Demoine courier., 1855-09-06
Attack By Cattle upon a Red Wagon.

Attack BY Cattle upon a Red Wagon.
Exrac, from one of Col. Claiborne's
letters from The Pine Woods OF Missis.
sippi. published in tie New Orleans
Delta: ef 81
IL set out for Augusta. bowling mer-
rlly along in a blood REQ wagon. Tbs
road is beauliful-roofed over with trees
and vines, aud the air fragrant with the
breath Of flowers. There was only one i
drawback--lhe myriads Of flies OF every
species that swarmed around and raven
ously supped the blood from the ears.
neck and danks of my horse. II is what
is appropriately ttrmed here fly time
that is 10 say, the period when this nu-
nerous family Of scourges have it all
their way, and Eci.hsr man NOS
beas, can venture into the woods with
lmpunity. Nos the cattle Of a thous.
and hills and even the wild deer, seek
| The abodes OF men, and huddle around
some smoking pine, or stan in some
open field. to escape their periodical tor
mentors. On a sudden curve Of the
read, | found myself in che of these
stamping grounds aud a sudden roar
from five hundred infuria,ed animals
gave no,iccM of my danger,
.it is well known that the Spanish
~ma,adores provoke the wounded bulls OF
the arena by flau,ing the moleta or blood
red flag before them. II was the color
Of my eqipage ,ha, exci,ed this below.
ing herd. They snufTed the air, planted
their heads near the gound, tore up. the
earth with their hoois and horns, and
slared at me with savage ey es. The
lierce phalaux blocked The road, and the
part of discretion was to retreat. The
moment ] wheeled the pursuit commenc.
ed. A cloud OF dus. cnyeloped them,
and their tramplins fee. was like the roll
Of thunder. My horse dashed forward,
frantic with terror, and they plunged, on
every side crushing down everything in
their coutse, g%oIing and ~mmbling over,
each other. filling The woods with their
dreadful cries. and gathering nearer and
nearer in the fearful chase.
"The con,es. now became desperate.
la five minutes we should have been
overturned and trampied 10 death: bu, at
this junc,ure l threw out my overcoat,
and with an awful clamor they paused to
fight over i, and tear il into shreds.-
Driving a, full speed | tossed out a cush-
on; The inlurialed devils trampled i, into
atoms and came rushing OH, their horns
clashing against the buggy, and ripping
up ihe ribs of my horse. AT this fear.
full mOmen, we were providen,iaily saved
A monsirous oak, with a forked top, had
fallen near the road. and into This | plung.
ed my horse breast high, and he was
sale, The back Of the buggy being then
the only assailable point. At this ths
whole column made a dash, but | met
The foremost with six discharges from a
revolver; two bottles Of Seweli Taylor's
best were shivere4 in their faces; next
cold turkey, and finally q bottle of Scotch
snuff-the last sho. in the locker.
"This did the business. Such a
sneeziDg and believing was never heard
before, and the one tina, got it pu. out
with the whole troop at his heels. cir.
cling round, seeming the blood that had
been spilled. and shaking the earth with
their ,hunderin tramp. | was now fairly
in :or it and made up my mind to re-
main until sunset, when they would
dispense, as in "fy time cattle Craze az
night. | was relieved. however. by the
approach of some cattle drivers, who,
galloping UP on shaggy but muscular
horses, and with whips twenty feet long.
which they manage with surprising dex.
terity, soon drove the herd to their sscow.
pens for the purpose Of marking and
branding. This ;s done every year in
sly i,me." The cattle ranging. scat.
tered thirty miles round, are now easily
found. collected a, their stamping grounds
where the respective owners assemble
and put their marks aE9 braads on the
increase Of the season. Thus, the E..
gyp.ian Plaeoe IS turned to a useful pur.
pose"
F IL ~