The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1883-12-13
a BRAVE COWBOY.

The cowboy ." Of our Western plains have
certainly gained for themselves no enviable
reputation. Indeed, there are many both East
and West who have been led to believe that oil
to whom the term 10 applied are rufians and
desperadoes-s lawless and dangerous class Of
men. Yet many who wear the cowboy jackets
have hearts that are brave and true, and it is
one Of these last who is the subject Of my
present story. 80.
He WAS born in Montana, and had never been
east of the Missouri river, nor west of the
Rocky mountains. found In him pleasan t,
quiet young man Of twenty, and lie eulivened .
dreary day on the stage with many Interesting
anecdotes and facts relative to cattle raising on
the plains. There Was nothing Of swagger or
egotism in his conversation, but rather the
manly modesty Of gentleman.
tures?" l said.
enough danger in them to be called adventures,
reckon; though there's good deal Of same
ness about q cattle-herder's life, Ipromise You.
Aud it's this constant, wearing sameness-one
dLy just like another-that sends so many o.
the boys of on q spree at the end Of the quar-
ter, or the season
II really don't know" he continued, "as
I've ever had an adventure that would interest
you, in my FIVE years Of cattle punching At
yarns, Pve no doubt; ono almost just like an
other. A lot Of whooping and hard riding,
some fancy shooting, and perhaps two or three
scalps lost One soon gets tired of them. But
I don't mind telling you one Of my adventures.
such as it was.
"A year ago last fall, Jim Caldwell and L
Jim was my mate then-were working for old
Sam Vesy, q big cattle king up our way; and
there were with US at the ranch three other
fellows, good, square, up-and-down boys
every one of them-:if they were cowboys.
''1 his ranch was way up on Rose creek,
there were SO many Of US together; and our
business was to keep about 6, 900 head Of cat
tie rounded in between the mouth Of the
creek end Seven Mems Buttes, away up nigh
the head Of 1t.
s'Twas terrible rough country, that up
round Seven Mems Buttes; but the bill grass
there makes the best of feed in summer and
fall And in order TO keep as many Of the
steers feeding up there as we could handily,
we built our shack pretty we'll up in the val
ley; not far, in fact, from the buttes.
"There was another reason, though. for
rounding close to the head Of tho stream
There were two gaps that led back into the
mountains, one each side of the buttes. through
which the steers might stray, or out of which a
party of Crows might make raid and drive of
q bunch if we didn't watch closely
eve never feared any danger for ourselves,
though: for of late years the Crows have done
nothing worse than run off stock, on the sly,
into the mountains; and they won't do that if
there is any risk about the business
"But there was little realdanger, though we
never thought much about It, and that was
from the wild Sioux. A party OF their young
bucks used to come up that way every summer
from the South, on raid after horses, and
sometimes they made serious business for the
boys along the creeks; though they generally
kept pretty we'll off among the mountains, and
picked up 'strays.' or loose lunches of horses
and cattle that had got good distance OF
the range.
ssWe never gave these fellows much thought,
and the summer passed; till ono night in the
last part Of August, when Jim and ran into
party Of young bucks, fresh up from the Oga-
fallah camps, and spelling for a fracas.
'"The beggars were running good-sized
bunch Of fat steers right into Vesy's gap-as
we had named the deep cut past the Buttes-
and in broad daylight. too! For it wasn't ten
minutes after shutdown when we saw them, as
we came riding out of the hills, mile lower
down the creek.
"'Crows. Ed! yelled Jim over his shoulder
to me; for he was little ahead and saw them
first 'Moren forty OF 'em! Runnin' off big
bunch of steers. Look at the yaller varmints!
Bold, amt they?'
tnOugnt, toO, tuat tney WeEe OrOWs A
fancy lot Of chaps they were, assure you'll
Even at that distance we' could see that they
were all logged out in big-fgured calico. with
red and yellow streamers futtering all over
them And weren't they hustling those steers |
Not bit Of noise about it, though; not word
spoken! But they were bobbing about as lively
as whole nestful of yaller wasps, fourishing
their arms and quirts and just soaring the very
wits out of those poor cattle.
"fJim, says T. shall we 60 for 'em, or do
you expect there are too many Of 'em for us to
hitch TOP
hard at them. IF they are Crows, they'll scat
ter at tho frat shot and leave US the cattle. If
they're Sioux, We'll leave them the cattle, and
a pair of scalps into the bargain. But let's
take the chance. Ed Here goesp And just
as the whole porty, cattle and all, went out Of
flying up the valley after them.
IT ont think that they saw ne at all till we
had followed them nearly three miles, and
rounded the second point. We we're then about
half mile from them, and it was getting just
q little dark.
"Touch 'em up, now!" Jim exclaimed; and
unslinging our 'Winchesters.' we began to fire
at them. We thoug ht that if they were Crows
they would run at once into the hills. But
they didn't They kept steady after the steers;
never go much as noticed us by shot back.
The canyon was getting deeper, and it was
growing darker every minute
s.Determined not to let them get away without
an effort to get some Of the cattle, wo now fred
in dead earnest Just here bend in the RI.
vine took them round out Of our sight for Q
moment
"'shall we go around thar after 'em2' ex-
claimed Jim.
"sThey may attack u.s. replied But I'll
follow your lead, JIM
slim never drew rein, and kept near him;
but still hoping they were Crows, We resolved
to make one more dash at them and see it we
could not save the steers, for this bunch was
about the finest aud latest on our range. So
on we went at full drive
well. sir, they came at US. more'n dozen
of 'em, the minute we rounded that bend We
had no sooner passed the high rocks there,
when more than dozen sprang out behind us.
80 a. to cut of our retreat And such yell
They had been still as ferrets, but now thew
just let out, and it almost lifted our hair
right up.
swell, it would be = pretty hard matter for
me to describe what followed; haven't got
the language to do it. They didn't fire shot
at first; but each redskin, as he spurred out
from the black shadow of the overhanging
rocks, gave q screecEin' yell; and they all
pressed their horses tight onto the rear of
ours.
"They thought they were sure of us; and
we saw in q moment what their game was.
They meant to capture us, ponies and all, and
then have au interesting time 'roastin' US,
L. Id