothered him. Jim shoved the stick deeper into the coals. The sparks from the cinder danced around us and I could see the glow of the fire in Jim's eyes. I killed that rich Spaniard right in front of her. He said. I killed him dead and three of his bodyguards who tried to stop me. Jim's statement brought me to silence, as I knew Jim was in a rage of emotion, so I waited for his next words. They put out a reward for my head. A large reward offered me dead or alive, jim said as he lay back and rested his head on the saddle next to him.

Speaker 1: 22:30

That was the day I walked out of Mexico, 700 miles into Texas, with no horse, and changed my name to White. I looked up at the sky. The Big Depper pointed to the North Star. The heavens above me shone brightly, with glistening stars, but the smoke in the low-hanging mist from the creek gave me a sense of loneliness. As Jim fell fast asleep.

Speaker 1: 23:12

An hour afterward I heard a dashing and a splashing in the spring. A band of buffalo was pourin' over the bank. I got up in my shirt tail, took my gun and ran along the edge of the bank toward the spring. Dark masses of the animals had clustered on the river bank, drinkin' from the little pools of fresh water. I could hear their low murmur of satisfaction. As they sucked up the fresh water, the bank was crumbling beneath their feet and fillin' to the sand.

Speaker 1: 23:46

As we camped the leeward to the wind, the herd did not sense us. It was a cloudy night. They saw me and scattered. Most of them scrambled up the path leading to the top of the bank and others darted over the sands. As it was too dark to shoot with any degree of certainty.

Speaker 1: 24:02

I started in the direction of the camp when a snap of a twig broke behind me. I froze for a second and out of the dark appeared Tom Nixon. What are you doin' out here? I explored. Well, I saw you leave camp and with the number of Indians about, I thought I'd give you some backup if needed? Tom replied. So what's your story? I petitioned when are you from and what brings you out here? I was curious and wanted to get the full story out of Nixon. Tom told me he had purchased some land outside of Fort Dodge and was runnin' wood and hay supplies for the army. The owner of the settler's store, a Mr Wright, told me he thought the railroad would soon be approaching Fort Dodge. Wright knew about the Buffalo Hyde Trade Agreement and asked me to come out here and check it out. He said the railroad could serve as a shipping service for the Hyde Trade.

Speaker 1: 24:59

The next day, jim and I rode out six miles and found immense herds of buffalo. Tom Nixon and his partner drove out freighters just to the edge of the herd and waited for our signal. The country was ringed with sandhills covered with coarse grass, affording a fair cover while crawling on the ground. The next day, jim and I rode out six miles and found immense herds of buffalo. We found a good location and hid under the banks of the river. This was the day white taught me how to shoot from a stand.

Speaker 1: 25:32

Half the fun in killin' buffalo was observin' their curious actions, said Jim. One day out on a hunt. I stuck my hat up and the entire herd gathered around it. They stared at it for hours. We moved a few feet down the riverbank, as Jim pointed out a small herd approaching the edge of the riverbank.

Speaker 1: 25:50

These creatures had not been given much intelligence. Their stupidity is most remarkable, jim elaborated. They're dumb, wary brutes and inclined to go off in wild stampedes if frightened. Almost anything could start a stampede. I've seen an old cow placidly grazin', suddenly takin' into her head that she was afraid of somethin'. She'd start to run immediately. Several thousand other buffalo would be runnin' after her. They didn't know why. They didn't know where.

Speaker 1: 26:24

Jim lowered his voice to a whisper as the herd moved closer to the banks of the river. If one bison gets bogged, a half dozen others are pretty sure to fall in the trap. Now I want you to observe the calves. Jim stopped as I looked over at the herd. A bull was drinkin' from the creek and the calves ran along the creek bed. The calves are more suspicious than their parents. Bulls have shorter tails than cows. Their tails are bad flat brushes, for they could not hit a fly in a week. Laugh, jim. We watch patiently as the herd approached the bank. The old bull in the lead with the herd strung out behind him. There reached the edge of the bank in Indian file and I could see the bull look carefully up and down the river. It was almost as though he was seeking out any possible danger.

Speaker 1: 27:12

We both carried with us our newly purchased Sharps 50s. It was our weapon of choice. The Sharps 50 was a single shot lever action breech loader with a one motion cock and fire rifle. Jim showed me how to create a stand made out of a tripod of carved out tree limbs. He prepared a Sharps 50 caliber by pulling back to lever, lowering the breech lock, and inserted a shell directly into the barrel of the gun, then firmly placed the rifle on top of the tripod.

Speaker 1: 27:43

Below us on the riverbed stood an old bull. The bull turned his head and looked in our direction. Jim, looking down the barrel of his rifle, whispered to me Now pay close attention. He said. When you take aim, you make an imaginary spot. Jim instructed. This spot is vital, for you must judge the difference between the two. Think about how far out you are in the arc of your bullet. Now feel the wind around you. Jim's voice went silent.

