Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1885-1890, 1885-07-09
RACING ON A PLANK.

RACINU ON A FLANK
Two Cowboys at Medora Ride Their
Horses at Full Speed Across the
Little Missouri Railroad Bridge
One Hundred Feet Above
the Water. 4 Daring
and Thrilling Feat.
A gentleman who came in on the
Northern Pacific road yesterday, adds
another to the list Of startling Cow
boy stories of the wild west" that is
entitled to rank with any of the novel
performances Of these daredevil fel-
lows of which the world has heard
heretofore. When the train stopped
| at Medora, the headquarters of the
Marquis de Mores and Theodore
Roosevelt, some ten or a dozen COW
boys, mounted on their typical horses
of the plains, were cutting all kinds
Of capers and giving a sort Of free
show, for the editication and amuse-
ment Of the citizens and passengers.
They were putting the horses through
reckless evolutions and maneuvers,
giving an exhibition of equestrianism
that astonished the tenderfeet on the
train. The boys had just come in
from a round dup, and were flush with
money and considerably flushed with
Dakota tanglefoot. The railroad
bridge, which spans the Little Mis-
souri river ut tnis point, is at least 100
feet above the surface of the water.
To enable footmen to cross narrow
plank walk-not more than two feet
wiae-is laid on the ties, from shore
to shore, in the center Of the bridge.
It requires steady nerve for man to
make the trip successfully, without
losing his balance and falling through
between the ties into the river far be-
low which, of course, would mean
certain death. Two Of the cowboys,
more reckless than their companions,
rode their horses upon the track at
rapid gait, and then, in single file,
dashed on to the bridge and made for
the other side, flying along on the
narrow plank walk just as if they
were racing across the prairie after an
obstreperous bovine.
THE AUDIENCE WAS sPELLBOUND.
The spectators were thrilled WITH hor-
ror, and expected to see the two dar-
ing men dashed to death at every
jump the horses made. The riders
yelled vociferously, and rode with the
same easy confidence they always dis
play when at home upon the plains
One Of them was somewhat in ad-
vance Of the other, and the passengers
were astonished and their suspense
greatly relieved when he reached the
other side safely and gave vent to a
regular yell of triumph. But his
companion was not SO lucky. He was
within thirty yards Of the end of the
bridge going at full speed-when
his horse stumbled The rider was
seen to sway to and fro for few sec
onds, and to make a desperate effort
to pull the animal on its feet again,
and then both went down in heap.
The crowd Of lockers on with one inn
pulse gave vent to a cry of terror, and
a number Of people started out on the
bridge to render assistance to the un-
fortunate fellow. But almost imme-
diately the fallen cowboy arose, help
ed the horse upon its feet-in some
miraculous way-mounted, and clear
ed the remaining space with rush,
yelling like demon as he few down
the track on the other side, in hot
pursuit Of his companion, who was
almost out of sight and running as if
he were trying to get out of the way
Of cyclone II horse or rider was
injured neither showed signs Of it
from the distance that intervened.
The cowboy must have had the skin
scraped off his shanks at any rate.
Evidently the horse fell over on its
side on the board walk and managed
to keep its legs free from the spaces
between the ties, thus saving itself
from serious injury. It was one Of the
most foolhardy feats on record. Pic
neer Press.
Ghicogo claims 10000 population
on the basis Of the number Of names
in the new city directory. which is
over 100000.
Vessels arriving at Quebec still re-
port having encountered innumerable
icebergs.