The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1874-07-30

most tender-hcartcd men alive. 10 hear tho
gentle. coaxing tones ~ endeaunent "a.
dressed % the horses =. " Whoa Bot. .
Gene here, old Fellows. s.Cope Cone 1
cope Dug r ssficro, Loui. Old bov ~
Sepe Birdie, and ali the reruasive
Nhisstng ana hypocFiucai compliments
1suaily paid % horses not easily canpht.
nut TINS only lasted until the bride visa -
corely fastened on the horses heasl then
the tune changed, and Il was. s,Yon 1901
- teacn you % stampede, ron misenbla
devil, you ]" s'Whoa, lei. csrt Wv. .,....s
still Oh you tried to 81 swsv .1is
you Take that, and tial, and my I'm
kick the life out Of you q
Another night we were treated 10 a fhpr.
derstorn, and while all were crorched ~.
der the sholterof some pecan trees 4 vrssl--
minded streak Of lightning struck small
mesquit bush, near by, about the size 81
your wrist, and ieebly tore its way into The
ground an inch; but the way those drio-
ping men .'ramosedr the trees was sua-
den.
We saw drovcs Of antelope houtIy, hus
no buffalo until reaching Clear Fork. One
Of the men had never seen an antelope, and
after watching one dallying around as for
some time, exclaimed, at Il crippled.
and will catch II - SO away he went 81
iull speed the antelope lopsd of aud seemed
70 imp badly, but somehow Il kept just
sneaa Of that rlcc-horse, and after leading
him & mile from the line Of march turned
and circled around ahead Of US. then 4 be-
gan TO get faster and faster. and although 81
seemed % drag along, there vas a nrovok.
ingly constant increase m he ameupt az
daylight l'etween them. Alter 4 while thar
antelope began % ron aud IN two minutes
nothing could be seen OF II hut white TUT
on the edge Of the horizons That man
feels confident be could have caught it at
FIRST, hut was afraid his horse woald fan
into praifie deg hole. I think his excuse
was moro lame than the antelope.
There lies between the jim Ned crces
ana the Clear Fork the most magniicen.
stock range in ell the broad area Of Texas.
and yet this noble pasture is totally dcsti
tutc Of cattle and horses. From Te
cumsehs Peak north. to the Table Noun
tains south, and from Moro Peakand Steam
boat Mountains on the west TO the South
Jim Ned east, extends this beautiful nat
ural park. Covered with thick Garnet Of
curly uesquit and buffalo grass, dotted with
spreading live oaks, and traversed by clear
streams, with here and there a sulphur or
mineral spring, and surrounded By natures
stone wail-the mountains. II Is 10 the eve
Of stock man--par ere i5aco--a huge cattle
rancho, waiting for the long-horned herds.
which must a. some future day take the
place Of the roaming buffalo.
To me il wore a different aspect have
wandered through the far-famed English
parks from Windsor to Lake Windermere,
over the moors Of Scotland 10 Balmoral.
where art and nature have combined 10
make earth grand and beautiful. There
the elk and deer, with the rare wild black
CATTLE are r7hgiolisly preAirved. But what
Is Windsor Park compared with Natures
boundless parks IN Wessem Texasg What
are the gentle English deer beside the elk
aud antelopes Of these free regions! And
who would compare the blsck cattle OF
Scotland to the lordly bisonl Speaking OF
Scotland, Clear Fork canon reminds me Of
Glencoe IN wild and rugged beauty, and,
like Glencoe, it has It's legend OF blood.
From the canon we rode westward again
for two days, and found ourselves on the
heights which overlooked another maqnifl.
cent park, spread ont beneath us ike n
dream, extending Tor twenty miles in one
broad, unbroken plain, while Tar beyond, in
the blue distance, could be seen the Double
Mountains. Here and there beneath ms,
we saw the dark forms Of buffalo feeding
on the grassy slopes, and timid antelope
among the live oaks. On the further sido
the glasses showed us the dark favine, aud
wooded slopes around Paint Springs.
This romantic and beautiful spot was a
covered last fall by accident. A scout us
minute men, among whom was Iientcnans
Best then sergean0, had followed tie
trail Of party Of Indians, who had stolcu
some horses on Pecan bayou, but, not over
taking them, were returning 20 the settle.
ments They were encamped few miles
above and had lust saddied I'd 10 nIaFcIl
when shot was heard, and they rode
IN the direction Of the sound they saw tho
horses in the rayine, charged the Indian
before the squaw, acting as vidette upon
the hill, could give the alarm, and recap
tured eighteen horses besides killing one
warrior and the squaw, who fought ike an
Amazon, and rode like an Arab; the other
Indians escaped among the rocks. Numer-
Gus paintings on the trees suggested the
name. We were in hopes Of finding Indians
camped here, and after careful approach,
charged up the rayine and in among the
rocks from opposite sides, but-Lol the red
man had departed, he had stvamosed the
rancho, he had sought solitude IN the d.
rection Of shutdown, leaving only the record
Of his deeds upon the trees IN rude imita-
ton of tho ancient Aztec picture writing.
So we looked about as, and said-s'B Behold.
It Is good for as 70 be here, Alabama .
Hero viii we rcst--and we rested.
Aspiring Of water is Joy forever and
the Clear cold waters Of Paint Springs 10
the midst Of rolling praiFies sheltered by
moss-coyercd oEcrhanging rocks and shaded
by venerable uncovered oaks from the
heat 81 July noon--Vill long retain place
incur remembrance II We were pleased
with this cool retreat ~ e wonderful that
4 Is favorite resort Of the Indians7 To
these Wild children Of nature what could
be more acceptable after a long and dan
geTous raid into the settlements,
than to End ropose and safety
under these rocks, around which cluster so
many fond rccollectionE, and over which
hover like q. mist the traditions Of his
fathers and the spirit land. Here Tor years.
at the call Of their chief, the warriors have
assembled and, donning the WaF-paint, have
left their tribe for the waF-balh. From
here they made the midniQht dash upon
the defenscIc8s frontier families and carried
on their cattle and horses as ihc Highland
clans Of Scotland used TO harry the English
border. Here they rest after successful
raid, divide the spoils and torture their vic
Tins. Why just fborcmcmbfance Of those
beautiful ecalp-dances around tie writing
prisoner iashed 70 the rcd-Iot rocks must
make the old chief sigh that times have
chanQcd.
The paintingsOu The trees represent war
riors on the war-path. each with ms shield
above him, and recognized on different
trees By the colors On The shield the nun.
Der, Of course, indicates fhc strength 81 The
,war-party. Tie priaonegs are painted in
black, and white womea disfinon,sicd from
squaWs b. small Wrists. The number 81
horses captured by each party 3 sllonn 81
The hoois o. horse feet marked on the trees
about The size of . five cent piece. Bloeched
buffalo shouldef-blades are hung around on
the trees With horses footprints marked
o. them, % show the horses taken on
laid. I suppose they kept tails with tho
Qnakcre on The reservation.
There are no WieWams here. a. the In