Read The Ranche on the Oxhide: A Story of Boys' and Girls' Life on the Frontier Page 2
CONTENTS
CHAPTER I
TAKING UP A "CLAIM" IN KANSAS--THE TRAIL FROM LEAVENWORTH--ANIMALS SEEN EN ROUTE--PRAIRIE CHICKENS--BUILDING THE CABIN--THE COSY SITTING-ROOM--ANIMALS FOUND IN THE TIMBER AND ON THE PRAIRIE--WHY THE CREEK WAS NAMED "OXHIDE" Page 1
CHAPTER II
THE HOUSE IS FINISHED--BUILDING CORRALS--THE HOUNDS--THEIR FIGHT WITH A LYNX--ITS HIDE GIVEN TO GERTRUDE--THE IMMENSE HERD OF BUFFALO--CAPTURE FOUR CALVES--GET THEIR PONIES IN A STRANGE MANNER--BREAKING THEM Page 13
CHAPTER III
THE BOYS GO FISHING FOR THE FIRST TIME--AN IDEA SUDDENLY STRIKES ROB--ROB'S QUEST AND LUCK--THE ISLAND OF WILLOWS--ROB'S BIG CAT--JOE'S TUSSLE WITH A PANTHER CUB--KILLS HIM--IS WOUNDED--SKINS THE ANIMAL, AND GETS HOME AT LAST--GIVES THE BEAUTIFUL ROBE TO HIS MOTHER Page 29
CHAPTER IV
BOY AND GIRL LIFE AT ERROLSTRATH RANCHE--THEIR PETS--THE GIRLS ENCOUNTER A BIG PRAIRIE WOLF--JOE TO THE RESCUE--DEATH OF THE FEROCIOUS BEAST Page 48
CHAPTER V
THE FRIENDLY PAWNEES CAMP ON THE OXHIDE--OLD "YELLOW CALF," THE CHIEF--JOE IS NAMED "THE WHITE PANTHER"--JOE GOES HUNTING WITH THE BAND--HE LEARNS THE LANGUAGE--HUNTING WITH THE BOYS OF THE TRIBE Page 62
CHAPTER VI
THE STORY OF THE MASSACRE ON SPILLMAN CREEK--SCOUTS GO TO THE RESCUE--JOE AND ROB TALK OVER THE HORRID WORK OF THE SAVAGES--THE DOG SOLDIERS--CHARLEY BENT--PLACE OF RENDEZVOUS--PARTY STARTS OUT--JOE'S OPINION IS ASKED Page 71
CHAPTER VII
ARRIVAL OF CAVALRY ON THE ELKHORN--A DEER HUNT--WHAT THE SCOUTS SAW--THE STORY OF THE TWO LITTLE GIRLS--THE DEAD AND WOUNDED--MEN HIDDEN IN THE BRUSH--AN INDIAN LEGEND--ARRIVAL OF THE INFANTRY--THE DEER HUNT IN THE MORNING--DEATH OF THE DEER Page 98
CHAPTER VIII
MR. TUCKER PASSES THE NIGHT AT ERROLSTRATH--HE TELLS SOME STORIES OF HUNTING BIG GAME IN THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS--SAGACITY OF THE FEMALE BIGHORN--THE AMERICAN COUGAR--THE BEAR AND THE PANTHER--THE RABBIT HUNT--HOW THE BOYS TRAINED THEIR HOUNDS Page 118
CHAPTER IX
INDIAN RAIDS--KATE IS MISSING--"BUFFALO BILL'S" OPINION--"BUFFALO BILL" FINDS HER LITTLE BASKET--THE SOLDIERS RETURN TO THE FORT WITHOUT FINDING HER--GRIEF OF THE FAMILY Page 137
CHAPTER X
HOW KATE WAS CAPTURED BY THE INDIANS--THE BAND RIDE RAPIDLY SOUTHWARD--AT THE INDIAN VILLAGE--HER DETERMINATION TO ESCAPE--TEACHES THE SQUAWS--IS TREATED KINDLY Page 147
CHAPTER XI
THANKSGIVING DAY AT ERROLSTRATH--KATE'S RETURN--CUSTER'S BATTLE WITH "BLACK KETTLE"--KATE TELLS HER STORY--THE ORIGIN OF INDIAN CORN--A WOLF HUNT WITH GENERAL CUSTER--A WOLF STORY BY THE COLONEL Page 156
CHAPTER XII
A WOLF HUNT--TWO SNAKE STORIES--TERRIBLE STRUGGLE WITH A MOUNTAIN WOLF--A MAIL RIDER EATEN--THE OLD TRAPPER'S EXPERIENCE WITH FOUR OF THE FIERCE BEASTS Page 193
CHAPTER XIII
JOE, ROB, AND THE OLD TRAPPER--GENERAL CUSTER ARRIVES AT THE RENDEZVOUS--THE WOLF DENS--FIRST TUSSLE BETWEEN THE HOUNDS AND A WOLF--CINCH'S GREAT BATTLE Page 211
CHAPTER XIV
A WILD TURKEY HUNT--THE TRIP TO MUD CREEK--THE TURKEY ROOST--THE SHOOTING BEGINS--COUNTING THE NUMBER KILLED--JOE SELLS TURKEYS Page 222
CHAPTER XV
HOW THE ROBIN CAME TO KANSAS--MOCKING-BIRDS--EATEN BY SNAKES--JOE LOSES HIS TAME ELK--THE LAST OF THE WOLVES--FINDING THE QUAIL'S NEST--JOE BUILDS A CAGE FOR THEM--RAISING CHICKENS Page 229
CHAPTER XVI
THE PAWNEES RETURN--ANTELOPE HUNT WITH THE INDIANS--JOE MISSES--WHITE WOLF--TALK OF A WILD HORSE HUNT--THE SAND-HILL CRANES--THEIR WEIRD COTILLION Page 246
CHAPTER XVII
WILD HORSES--JOE SLEEPS IN WHITE WOLF'S TENT--CAMP ON THE WALNUT--WOLVES AND LYNXES--KILL AN ELK--THE CHASE--CAPTURE OF THE BLACK STALLION--WHITE WOLF'S SKILL--BREAKING THE HORSES Page 256
CHAPTER XVIII
THE LAST HERD OF BUFFALO--THE STAMPEDE--THE SOLDIERS IN FULL CHASE--JOE GETS TWO COWS--HAULING IN THE MEAT--RATTLESNAKES Page 272
CHAPTER XIX
THE INDIAN HORSE-RACE--KATE'S PONY WINS--THE TRADE WITH THE PAWNEES--THE DANCES AT NIGHT--THE INDIANS SAY GOOD BY TO THE FAMILY--NOBLE ACTION OF WHITE WOLF Page 281
CHAPTER XX
CONCLUSION
RETROSPECTIVE--THE OLD TRAPPER PASSES AWAY--MR. AND MRS. THOMPSON ARE DEAD--GENERAL CUSTER AND COLONEL KEOGH ARE KILLED--ERROLSTRATH BELONGS TO JOE AND ROB Page 295