Omaha daily bee., 1885-01-01
A COWGIRL.
A Young Woman Who Chases the
Steers and Rounds Up Her Un-
clc's Herds-A Testimonial
from cowboy Adj
mirers.

Ilere 10 an OC6hu VI pEhiIlo bpOuN bllo
new town, says a Midland (Tex } corre-
spondent, and 1t rises and falls as far as
the eve can reach like the swell of a
troubled sea. With a strong glass one
can see In the distance a mass of sheep,
tended by a lonely shepherd, In a yellow
''slicker," or oilskin ulster, and a black
Spanish shepherd dog. Herds of ante
lope, following a leader, scamper across
the plains, stirring up fiocks Of Mexican
quail and prairie chickens, and causing
excitement In the prairie.dog towns,
where the fat rodents plunge headlong
into their holes, and then stick out their
heads to see what startled them. Like q
dark cloud on the horizon, great herds of
cattle appear in tho distance, either In
the distance or under the guard of COW.
boys, holding them. The herd of Col.
A. w. Dunn, president of the Colorado
National bank, came upon the plains the
other day, and the colonel came here
with his niece, Miss Marie By.
mum, of Mississippi, to 'cut
out" as the phrase goe', the
beeves that were ready for market, and
to pen them in the cattle pen at the rail-
road station. The wild Texas steers
were full of life and run, and the cow
boys had their hands full, with all their
skill, to get them penned. Col. Dunn,
who Ia q typical cowman, mounted a
mustang to help the cowboys, and his
niece insisted upon going along with him.
She could not be persuaded that there
wac any danger In the adventure, or that
her dress and sex placed her at any dis
advantage In an effort for which the cow
boys were rugged with Mexican spurs, big
leather leggings, three or foor revolvers,
~iariats at their saddle horn, big white
sombraros with rsttlesnake skins twisted
about them, and watch chains of snake
r%attles. She insisted that If she could get
a swift pony and o side saddle she would
show that she could ride alongside of the
widest steer and turn him, In spite of his
dangerous horns. The pony was provid-
ed, and Mis- Bynum, placing her foot in
the hand of a cowboy, lesped into the
saddle, and, gathering up the reins,
dashed off with q hearty laugh, followed
by her escort of cowboys, who spun over
the prairie after her. She refined up as
they came into the herd, as the process
Of selection of the beeves required a
quick judgment that only experience
gives.
The cowboys went into the herd, and
their trained ponies, when they were
pointed to steers that were to be ''cut
out" ran them out Of the herd; and, as
soon as the bunch was formed, the COW
boys swung around them, and Miss
Bynum, with q lash made of the end of
the reins, started her pony forward and
Joined in the semi-circle and separated
the steers to the pen. The work was ex-
citing to a novice, and the fair cowgirl's
cheeks flushed as she sped along. A big
brown steer, all branded over, reared up;
and, breaking out of the line, tossed his
horns and tail up and started off like a
deer. Miss Bynum whirled her pony
and started after the animal. She did
her work bravely. The cowboys watched
her with admiration. Her pony dashed
alongside of the steer, and the cowboys
expected that, as the animal turned, he
would catch his horns in her drspery, or
she would plunge over the pony's head as
he turned with the steer. They saw her
stop as the steer turned and balance her.
self like a skilled equestrienne, and then
head off the steer and turn him back.
Soon she came dashing back alongside
the steer and landed him In the bunch
hat was headed for the pen. Several of
the cowboys pronounced her q ''thor-
oughbred" and a ''long horn"-their
choicest compliments, for, In the fertile
vocabulary of the cowboy, the terms
half breed" and ''short horn" are equi-
valent to the "tendertoot' of days gone
by, With, perhaps, a shade more of deris.
lon to them.
Miss Bynum, when the first lot of cat
tie was penned, dashed back to the herd,
and with a little instruction began to
help ''cut out" the cattle. Each trip
from the herd to the pen was marked by
some exciting chase of a steer, and each
time the young woman bore herself
bravely, and she did not let a single
steer escspe. When at the pen, of
which the cattle, with apparent conscl-
business of their impending fate after the
long trip to Chicago, showed fear, they
tried hard to escape. With heads down,
the steers that co uld would dart past the
ponies and dash away, and the nearest
cowboy would touch his spurs to the
pony's side and point his and start on
the chase. The wild Texas steers are
bWllJ'lOOGeu, anu ~ n Sooo tiNSh w
pass one and turn him, but Miss Bynum
was equal to every steer that invited her
pony to run, although she was In immed-
late danger of being dragged off her
mount by the horns of some steer strik-
ing her riding habit, she was able to
manage her skirts as well as her pony,
and when the task was eneed she con-
templated the fores of horns In the cattle
pen with sparkling eyes and rosy cheeks
That night when the cowboys Were
drinking their black coffee and eating
their jerked buffalo meat, they agreed tt
present Miss Bynum with some token O
their appreciation of her assistance and q
few days ago there came to the Bank q
; Colorado a massive gold ring inscribed
; "Go Miss Bynum from the Texas COW
boys" Col Dunn presented the shining
circle of gold to his niece, and said that h,
hoped that it would signify an engage
ment of her services at the annual round
up on the plains.
Y 81 never enjoyed anything so much il
! my life," said Miss Bynum to the writer
"and, would you believe it2 l didn
g hear the cowboys quote scripture once.
! am going to ride at the next roundup
J and 1 expect to do much better. Il
| show them what a cowgirl can do"
VI A COLLEGE BOY.
"a A. @,a ro-o- al va.na Raturn