Speaker 1: 28:13

The next sound, after the flash of his muzzle was the boom of his rifle echoing through the canyon. The bull was down, hit under the fore shoulder. The force of the bullet was so great the bull pitched dead upon the sands at the brink of the river. The bull was in the back of the gun and the bullet was so great. The bull pitched dead upon the sands at the brink of the river. Within seconds another burst from Jim's rifle and a calf was hit so hard the bullet screwed its tail as it fell to the grass. Then a third shot hurled from the sharps 50 and hit the second bull. The stricken bull hit through the lungs, potted the ground, threw blood from the nostrils and sank to the ground. The cow next to the calf started running up the river about 20 yards when the fourth shot rang out. The shot was ineffectual. The cow was still running as Jim leveled his rifle and brought her down with the next bullet.

Speaker 1: 29:07

I looked over and watched Jim wet a cloth from his canteen. He swabbed the hot barrel of his 50 before he fired more rounds out into the range. The big brute stupidly watched, not being alerted by the boom of the rifle. The buffalo fell before us one by one under the sharpshoot and I, jim White. Jim continued to fire a series of rounds. It was when I counted 40 buffalo all laid out.

Speaker 1: 29:33

When Jim jumped in from behind his stand, his wave to Tom Nixon below and shouted that should do it. Jim stood up from the stand, looked directly at me with a tone of pride in his voice. He simply said it's time to do your work, boy. This signal from Jim gave Nixon the go ahead to move the wagons forward to the fallen herd. I watched Nixon and Myers jump from the wagons, pull their razor sharp knives, approach the first down animal and plant and rip the carcass down the milly. Next they made cuts on inside each leg, then around the neck. By the time we reached Nixon and Myers they had a rope tied to the neck of a half skinned bull. A hitch formed around the saddle horn and peeled the beast straight back from head to tail.

Speaker 1: 30:21

The three of us continued to skin the down herd. For most of the day Jim remained on higher grounds. He watched for possible threats from Indians who might be in the area. It was late afternoon when all the slain buffalo had been skinned and cut in half. Besides the hides we took the hindquarters for meats for smoking and all the hides had been brought back to camp for curing. The buffalo meat sold for three cents a pound and we needed the extra profit just in case our shipment of hides did not pan out.

Speaker 1: 31:01

We had a good hunt that day and unloaded the hindquarters camp and dug a hole. The hole was like a grave dug into the ground. Then we placed the hides in the hole with fur towards the earth. The rim of the hide was staked to the edge of the grave, forming a leather vat. We cut the meat into three chunks of ham, sprinkled them with salt, seasoned them with salt, peter, before we threw them into the vat. To protect the meat from the sun, myers and I covered the vat with a stiff hide. We pickled the tongues in a similar way. We soaked meat thoroughly before it was taken out of the vat and cut into smooth pieces. The smooth pieces were strung out along the bare grass. Myers and I then worked on constructing a smokehouse made out of hides to cure the meat we would later deliver to the post.

Speaker 1: 31:49

Commissary Tom and Jim unloaded the peltz. I took mental note on how they laid out the hides and rows, creating a hide yard. The hides had been spread out, flesh side up and holes cut near the edges. With a tom awk, I watched as Tom started to use his knife to cut the holes and the edges of the hides. This is when Jim yelled out we don't have time for that knife, tom, use your pick. Nixon went around with an arm full of pegs and distributed them on the hides. He averaged about 16 pegs to the hide. Nixon and Jim together drove the stakes into the ground and stretched the skins. The hides would remain there until they became as hard as flint. When the fleshy side of the green hide is exposed to the sun, the skin becomes as hard as iron. Jim Nixon sprinkled the hides with poison to finish the process. The poison would keep the bugs out of the hides.

Speaker 1: 32:49

Next we started our campfire to ready ourselves for the evening meal. The fire crackled in the corner of the campsite, projecting long shadows on the surrounding area. Our biggest concerns were not so much the evening meal but Indians in the area. The campfire was an inviting sight, so I took the first watch. I moved across the stream on the other side of the creek bed and made cover behind a line of trees. There I looked back at the light cast by the flames. The flames danced across the dark trunks of the trees, twisting and curling in obscure shapes, and provided a small radius of light. I settled in against the trunk of a tree and my eyes drifted to the horizon. I looked out into the vast prairie. I watched with an unwavering gaze as fiery red orb of light slowly sank behind the horizon. The threads of light lingered in the sky, mingling with the rolling hills. The shadows of buffalo on the range darkened as the sun melted away and darkness took over the sky. I rested with a keen eye, only hearing the camp sounds behind me in the distance.

