Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1876-04-12
A Buffalo stampede.

Story ron uoys.
Passing out between the hills, the young |
fellows found themselves on nearly level |
plain. Here too, was dense crowd OF but !
faloes, stretching off to the undulating hori- !
ION. As the two explorers walked on, wide |
lane seemed to open in the mighty herds be-
fore them. Insensibly, and without any !
hurry, the creatures drfted away TO the right |
and left, browsing or staring, but continually
moving. Looking back, they saw the butia-
loes had closed up their ranks on the trail
which they had first pursued while before
aud on either hand was a wall of animals.
We are surrounded - almost whispered
Arthur, with some alarm.
Never mind, my boy. We can walk
out Just as the children Of Israel did from
the Red Sea. Only we have waves of bufia-
loes, instead of water, to close behind and
open before and be wall on each side.
See 2"
And, AS they kept ON, the mass before
them melted away in some mysterious fash
ion, always at the same distance from them.
See We move in a vacant space that
travels with US wherever we GO, Arty."
"Yes," said the lad. 1t seems Just as if
We We're a candle in the dark. The open
ground around us is the light we shed the
buffaloes are the darkness outside"
"A good figure of speech that my laddie.
| must remember it. But we are getting
out Of the wilderness"
They had now come to a sharp rise Of
ground, broken by rocky ledge, which
turned the herds more to the northward. AS
cending this, they We're out of the buifaloes
for time but beyond them were thousands
more. Turning southwark, they struck
across the country for the wagon-track, quite
well satisfied with their explorations.
Between two long divides or ridges, they
came upon single wagon, canvas-covered,
in which were two little children. Two
boys-one about seven and the other eleven
years old-were playing near by, and four
oxen were grazing 10y spring.
In reply to Monts surprised question as
/ to how they came off the trail and why they
were here alone, they said that their father
and uncle had come up after butfaloes, and
were out with their guns. Their mother
was over on the bluif-pointing to little
rocky mass which rose like an island in the
middle of the valley. She had gone to hunt
fer sarvice berries" They were left to
mind the cattle aud the children.
Pretty careless business, should say, -
murmured Mont. Wei, youngsters" he
added, " keep by the wagon if your cattle
stray off, they may get carried away 10y the
buffaloes. Mind thatr
They went ON down the valley, looking
behind them at the helpless little family
alone in the wilderness.
Z" 4 man ought to be licked for leaving his
young ones in such lonely place. said Mont.
Suddenly, over the southern wall of the
valley like thunder cloud, rose a vast and
I 6 al, I'l,.. 90
only running, they were rushing like a
mighty flood.
4" A stampede stampede !" cried Mont
and, flying back to the unconscious group OF
children, followed by Arthur, he said Run
for your lives, youngsters Make for the
bluff"
Selling one of the little ones, and bidding
Arthur take the other, he started the boys
ahead for the island-bluff, which was some
way down the valley. There was not a mo-
ment to lose. Behind them like rising
tide, moved the buffaloes in surges. A con
fused murmur filed the air the ground re.
sounded with the hurried beat of countless
hoofs, and the earth seemed to be disappear
ing in the advancing torrent. Close behind
the flying fugitives the angry, panic-stricken
herd tumbled and tossed. Its labored breath
ing sighed like breeze, and the warmth Of
its pulsations seemed to stihe the air.
"To the left to the left I" screamed Ar
thur, seeing the bewildered boys, who fled
like deer, making directly for the steepest
part of the bluff Thus warned, the lad,
bounded up the little island, grasping the
underbrush as they climbed Hard behind
them came Arty, pale, his features drawn
and rigid, and bearing in his arms little
girl. Mont brought up the rear with a stout
boy on his shoulder and breathless with ex
citement and the laborious run.
Up the steep side they scrambled, falling
and recovering themselves, but up at last
Secure on the bare rock, they saw heaying
tide of wild creatures pour unanimously
over the edge and fill the valley. 1t leaped
from ledge to ledge, tumbled and broke, raj
lied again and swept on, black and silent
save for the rumbling thunder of many
hoofs, and the painting breath of the innu
merable multitude. On it rolled over every
obstacle The wagon disappeared in
twinkling its white cover going down in the
black tide, like sinking ship at sea. Pas
the island-like bluff, where a little grouJ
stood spell-bound the herd swept, the rush
ing tide separating at the rocky point
against which it beat, and parted to the righ
and left. Looking down, they saw tn,
]
was gone, and the green turf was brown
where it had been. The spring was choked
and the wagon was trampled in fiat ruin.
Fascinated by the sight, Mont and Arthur
never took their eyes from it until it wa.
over. Then, returning TO their young charges
they saw tall, gaunt woman, with horror
stricken face, gathering the whole group il
her arms. 1t was the mother.
81 don't know who you be, young men
but thank you from the bottom of my
heart-and, oh thank God, tool" Anc
she burst out crying.
Arthur, at a loss what else to say, re
marked: Your wagon is all smashed"
4" / don't care-don't care" said the wo
man, Historically rocking herself to and fro
where she sat with her children clasped tC
her bosom. Sos the young ones are safe
the rest may go to wrack."
As she spoke, couple Of horsemen, carry
ing rifles, came madly galloping down the
valley, far in the wake OF the flying herd
They paused, thunderstruck, at the frag
ments of their wagon tramped in the tori
soil. Then, seeing the group on the rock
they fastened on, dismounted and climbed
the little eminence.
Great powers above, Jemimy, we have
stampeded the buifaloes I" said the elder Of
the pair of hunters.
Arty expected to hear her say that sh,
,, was thankful, so long as they were all alive
Yes, and a nice mess you've made O
IT," This was all her comment.
"Whar is the cattle, Zeph :" asked TIN
father Of the flock.
Gone with the buffaloes, reckon, dad
, was the response of his son Zephaniah.
The man looked up and down the vale
,, with bewildered air, His wagon had beer
mashed and crushed into the ground. Iii
cattle were swept out into space by the re
sistless flood, and were nowhere in sight