The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1878-08-15

corral for quarter of mile on every
side the cattle were crowded together,
all pressing in to get to the water. In
side the fence all was hurry and noise
strange, wild scene to one unused to
it. The fire fared and flashed under
the cloud of dark smoke, while the quick,
gurgling stroke of the pump mingled
with the shouts of the guachos on the
corral, trying to drive away the cattle
that had drank to make room for those
behind; for even after drinking the
poor creatures would not leave the
trough. The guachos thrust their steel
pointed lances without mercy, and
blood followed every thrust. 1t SEEM
ed cruel, but it would have been still
more cruel to let them linger, with 9TH
ers choking behind.
The quantity of water that one of
those bullocks would drink, if allowed
to take all he wanted, was amazing! Ten
buckets would hardly have satisfied one.
They drank with frenzied haste. Above
all the tumult inside the corral rose the
loud sucking noise of their eager mouths
in the trough, and the constant, inton-
ed, plaintive looing. More terrible still
was the deep earthquake rumble of the
myriads of restless hoofs, which fairly
shook the plain. And the clatter of the
thronging horns, with now and then a
deep distressful below, as some poor
weakened brute was borne down and
trodden under foot, added to the wild
confusion. On every side were thou
sands of eager, staring eyes.
MOrnirn sho M hof
the thirsty throng; and from all quarters
of the plain, near and far, fresh droves
could be seen pouring in. Some came
slowly, in long lines that faded out of
view in the distance, while others rush
ed forward in wild stampede, all
drawn by the far-borne scent of water.
"That day animals from other estates
began to appear among ours. Bullocks
of all brands came crowding up. 1t
was impossible to drive them off, and
no effort was made. We could tell by
the branded marks that some of these
strangers had come $50 miles.
"The next day at noon my father es-
timated that there were 10000 head of
cattle in sight upon the plain around us.
"Now, as owing to the great depth
of the wells the engines would not raise
more than so or 60 gallons of water per
minute, it will be seen we could scarce
ly pump gallon apiece for this great
herd in the whole "a hours. OF course
those who got to the trough would
drink 10 and Is gallons each before
they could be goaded away.
"And it grew worse instead of better.
On the second day we could not get
away from the stockade. There was
no way of getting out but by running
over the backs of the crowded herd.
The guachos alone dared to attempt
such feat, for to fall under the cattle
would have been certain death. And it
was almost as perilous to remain inside !;
for at times tho press to the trough was
so strong that the stockade, though made
of heavy timber and securely braced,
would crack and give way.
"The burning sun, too, made it still
worse. Only the gudchos could endure
to fire the engine and guard the stock
ade; and even these Injured fellows were
sometimes ready to drop, and were only
saved from sunstroke by constantly
ducking their heads in the water-spout.
"And as these fearful honrs and
days dragged by, there was ever that
low, distressed looing going up, like
one great long suffering prayer, to the
flaming sky for respite from its cruel
heat.
CAT noon of the Goth day of Februa-
ry there came sudden signs of a change
OF weather. Towards evening terrific
tornado of wind and hail, followed by
rain, with thunder and lightning, swept
across the plains from the south.
"When the rain struck the strug-
Cling herd it grew quiet in moment.
Every animal stood with its neck craned
out, seeming to absorb the shower like a
parched-up plant.
For two or three hours the storm
dashed and drenched them. We could
not discern movement anywhere in the
herd. The engine stopped, the water
ceased to gush through the spout, yet
there stood the cattle as if turned to
stone till the rain had ceased to fall.
Then, for the first time in three weeks
it fell back from the troughs and dis
persed over the plain.
But the falling back of the herd re-
vealed CHASTITY sight-a pavement of
bones, horns and matted hair. My fa-
Their estimated that not less than TO-
600 cattle had persisted around that fatal
Enclosure.
"The scene at the other wells were
said to have been much the same; vet,
despite the loss, the drouth left us with
more stock than we had had before, for
the cattle that had fiocked to us in their
time of need remained in our herds, and
not one-half were ever reclaimed BY
their owners. "-Youth's Companion.