The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1883-12-14
A BRAVE COWBOY.

AHAS So"uoSo VI OuA Noaleku udFe
certainly gained for themselves no envisblo
reputation. Indeed. there are many both East
and West who have been led to believe that all
to whom the term is applied are ruftians and
desperadoes-a lawless and dangerous class of
men. Yet many who wear the cowboys jackets
have hearts that are brave and true. and it is
one of these last who is the subject of my
present story.
He was born in Montana, and had never been
east of the Missouri river, nor west of tho
Rocky mountains. ! found in him a pleasant,
quiet young man of twenty, and lie enlivened q
dreary day on the stage with many interesting
anecdotes Md facts relative to cattle raising on
the plains. There VAS nothing of swagger or
egotism in his conversation, but rather the
manly modesty of o gentleman.
81 suppose you met with plenty of adven-
tures?" l said
swell. yes. things often happen which have
enough danger in them to be called adventures,
reckon though there's good deal of same
ness about a cattle-hcrder's llfe promise you.
And it's this constant, wearing sGmeness-one
day just like another-that sends 30 many OF
the boys off on q spree at tue end of the quar-
ter, or the season.
II really don't know" he continued sas
I've ever had an adventure that would interest
you, in my five years of cattle punching as
yarns, I've no doubt; one almost Just like an
other. lot OF whooping and hard riding,
some fancy shooting, an perhaps two or three
scalps lost One soon ge,s tired of them. But
l 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 mats tlen-were working for old
Sam Vcsy, big cattle king up our way; and
there were with at the ranch three other
fellows, good, square, up-and-down BOYS
nm r. fhun-if vIypr hAy
~ his ranch was way up on Rose creek
close TO the Crow country; that's the reason
there were go 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 md Seven Mems Buttes, away up nigh
tho head Cf it.
'Twas terrible rough country, that up
round Seven Mons Bnttes; but the hill grass
there makes tho best of feed in summer and
fall. And In order 10 keep as many of the
steers feeding up there We could handily,
We built our shack pretty we'll uD in the val
ley: not far, in fact, from The buttes.
There was another reason, though, for
rounding close to the head of the 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 aud drive off
bunch if we didn't watch closely.
we 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 a lit c realdanger though we
never Thought much about IT. and that was
from the wild Sioux party of their young
bucks used to come up that wav every summer
from the South, ON a raid after horses. and
sometimes they made serious business for the
boys along the creeks; though they generally
Kept pretty well off among the mountains, and
picked up 'strays.' or loose 'bunches of horses
and cattle that had got good distance otf
the range
''We never gave these fellows much thought
and the summer passed; till ono night i'll the
last part of August, when Jim and l ran into q
party OF young bucks, fresh up from the Oga-
lallah camps, anu spuiling for fracas.
Tho beSgars were running a good sized
bunch Of fat steers right into Nesy's gap--as
we had named the deep cut past the Buttes-
and IN broad daylight, too! For it wasn't ten
minutes after sundown when We saw them, as
we came riding out of the hills u mile lower
down the creek.
"'Crows. Eir yelled Jim over his shoulder
to mo: for he was a little ahead and saw them
first 'Morc'n forty of en-. Runuin' off big
bunch of steers Look al the yaller varmints /
Bold. amt theyT
81 thought, too that they were Crows A
fancy lot of chaps they were, l assure you 1!
Even at that dis ance we could see that they
we're all logged out in big figured Calico with
red and yellow sreamers tlutering all over
them And weren't they hustliug those steers |.
Not 4 bit of noise about it, though; not a word
spoken! But they were bobbiny about as lively
as whole uestful of yaller wusps, fourishing
their arms and quirts, and just soaring the very
wits out of those poor cattle.
Z" Jim, says l, shall go for en- or do
YOU expect there are too many of 'em for US to
hitch TOP
''rhey may be Sioux said Jim, looking
hard at them IF they are Crows, they'll scat
ter at tho first shot and leave US the cattle. If
they're Sioux, we'll lea'e them the CATTLE and
a pair of soaps into the bargain. But let's
take the chance Ed. Here goes!' Aud Just
as the whole poriy, cattle and all, went out of
sgnt behind spur of the buttes, we went
flying up the valley after them
81 ont think that they saw us at all till we
had followed tlem nearly three miles, and
rounded the second poiut. We were then about
half mile from them, and it was getting Just
a little dark
'Touch em up, now!" Jim exclaimed; aud
unsliuging our 'Wiuchesters.' we began to fire
at them. We thought that if they were Crows
they would run at once iuto the hills But
they didn't They kept steady alter the steers
never so much as noticed us by shot back.
The canyon was getting DEEPER, and it was
growing darker every mlnu'e
Determined not to lei them get away without
an effort to get some of the cattle, VIC now fred
in dead earnest Just here bend in the ra-
vine took them round out Of our sight for o
moment
"'Shall we go around thar after 'em?' ex-
claimed Jim.
"'They may attack u.s. replied. But I'll
follow your lead, jim
''Jim never drew rein, and kept near him
but etili hoping they were Crows, we resolved
to make one more dash at them and see il We
could not save tho steers, for this bunch was
about the finest and fattest on our range So
on went at full drive.
"Well, sir. thoy came at us, more'n dozen
of 'em. the minute We rounded that bend. We
had no sooner passed tho high rocks there,
when more than d zen sprans out behind US:
as to cut of our retreat And such yell
They had been still ferreis, but now thev
just let out and i. almost lifted our hair
right up.
me to describe what followed; l haven't got
the language to do il. They didn't fire sho
at first; but each rsdskin, az he spurred ou
from the black shadow Of the overhangine
rocks, gave screcchin' yell; and they al
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, snG
then have an interesting time 'roastin' us
triced up to pine stump-the same they hac
served poor fellow named Norcross, two sea
sons before in those same hills. You sec, We
had no more doubts now about their being
Sioux.
swell, as we couldn't turn back, we Jus
drew our six shooters and urged our ponies tc
run slx-shooter's sight handler ssan
Winchester in o close fight; and it wal
scarcely Q seconds work TO snove our carbinet
down into eur le-hclsters. We supposet
that there were more of the redskins alta Of
US; and so it proved, for in less than mlnu. 4
we ran into another squad.
sit was getting rather dark in the canyon by
this time; and l reckon We ov rtonk then
sooner than they expected, for they were still
scattered out aud punchin' the steers along
Perhaps they thought though, that We woult
not try to ride through all tuat crowd of cattl,
up the gorge atead.
ave went in among them like pair of sky
rockets and lust turned loose on 'vin with ou
,,;..i.t .,,d i..ft in tb.