Speaker 1: 34:08

It was not long before Jim appeared from out of the shadows of the darkness. He carried with him a tin dinner plate and a tin cup of coffee. I thought you might want this, jim said. As he handed me the tin plate and a small cut of buffalo ham, biscuits and beans, I leaned my sharp trifle against the tree and positioned myself to take the plate. Thank you, jim, I said. It's a glorious night indeed. We both looked up into the sequined silver stars as the clouds parted, showing through a lustrous urgent disk casting brilliant rays of moonlight onto the dark grounds. That bright moon should help you keep an eye on things. Jim said Enjoy your dinner and Nixon will relieve you in about four hours. Make sure you drink that coffee, it'll help you from falling asleep.

Speaker 1: 34:59

Jim turned in the direction of the camp. I watched as he walked away into the dark shadows of the night. His silhouette danced in and out of the campfire as the glowing embers seemed to move in rhythm with the flames matching every dip and sweep. I finished my meal. The beans were good, but I knew at the time the pleasure of them would remain with me for the rest of the night.

Speaker 1: 35:23

After a few hours on watch, tom relieved me and I returned to our camp where I found Jim awake. He sat next to the fire, staring into the orange hue giving way to the yellow and white highlighting his beard. A scraggly, thick, grayened beard acclimated his face like raggedy vines. I could see the prominent lines on his face that etched the story of a hard life. He was near the center of the fire, where the emanating heat was the greatest. Hey, jim, I said. He looked up at me and turned his attention back to the fire. A slight wind blew through the red ashes. It was like the fire was charming his worries and sending him heavenbound along with the dark smoke. I sat down across the fire from him. I dug out my hands over the fire and felt the warmth in my numb fingers come alive. I looked through the orange glow of coals and searched Jim's eyes. He looked back at me through the garish fire.

Speaker 1: 36:20

Tomorrow, when you're out on the hunt, shoot under the buffalo's foreshoulder, giving the ball a slight range forward. This is really the only infallibly vital spot, jim said as he looked up over the fire at me. Tomorrow will be your test. If you're a greenhorn, then I'll know it. A greenhorn is good at riddling a buffalo with bullets. Tomorrow I'll know if you're a buffalo runner or just a greenhorn amateur hunter. Jim threw a stick into the fire and rolled out his bedroll. How will you know that, I asked. How can you tell the difference between a buffalo runner and an amateur hunter? Well, that one's easy. Jim said as he stretched out on his bedroll and laughed. I'll know that after your first shot. If the buffalo shakes his head as though bumblebees are buzzing around his ears, but never drops, then I know you're a greenhorn. If you're a professional, one bullet planted is worth more than a score sent from the gun of an amateur. Jim closed his eyes as the night brought a silence to the cackle of the campfire. I found my bedroll and was fast asleep.

Speaker 1: 37:38

The next morning, bright and early, we were at work. We found a herd feeding on a prairie within two miles of camp. I crawled on my hands and knees up to the bank of the river. I took a lion position behind some brush where a herd of buffalo approached. The herd was led by a few frisky young calves who broke out over the bank without stopping to explore. I rolled over quickly to stay out of their path. I thought that if I remained my position the whole bunch would trample over me. I was now lying in the long grass and saw it was coming as I got to my feet. A stream of buffalo divided and swept to the right and left Through the dust. I saw an old cow's head within three feet and let her have it under the foreshoulder. The impetus with which she was moving was so great that she pitched dead upon the sands at the brink of the river, three rods away. I looked over and saw Jim laughing at me. He was in total amusement. I could only imagine what a sight I portrayed.

Speaker 1: 38:46

I began dodging and shooting the herd as they breached the hill, as if I had commenced a battle between them and they had commenced battle upon me. I wanted to prove myself to Jim that I was a buffalo runner and all I could do at the moment was engage in buffalo dodging. A calf was the next victim. I blazed away at the spike, a three year old bull. The first shot was ineffectual. He ran up the river about a hundred yards. I kept at his heels and brought him down with the second bullet. By this time the bunch was much scattered. Many animals crossed the river and others ran down the stream and were getting the bluffs below. Well before noon we had killed twenty seven.

Speaker 1: 39:29

Then the afternoon, under a darkening sky, we skinned these hides and loaded our wagons On our return trip to camp. The sky began to thicken. Black clouds sprawled across the sky, billowing in from the west. The air grew heavy and stillness fell over the darkening prairie. Then out of the silence came a low cackle of thunder echoing across the hills. Then another streak of hot silver split the sky, this time closer. The boom rolled across the valley. The herd became spooked. There was an instant stampede. The herd scattered, fan-like, stopping at a distance of two to three hundred yards.

