The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1876-01-15
''The Bulls Of the Blessed
Trinity"

the following exciting incident in Bret Harte's
serial story, "Gabriel Conroy."
The absolute freedom of llimitable space,
the exhilaration of the sparkling sunlight,
and the excitement of the opposing wind,
which was strong enough to oblige Arthur to
exert certain degree of physical strength to
overcome it, so wrought upon him, that in
few moments more he had thrown off the
mysterious spell which the Rancho of the
blessed Trinity appeared to have cast over
his spirits, and had placed material distance
between himself and its gloomy towers. The
landscape, which had hitherto seemed mo.
notonous and uninspiring, now became sug-
gestiye; in the low, dome-shaped hills be-
yond, that were huddled together like half
blown earth bubbles raised by the fiery breath
OF some long-dead volcano, he fancied he
saw the origin of the Mission architecture.
In the long sweep of the level plain, he
recognized the calm, uneventful life that had
left its expression in the patient gravity Of
the people. In the fierce, restless wind that
blew over tia wind SO persistent and perpet-
ual that all umbrage, except narrow fringe
of dwarfed willows de filming the line of an
extinct water-course, was hidden in sheltered
canons and the leeward slopes of the hills
he recognized something of his own restless
race, and mol onger wondered at the barren
ness of the life that was turned toward the
invader. 81 dare say" he muttered to him.
self, somewhere in the leeward of these
peoples natures may exist luxurious growth
that we shall never know. wonder if the
Donna has not''-but here he stopped, an
CRY; and, if the truth must be told, little
frightened at the persistency with which Dom
ma Dolores obtruded herself into his abstract
philosophy and sentiment.
Possibly something else caused him for the
Toment to dismiss her from his mind. Dur
ing his rapid walk he had noticed, as an ac-
cidental, and by no means an essential fea-
ture of the bleak landscape, the vast herds
of crawling, purroseless cattle. An entirely
new and distinct impression was now forming
itself in his ENTHUSIASTICALLY, that they
no longer were purposeless, vagrant, and
wandering, but were actually obeying GER
tain, definite law of attraction, and were
moving directly toward an equally definite
object. And that object was himself
Look where he would; before, behind, on
either side,-north, east, south, WESTON
the bleak hill-tops, on the slope of the .fdldd,
across the dried up arroyo, there were the
same converging lines of slowly moving OBJ
jects toward single focus-himseif! AL.
though walking briskly, and with certain
definiteness of purpose, he was apparently
the only unchanging, fixed and limited point
in the now active landscape Everything
that rose above the dead, barren level was
now moving slowly, irresistibly, instinctively,
but unmis takably toward one common center
himself! Alone and unsupported, he was
the helpless, unconscious nucleus of slowly
gathering force, almost irlmeasurabe in its
immensely and power.
At first the idea was amusing and gro
tesque. Then it became picturesque. Then
1T became something for practical considera-
ton. And then-but no!-with the quick
and unerring instincts of powerful will, he
choked down the next consideration before
1t had Time TO tasten upon or paralyZe his
strength. He stopped and turned. The
Rancho of the Blessed Trinity was gone!
Had it suddenly sunk in the earth, or had
he diyerged from his path? Neither; he
had simply walked over the little elevation
in the plain beside the arroyo and corral,
and had already LETT the Rancho two miles
behind him.
1t was not the only surprise that came
upon him suddenly like blow between the
eyes. The same mysterious attraction had
been operating in his rear, and when he
turned to retrace his steps toward the Mis-
sion, he faced the staring eyes of a hundred
bulls not fifty yards away. AS he faced them
the nearest turned, the next rank followed
their example. the next the same, and the
next, until in the distance be could see the
movement repeated with military precision
ana sequence With a sense of relief, that
he put aside as quickly as he had the sense
of fear, he quickened his pace, until the near
est bull ahead broke into gentle trot, which
was communicated line by line 10 the cattle
beyond, until the whole herd before him I'M
dulated like vast monotonous sea. He con-
tinued on across the arroyo and past the
corral until the binding and penetrating
cloud of dust, raised by the plungng hoofs OF
the moving mass before him, caused him to
OF d11ll raunrhorafion of the pIqin-q
sound that at first might have been attributed
to a passing earthquake-uow became so
distinct that he turned. Not twenty yards
behind him rose the advance wall of another
vast, tumultuous sea of tossing horns and
undulating backs that had been slowly fol-
lowing his retreat! He had forgotten that he
was surrounded.
The nearest were now so close upon him
that he could observe them separately. They
were neither large, powerful, vindictive, nor
ferocious. On the contrary, they were thin,
wasted, haggard, anxious beasts-eccnom-
icallv equipped and gotten up, the better to
wrestle with six months drought, occa-
sonal famine, and the incessant buffeting of
the wind-wild and untameable, but their
staring eyes and nervous limbs expressed
only wonder and curiosity. And when he
ran toward them with shout, they turned
as had the others, file by file, and rank by
Tduks anu III q mUmcub were, Inc Iuc OtuC1o,
in full retreat. Rather, let me say, retreated
as the others had retreated, for when he
faced about again to retrace his step toward
the Mission, he fronted the bossy bucklers
and inextricable horns of those he had driven
only few moments before him. They had
availed themselves of his diversion with the
rear guard to return.
With the rapidity of quick intellect and
swift perceptions, Arthur saw at once the
resistless logic and utter hopelessness of his
situation. The inevitable elimination of al
brief period. Would it be sufficient to enable
him to reach the casa? No! Could he re
gain the corral? Perhaps. Between it ant
himself already were thousand cattle
Would they continue to retreat as he ad
vanced? Possibly. But would he be over
taken meanwhile by those in his rear?
He answered the question himself by draw
ing from his waistcoat pocket his only
weapon, small "Derringer," and taking
aim at the foremost bull. The shot tool
effect in the animals shoulder, and he fel
upon his knees. As Arthur had expected
his nearer comrades stopped and shifted al
their helpless companion. But, as Arthu
had not expected, the eager crowd pressin!
behind overbore them and their wounded
brother, and in another instant the unfortu
nate animal was PROSTATE and his life beaten
out by the trampllDg nOOIS OF Lne reSlStlesS
blind, and eager crowd that followed. Will
a terrible intuition that it was foreshadow
ing of his own fate. Arthur turned in th,
direction of the coral, and ran for his yer!
life!
As he ran he was conscious that the &C
precipitated the inevitable catastrophe blu
he could think of nothing better. AS b,
ran, he felt, from the shaking of the eartl
beneath his feet. that the act had once NOR
put the whole herd in equally active motion
behind him. As he ran, he noticed that tn
cattle before him retreated with something
of his own p, ecipitation. But as he ran, b
thought of nothing but the awful fate tina
was following him, and the thought spurre
him to an almost frantic effort l have trie,
to make the reader understand that Arthu
was quite inaccessible to any of those weak
nesses which mankind regard as physica
cowardice. In the defense of what be be
lieved to be an intellectual truth, in the in
terests of his pride or his self-love, or In
moment of passion, he would have face
death with unbroken fortitude and calmness
But 10 be the victim Of an accident; to u
the lamentabe sequel of logical succession
of chances, without motive or purpose; t
be sacrificed for nothiDg-without proving