The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1876-03-10
A BUFFALO STAMPEDE.

! A BUFFALO STAMPEDE.
Passing out between the hills, the
young fellows found themselves on 6
nearly level plain. Here, toe, was q
dense throng of buffaloes, stretching of
to the undulating horizon. As the two
lexplorers walked on, wide lane seemed
4 to open in the mighty herds before them.
Insensibly, and without any hurry, the
icreatuIes drifted away to the right and
left, browsing or staring, but continually
| moving. Looking back, they saw that
the buffaloes had closed up their ranks
on the trail which they had just pursued
while before, and on either hand, was a
wall of animals.
"We are surrounded" almost whis-
pered 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 buffaloes, instead of water, to close
behind and open before and be wall on
each side. See !"
And, as they kept on, the mass before
them melted away in some mysterious
fashion, always at the same distance from
them.
"See! We move in a vacant space
that travels with us wherever we go,
Arty."
"Yes," the lad. at seems just as if
were 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. l 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.
Ascending this, they were out of the
bufaloes for the time, but beyond them
were thousands more. Turning south
ward, they struck across the country for
the wagon-track, quite well satisfied with
their explorations.
Between two long divides, or ridges,
they came upon a single wagon, canvas
covered, in which were two little Gill
dren. Two boys-one about seven and
the other eleven years Old-were playing
near by, and four oxen were grazing by
spring.
In reply to Mont's 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
UIHdIOSS,
Their mother was over on the bluff
pointing to a little rocky mass which
rose like an island in the middle of the
valley. She had gone to hunt for "sar-
vice-berries" They were left to mind
the cattle and the children.
"Pretty careless business, L should
say" murmured Mont. Well, young
sters," he added, ''keep by the wagon I;
if your cattle stray off, they may get car
ried away by the bufaloes. Mind
thatp
they went ON down the valley, look
ing behind them at the helpless little
family alone in the wilderness.
"a man ought to be licked for leaving
his young ones here in such a lonely
place." said Mont.
Suddenly, over the southern wall of
the valley, like a thttuder-cloud, rose a
vast and fleeing herd ofbufalOes. They
were not only running, they were rush
ing like a mighty flood.
ga stampede! a stampedew cried
Mont; and, flying back to the uncon-
scious group of children, followed by Ar
thur, he said; Run for your lives,
youngstersl Make for the bluff!'
Setting one of the little ones and bid
ding Arthur take the otiier, he started the
bows ahead for the island-bluff, which
was some way down the valley. There
was not a moment to lose. Behind them,
like rising tide, flowed the buffalOes in
surges. A confused murmur filled the
air; the groufid res6tnded with the hur-
ried beat of countless hoofs, and the
earth seemed to be disappearing in the
advancing torrent. Close behind the fly
ing fugitives the angry, panic-stricken
herd tumbled and tossed. Its labored
breathing sighed like breeze, and the
warmth of its pulsations seemed to stltie
the air.
"To the leftl to the left!' screamed
Arthur, seeing the bewildeted boys, who
fed like deer, making directly for the
steepest part of the bluff Thus warned,
the lads bounded up the little island,
graspitig the underbrush as they climbed.
Hard behind them came Arty, pale, his
features drawn and rigid, and bearing
in his arms a little girl. Mont brought
up the rear with stout boy on his
shoulder, and breathless with excitement
and the laborieus run.
Up the steep side they scrambled, fall
ing and recovering themselves, but up
at last. Secure on bare rock, they saw
| heaving tide of wild creatures pour
|
valley. 1t leaped from ledge to ledge,
tumb1ed and broke, rallied again and
swept on, black and silent save for the
rumb1ing thunder of many hOofs and the
| painting breath of the innumerable null
| titude. On it rolled over every obstacle.
The wagon disappeared in twinkling,
| it's white cover going down in the black
| tide like a sinking ship at sea. Past the
| island-like bluff, where a little group
stood speIl-bound, the herd swept, the
rushing tide separating at the rocky
| point, against which it beat and parted
| to the right and left. Looking down,
they saw the stream flow by, on and up
| the valley. 1t 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 1t
| until it was over. Then returning to
their young charges, they saw tall,
oaunt woman, with a horrOr-stricken
face, gathering the whole group in her
arms. 1t was the mother.
al don't know who you be, young
men, but thank you from the bottom
of nv heart" she said. Yes, l thank
YOU from the bottom of my heart-and
oh ! thank God, toOW And she burst
into tears.
Arthur, at loss what else to say, re
marked: "Your wagon is all smashed .
al don't eare-don't care" said the
woman, historically rocking herself tc
and fro where she sat with her children
clasped to her bosom. "So's thesyounl
ones are safe, the rest may ..go tc
wrack.'
As she spoke, a couple of horsemen
carrying rifles, came madly gallopins
down the valley, far in the wake of the
flying herd. They paused, thunder
struck, at the fragments of their wagor
trampled in the torn soil. Then, seeing
the group on the rock, they fastened on
dismounted, and climbed the little emil
nence
"Great powers above, Jemimy! We
stampeded the buffaloes p said the elder
OF the pair of hunters.
Arty expected to hear her say that she
was thankful so long as they we're al
alive.
"Yes, and a nice mess you've made o
4 rFrts L