Speaker 1: 40:44

I looked back over my shoulder getting a glimpse of the standing herd when a bolt of lightning ripped behind a dark canvas, a luminous shock of white blinded me. In an instant the graphite sky forked with a silvery radiance, crackled to the ground, striking a bull with one brilliant light. A thunderous boom called its warning. Too late the herd began to run. The one stricken bull lay burning in the dark hole of glowing ember. It was then I caught sight of a mass of dark objects. A second herd filled the horizon. The second herd was larger than the one standing below us.

Speaker 1: 41:24

Tom manned the big wagon three hundred yards behind us, yelled out Buffaloes. Then Tom fired a warning shot and bellowed out Stampede. My brain jumped as Tom's distant, blood-curdling howl made my hair stand on end. I watched anxiously as the land behind me was slowly transforming into a lethal running ground. I've seen darkness before, but this was the kind that makes blackness in Gulf of Maine's thoughts Stretching out in front of me like a map.

Speaker 1: 41:59

The massive herd awakened my fears, my courage and my knowledge. The sky plunged into an ominous darkness and with one flash it awakened all the creatures out of their lair, the two herds grew into one. The herd rumbled and thawed like two freight trains running on the same track. These sounds were broken when Jim yelled out next to me Go, damn, you go. It was time to make a run. I grabbed my whip, stood high in the wagon and kicked my reins high and yelled let's go, you damn mules. I did not look back, for the sound of the fast-running herd could be sensed all around me. The ground bounced underneath us.

Speaker 1: 42:40

The wagon with a full load of hides was impossible to control. I could hear the wooden spokes of the wheels groan as our wagon's pace grew weaker under the strain of our load. The rain began to fall so thickly that there became an instant covering of water on the ground. Now mud holes began to form. Yet I continued to drive the wagon hard. The harsh rain obliterated the open land in front of me and turned our escape into disoriented chaos. Then, within seconds, the deafening sound of the approaching herd calmed. I pulled back on the reins. The wagon slowed to a stop. I stood up, looked back through the downpour and the herd was no longer approaching our wagon. The heavy rains encarved out a miniature canyon in their path. This was a rut about the same width of two freighter wagons and as deep as half a horse. The rut had turned to run in Buffalo East. I could still see their masses. The rain slowed their run over the hills and in a distance I could see them bogging down in the river.

Speaker 1: 43:47

The next day we did not hunt. The rain had taken over the prairie, filling the wallows with water. The mud did not hinder our horses, so Jim and I decided to ride out on the prairie. This time northeast of our camp. We followed a buffalo trail. The trail would turn about every 400 yards. You notice how the trail turns and how crooked they are, said Jim. That's because the buffalo eyes are so placed in the head it's impossible for them to see forward. This is why they never pursue a straight course when migrating. They're compelled to keep one side turned as they look ahead with one eye. This motion of looking ahead with one eye and behind with the other causes them to stagger sideways for a few hundred yards as they change the view of the world from front to back.

Speaker 1: 44:46

It was about five miles out on the buffalo trail when we witnessed hundreds of hides lying in, waste, hides being spoiled by the rain. Some of the hides left by hunters were torn apart by wolves. Large sets of bones stretched across the plains. The white skeletal remains glistened in the sun, the birds and large numbers tore into the carcasses. Such a waste, I thought to myself. Such a waste.

Speaker 1: 45:13

We hunted the area for two weeks, gathering fifty hides a day, until we reached 557 and headed back to Fort Hayes. We had to make several trips with our wagons fully loaded and on each trip we had no room to spare. When we made our final trip to Hayes City, we had delivered our contract amount of hides. We were paid a handsome sum and the hides were shipped east. I made arrangements with some of my pay to have 57 of the hides shipped to my brother in New York City. Some left with Tom and AC Myers to hunt buffalo on the Arkansas River just south of Fort Dodge.

Speaker 1: 45:55

At the end of the day I walked alone into a saloon, sat and drank as the whiskey became the master of my thoughts. A new fate had taken a new turn. My emotions came like an unknown trail taking me somewhere different to the place I had not expected. I was now trained to be the perfect killer. My destination may not be glorious, but yet I had become a buffalo runner. My brother now held in his hands my destiny as a hide man.

Speaker 1: 46:30

That's it for now. Remember to check out our Wild West Podcast shows on iTunes Podcast or WildWestPodcastBuzzsproutcom. You can also catch us on Facebook at facebookcom slash Wild West Podcast or on our YouTube channel at Wild West Podcast Mike King YouTube. So make sure you subscribe to our shows listed at the end of the description text of this podcast to receive notifications on all new episodes. Thanks for listening to our podcast. If you have any comments or would like to add to any of our series, you can write us at Wild West Podcast at gmailcom. It will share your thoughts as they apply to future episodes. Join us next time as we begin our feature series on Kansas Lawman and Outlaws.