The Benton weekly record. [volume] (Benton, Mont.) 1880-1885, 1882-06-01
4 CHINESE MAZEPPA.
A Chinaman's Wild Ride on a
Texas Steer.


izona. On that day, within about four
miles Of the above named town, there We're
three cowboys. Their iingling spurs,
their long-horned and brightly-mounted
saddles, on which were coiled like long,
1.-the, timber snakes, raWhide riatas, the
predominence Of bright color displayed in
saddle blanket and clothing, the CLEAN Of
highly polished pistol and knife, and the
rude, active health and vivacity Of horses
and riders, made them picture pleasant
to look upon, when such an inspection
could be made with safety. They were
known to their associates as Jake McCray,
Bill Folansbee and Tom Dilworth, but
whether these names were conferred on
them at the baptismal font was matter of
considerable doubt and conjecture. They
had been carousing in town and were en-
their way back to their rendezvous. Sud-
denly Chinaman appeared, laden with
baskets, and with a dog trOt slowly ap-
preached them, and his little pig-like eyes
showed that he had an instructive fear of
| the horsemen. This was an opportunity
for cruel sport which the cowboys could
not let pass, and Jake McCray said to his
companions: ''Boys, let's have China
Mazeppa. I'll lasso the Chinaman, an
yous ketch steer, an We'll tie John on
an run him through the streets Of the
town." To this cool proposition Billy and
Tommy joyfully assented. In a few see
onds McCray's riata was describing circles
III the air, and All Sin, dropping his bur
den, fled for dear life; but after few
bounds the unerring RATA encircled the
limbs Of the M0ngol, and he was jerked
and thrown ten feet III the ar by the
bounding horse Of the cowboy In the
meantime Billy Folansbee and Tom Dill
worth had pursued a huge Texan steer,
and Bill had thrown his riata on the ami
mails horns, while Tom, by deft under
hand throw Of the rawhide, had encoiled
the animals hind legs, and thrown him
prostrate on the ground. There he lay
painting and believing out defiance at his
captors, although in their expert hands he
was rs powerless as al infant. Billy and
his companion shouted to Jake McCray to
bring over the prisoner, and added paren-
thetically: ''Be kerful and don't kill the
darn crtter, as there won't be any sport in
giving dead Chinaman ride" Jake
McCray was careful, but not as consider
ate rs he might have been, for, when he
arrived where the steer was struggling, the
| Chinaman had lost the best part of his
| blouse, and about half the cuticle from one
side Of his body. They fastened the RATA to
the horns, and the trained animals held
the steer fully as we'll as though the riders
were in the saddle. The trembling China
man made piteous appeals to his captors,
and even ished out four 500 pieces from
some recess in his clothing, and offered
them as bribe for liberty. The money
was appropriated, but the longed-for free
dom was denied. They laid the prisoner,
breast down, upon the steer and pulled his
hands well down on the shoulders and tied
them together. Then his legs were pulled
apart and secured firmly on either side Of
the animals lons, and the Chinaman was
tied SO firmly on the back Of the animal
that he looked, as McCray expressed it, as
'sthough he had growed there. The fast
enings were then removed from the steer.
With blood in his eye, and shaking bis
great breadth of horn defantly at his tor
mentors, he charged successfully first at
one horseman, then at another, while All
Sin was yelling alternately "Police!'' and
Murder ~ in broken English and Chinese
at the top of his voice. His captors made
the air fairly ring with devilish merrment.
Finally the 'Efiery, untamed'' steer was
headed for town, and then began race
which beggars description. Over gully
and ditch he went, making stupendous
bounds each time these distractions were
encountered, and each bound being accu-
rately recorded by the nongolian, Tor he
fairly rent the air with his screams, and
the length of the cry was regulated by the
distance covered by the steer in ajump. The
cowboys were more than delighted with
the success Of their scheme. The steer
would endeavor to turn, but his remorse-
less tormentors headed him at every point;
when endeavors to make these turns would
develop abnormal bursts Of speed, long
drawn out walls would issue from the un-
happy Mongol; and when the animal set
tied down to an ordinary run the cry
would sink down low, and thus, like the
music Of an 4Eolian harp, would the means
rise and fall. The wild, frenzied bovine
approached a gully fully eighteen feet
in width, and, with fierce snort and
bound, the steer gathered himself in one
supreme effort and cleared it by scratch.
Jake McCray's horse, following little TO
the right, and at narrow place, also sue
cessfully jumped across the dry chasm.
But Bill Folansbee and Tom DilWorth, fol-
lowing Immediately behind the Chinese
Mazeppa, both came to grief and were
landed. horse and foot, in the bottom Of
the ditch. Tom recovered first and hur-
ried his horse along the bottom for quar-
ter of mile, and finally clambered out;
but Folansbee lay stunned in the bottom
while his companions continued the mad
chase. The steer was turned at midday in
to the main street of the town. All the
dogs i'll the place chased the frenzied AMI.
NAL and barked in chorus; horses broke
. A 5r v u 4 4 8.L