The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1881-02-24

y
" Ay, so safe tha5 ii shall lot be found
Now, then: -" Hush. love you, mamma
dear!''
90 Oh, you rogue. III shake you now-T wiIl!'
s. Shake away-but / shall love you stin.''
-ida fGy in NttgseYg.
WILL CEOCKER AND TIE BUF-
FALOES.
- True Story
WILL CROCKER, whose adventure
among drove of ofbuffaloes L am about to
relate. was young herdsman OF the Lone
Star State, and was, | regret to say, as
wild and uneducated boy as could be
found in that far from classical region.
But, tho Ugh VIII was uneducated. he
was clever-witted. He was not the kiil
of DO. VINO, as the French say, sswou Il
tie 4 hungry dog to a tree with n stri4c
of squsages;' and If he IS Ignorant 0.
mathematics and geographv, ne was
well informed on all matters relating tc
his fathers calling. He could manage
q horse as well as the best man on the
ranch, and was a fair rife-shot and
good drover.
But VIII had one great defect He
was extremely obstinate, and his father
had not enough force of character to
check the fault. So, at seventeen years
Of age, VIII was of such self-wiled
disposition that to advise him in one di-
rection was almost sure to make him
take the opposite course.
On one occasion this obstinacy
brought VIII into trouble which nearly
proved fatal.
The drovers had got back from San
Antonio, whittier they had driven their
herds, and were going on a grand buf-
falo hunt There were six of them
"Old man Crocker," as Wills father
was called, to distinguish him from his
son, q Erenchman named Henry Le-
clerc, a DHtchman, nicknamed
Dutch" two Mexican Uagueros, and
last, but by no means least, our friend
VIII.
1t is impossible to hunt bufaloes on
horse unused to the business. But the
following morning, as the hunters were
about to start, Win appeared among
them, mounted on a powerful black
/ horse called Bonanza, which reared and
plunged IN manner that would have
unseated a less ptacticed horseman.
! 'Hello!' SAID Croker. What re
| you dom on that horse?"
| IS Going bufa.o-hunting. of course
| replied his son, as the animal he be-
strobe stood up on its hind legs, threat
! ening to fall over backward, and yigor-
ousiY gesticulated with his fore feet
= You can t hunt buflio on that
| horser. said his ia her. $50 back and
get another; and be gu ck. We're go
! ing to start right away"
. Start as soon as Won please" replied
Young O5st;nacy. -sBut I'll be the
| first man past--'
! HIS remarks were cut short by Bo-
nanza suddenly reversing himself and
standing GA MS front feet, causing his
enterprising rider to slide forward upon
his neck. Dutch, seeing this, spoke up.
g You can't go to buffalo up nit dat
horser'
You fellows attend to your own
affairs" remarked VIII. disrespectfullv,
''and pli attend to the hos He's
the fastest beast here, and In just
about smart enough to put him along
side a buffalo, whether he wants to go
or not"
sit makes me noding odds if you 90
hunt on a steam-engine, observed
Dutch.
Remember what we're telling you,"
said Crocker, ''when we strike buffalo
and that crltter runs away"
"The horse doesn't live that can run
away with me- replied VIII, confident
ly, and the little cavalcade cantered off
briskly toward the buffalo-pastures of
the southwest.
1t was beautiful morning, peculiar
to the Texan climate. The rising sun
gilded the fiower-decked plain, ami
rom the tall grasses rose tlocks of gay
feathered birds; while the balmv ar of
early fall blew, fresh and invigorating,
into the faces OF the horsemen. With
spirits raised by that sense OF exhilera-
ton which comes of rapid motion, the
riders shouted and sang, as their pow
ersul horses, with equal animation, bore
them sw ftly onward.
The second afternoon out buffalo
!, herd was discovered feeding far to the
south, resembling a flock of black sheep
!. in the distance.
A halt was at once called and prepa-
ration made for descent upon the
, game in the morning. Ehe horses were
J tethered by 10 g raw-hides. and the
men proceeded to put their guns and
ammunition in order. The next morn
ing dawned fresh and clear. The buda
, loes were still in sight, though farther
away; and, as the wind blew from the
hunters toward the herd, a long detour
, was made, in order to approach them
, from the opposite side.
At length, the hunters dashed among
them and commenced the work OF de-
| struction. Wills horse, the unreliable
Bonanza, behaved well while among his
companions; but no sooner did they
scatter than he became unmanageable,
and his rider heartily wished he had
taken his fathers advice in relation to
the animal, as he found he was going
to be left out of the sport.
There were no breech-loading guns
, in the party, and it would astonish a
, crack sportsman with mis- repeating
| Winchester and ready-loaded Shells in
, a convenient belt-to see horSeman
: charge a muzzle-loader from the saddle.
| The report of the hunters rides
gradually dii1'used uneasinesS among
the buffalo 5, which numbered two
. thousand or more, and they began tC
, move, followed by the relentless horse.
men.
= In their course they again approached
7 the horse of our disappointed friend.
: VIII tired desperately to get close
enough for a shot He succeeded, but
+ a scared bull, with shaggy front and
: furious, twinkling eyes, charged to
e ward Bonanza, and that animal turned
= and fed ignominiously.
: The now terrified buffaloes closed ii
, upon the panic-stricken horse, and soor
L Win was surrounded by the shaggy
t herd. He tugged vainly at the bit; ant
It the loud laughter of his companions
o who remembered his boast on starting
5 out, grew fainter rs he was borne swift
q ly away.
d He was not at all alarmed till ht
e looked back and saw that he was fas
o leaving the men out of sight. TheI
+ flashed upon him the though of how
powerless he was in the midst of TIL,
nnwinldu hn1.l Hn MnS nnnl nj tnl |,