Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1888-09-07

my back upon them, might incito and
draw this curious, livin; av,la1ch,
hcadlong upon me. Therefore stepp q
backward as quickly as could, sill
facing the orcoming muluu lc.
The leaders of the advancing herd
were no more than two or three hundred
yards in front Of me, and had retreat.
ed som ty yards stepping quickly
backward, when the foremost of my
pursucIs quiokcncd their pace into a
slow trot. an example followed by those
chind, till, like wave, movement
had communicated itself to those
urthcst in the rear.
" And now the trot, which had been
gradually quickenitg, broke into an
awkard gallon, and tho whole herd
charged down upon me-
For a moments l saw the semi
/ circle of convergIng colums. saw the
long horns sweeping the ground, liko
march reeds before November gale,
saw the plunging shoulders and heav-
ing backs surging through the clouds
Of white dust which rolled up before
ihem--I gave myself up for doomed
man. Then, abandoning all further
effort at caution, l turned and rau for
my life.
The ground behind me trembled
under the tread OF their myriad feet;
and the mutilsd thunder Of their plung-
Ing hoofs, mingled with the low, fitful
believing which filled tho air, sounded
Ike the roar of an advancing tornado.
Gun and gamo were too much to carry
In race where SO much was at stake.
| dropped them both as | sped onward.
The ground was as level as floor;
and fllw over it, taking the stuntcd
sage bushes in my stride, till / reached
the arrayo. Then over the bank, and
down, at one flying leap, l went; and
now, noticing, to my right, detached
mass OF rocks, piled up in pyramidal
form, l turned sharply gained them,
and, clambcring upward, stood in
place of safety.
1t was only about three feet acrosg.
but dearer to me, jut then, than all the
troad acres of my fathers farm at home.
From this, my ''coign of vantage"
now marked the surging mob of cattle
come crowding to the brink of the ar
royo and then, as the hundreds in the
rear pressed forward, l saw the front
ralkS by tho dozen, pushed off Into
kae AeIlly, slipping, sliding, plunging,
n II fAz aa.4asl.s .ss ill Tia ravinn4 saafne ed (
|Flau itteu with them and the white
dust rose like mist from tho pit of
vast cataract.
All around that little crag upon which
half sat, half lay, like an exhausted
swimmer just escaped from hungry
sea, heavod and bilowed the tempes-
tuous bovine maelstrom with
"a roar
Like Ocean on its wintry Shore"
their white horns fl shiog like the foam
on the breakers The sight of me,
perched up there, seemed to madden
them. The foremost, impelled by the
weight of the swaying thousands be-
hind, were forced close against the
rocks, while those in tho rear gored
viciously with their horns al those in
front. Everywhere about me was tu
multuous throng of clashing horns, toss
Ing heads and wriIhing bodies, seen fit
fully through clouds Of dust.
l was safe for the time being, and in
no great physical discomfort; yet l
could but wonder what the outcome of
it all would be, or how l should ulti-
m9tcly escape.
But suddenly, above the dull roar of
the surging, believing throng, l heard
the sound of yelling voices down the
arroyo. The cowboys were comingl
and in a few minutes Little, Bob. !"
Charlie" and kid" came in sight,
riding at full speed, their long cattle
whips cracking like pistol shots as they
charged upon my besiegers, while they
whooped in true cowboy poly-Iot:
eli! hir "Vacal vacal" "Who-
hawp Ctr "Vamos pi-a-a-aw "Br-
"TRIP "Sce- ahl seo-ahp "Glang
there' "Hoop-la-a-a-ar'
At the sound Of the voices and the
cracking whips, and at the sight of the
charging vaquoros, the cattle on the
outskirts of the crowding herd became
panic-strlckou, turned and scampercd
up tho arrayo, or climbed the shelving
banks and dashed away across the val
ley.
The fright soon communicated itself
to tho rest; and in a few moments all
this thronging mob of stock had melted
away and were cour.ing of in all direc-
tions across the plain-forming what is
known in cattle parlance as a blazing
star"
The siege being thus raised, I de-
scended from my little natural citadel
aad looked up my gun, which had been
fairly trampled into the earth and had
both cocks broken short off My bunch
of game had Jared still worse; and,
rather ingloriously, l mounted behind
Charlie and rode down to the corrals,
.ully resolved to follow his advice, al
though, as he Put if, it had a strong
flavor of an Irish bull.
Said he: "Tho next time you 90 out
shooting here afoot, you'd better have
hoss under ye."-[Youth's Compan-
ion.
His First Venture.
Friend Ito young photographed