The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1883-10-06

q rush begins. The one wolf is magni
fed into hundred, the hundred into q
thousand. Sharp, short bellows
of . larm-and in fifty seconds after the
wolf has wet his fangs with blood, that
fying mass is in motion to get away
from an unknown terror.
The waves rise higher and higher as
the confusion spreads. One instant it
seems as If 10000 solid acres of prairie
were moving bodily away; again waves
rise and fall as the towards behind rush
upon those in front, who want to sniff
the air and learn the danger. In one
minute the alarm runs down the herd
to the leaders, and further than the eye
can see the entire herd is going off at
mad gallop, heads down, eyes rolling,
and no thought but that OF escape. Ii
Lake Erie were to dash itself against
wall, the shock would be no greater than
the awful crash with which this mass OF
rattling hoofs, sharp horns and hairy
bodies would meet it. The clatter of
hoofs and rattle of horns would drown
the noise of brigade of cavalry gallop-
ing over stone paved road.
Ride out on their trail. Here where
the stampede began the ground is torn
and furrowed as if thousand cannons
had been firing solid shot at targets.
Here and there are calves which had been
gored or crushed, here and there Older
animals with broken legs and disabling
wounds. Here, where the herd was
fairly off, you might as we'll hunt for
gold dollar as blade of grass. Youlook
for three miles as you look across it. It
is q trail of dirt and dust and ruts and
burrows, where half an hour ago was
| carpet of green grass and smiling flowers.
The most dreadful cyclone known to man
could not have left more horrible scars
| behind.
Miles away, on the bank of winding
and growing river, are three white
topped emigrant wagons. A campfire
blazes up to boil the kettles. Men,
women and children stand about, peer
| ing over the distant mountains at the
setting sun. and glad that their journey
is almost done. Butterflies come and go
on lazy wing, the crickets chirp cheerily
in the grass, and the eagles sailing in
| the blue evening air have no warning to
| give.
Hark! Is that thunder?
| Men and women turn in their tracks
as they look in vain for a cloud in the
sky. That rumble comes again as they
| look into each others faces. It grows
louder as women turn pale and men
reach for their trusty rifles. The ground
| tremb bles, and afar off comes din which
strikes terror to the heart. tIndiansp'
they whisper. No! A thousand times
better for them If savage Pawnees dared
ride down where those barreled rifles
could speak in defense of the peaceful
camp.
"a stampede of buffaloesr' gasps one
of the men as he catches sight of the ad-
vance guard under the awful cloud of
dust. Rifles are held ready for shot,
and the children climb up on The heavy
wagon wheels to see the strange pro-
cession gallop past.
Here they come! Crackl crack! crack!
from three rifles, and shout as each
bullet tells. Next instant shaggy head
followed by dust brown body, rushes
through the camp. Then another and
another. The men shout and wave their
arms, the women and children turn pale-
yet.
The roar and din shut out every other
sound, and the wagons jar and tremble
with the conclusion. Now another shag
gy head another! half dozen! score!
hundredl great living wave which
sweeps along with the power of a tor.
nado, followed by others more fierce and
strong, and the camp is blotted off the
face of the earth more completely than
by any power of heaven. Nothing to be
seen, no shout to be heard. Wave fol
lowed wave across the spot, over the
bank, into the stream and across, and
when the last OF the herd has passed tine
keenest hunter can find nothing on that
spot of wood or iron, of cloth, or bone
or flesh, to prove that dozen men, wo-
men and children were there wiped out
of existence and reduced to shre1s and
dust.