Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1883-09-07


over heavy trousers, brogan boots, and
selfacting revolver, he rode on his way
through life to the grave, gathering
the flowers while he could as gay,
careless, and light-hearted cuss Us
ever found "sin a pleasure Aud II
was universally admitted, proudly by
his friends, angrily by his foes, that he
could, alone, aided only by his expert
cuce, his rope, aud his branding irons,
increas" herd faster than nature could
possibly do.
The others, myself excepted, were
fair counterparts of our leader. But
l--well, | had hardly ever seen horse
outside of pictures and street cars, and
was, as | soon learned profoundly IL
norant of the dangerous eccentricitirs
of the Texan mustang. The ponies to
be used, shaggy and swift and strong
of limb;'' were driven up from the
pasture and "the bpysn made their
selections. Caddo Henry chose mine
for me. May lie die of the epizootic!
pprebending no danger, ! sprang
gaily into the saddle, clutchcd the
reins, and with very successful ini-
tation of the cowboys whoop, drove
my spurs into Bod Riddledy's side
and the heavens disappeared, the earth
sank to viewless depths. and my wick
ed magician of a pony, with II weird,
uuearthly, snort, vanished from my
sight and touch. Then, obedient to
the law of gravitation, | descended
from the giddy height to which | had
been elevated, with accelerated veloci-
~ directly the reverse of my most ar
dent wishes, Fortunately, fell on
my head, and thus escaped serious
injury. Another, and geutler one,
WIS caught and no further mishaps be-
f. me. We started from the ranch at
u late hour, and, after Il short ride of
eight or ten miles, camped for the
night. Our supper was biscuits, fried
fat bacon, aud dreggy coffee without
sugar or milk, was eaten With gu>to.
Saddles were converted into pillows,
horsc-blankets into beds, and we soon
slept the sleep of the fatigued. Next
nlorning, grumblingly protesting,
had to rise before the lark. All was
activity and painful industry. The
! winter had just closed, and wild-eyed,
thin bodleu. and long-horned, the coz
! of Texas roamed over the boundless
| plains in search of pastures green and
sUcculent. Gaunt and sinewy, fierce
of aspect, and spirit, too, here to-day,
and miles of tomorrow, occasionally
| at least, often at n famine, of remark
able endurance, and wonderful speed,
her life an endless warfare against the
| iuhospitable elements and yoracious
| Sir Andrew Aquecheeks, she led the
existence ola divine outlaw-the moss
! trooper of her genus. Half maddened
by the hunger that had known no sur
cease during the long winter months,
yet with vitality apparently unimpair-
! ed, and with spirits certainly undis-
mayed, she scurried across the open
plains, the lean lank spectre of the fat
and risky cow that she had been in
the days when green things grew
abundantly. She acknowledged no
man as master, save one-the Centaur
like cowboy. TO all others she pre-
scented Il bold front and lowered horns;
| but when, with the advent of spring.
his whoop was again heard in the land
she put her nimble legs in rapid mo-
ZION, and sought solitude and safety in
ignominous flight. And the wild and
herdless flight of n cow both
mad and scared, and the
laundering chase of screaming
Texan in hot pursuit, are of thrilling
interest even to the tenderfoot, VIII,
follows the unwonted sight with di
lated eyes, and with the intense ex
element that is always occasioned 10y
whatever promises to result in u broker
limb or dislocated neck for some on,
else. Incalculably increased, too, /,
that tenderfoots interest IN the seen,
before him, when, with u spring for
ward too sudden to enable him to rol
of to the ground without great hazard
the mustang he is bestriding joins IL
the chase, AS mine did Helpless
holding firmly to saddle and name
and crying vainly for assistance, | wa!
swept across the prairie with tn.
speed of the winds. "Over the hill.
and far away we rushed. Obstruc
tons were encountered only to be con
quered. Over or under, through OF
around them, she scampered, and righ
at her heels, turning when she turned
ran my COMPOUNDED crazy broncho
Over fallen trees and yawning ravine'
we leaped. We spashed through
brooks, crashed through chaparra
thickets and breasted and broke oul
way through fields of prickly pears
On, onward, faster and faster we sped
My voice sank to whisper, my mouth
was lost, my strength exhausted, ant
my brain dizzy. Knowing catas
trophe must soon occur, l began t,
pray. But ere my ejaculatory praye
could ascend many yards, the COW
worn out and enraged. wheeled lil'
lightning and charged on us furiously
My pony. accustomed to simi
lar maneuvers easily evaded he
blind dash by an instantaneou
reversal of his ends; but 1, unused t.
such tactics, kept right on, barely es
capped her lifted horns, struck on he
back, and Caromcd Off into IA hog-wal
low holding little water but much mud
With Il feeling of relief that | wa
, again on my feet and terra firma,
, rose-but horror of horrors! there, no
twenty feet from me, stood that IN
;, tbroprophagous COW, with tail sttfrne
,, aud elevated, and head bent low, pre-
pairing To attack, destroy and devou
, me. With deep, hoarse roar sh
|, came. Face downward | fell into tn
! mire. Her hot breath stitled me, he
sharp horn tore my shoulder, he
heavy feet trampled me, her hug
, body ecipsed the sun. She passed
Caddo Henry aud others interpose
between us, dragged me from the pud
die, and, after some time, restored III
To consciousness. Two days came am
went before | could again take an nc
tive part in the roundup, ana the
only as herder OF the cattle gathere'
aud punched by the others.
Our sixth night out was truly fright
7 full. The moon and the stars had eX