Connecticut western news., 1888-09-05
A NARROW ESCAPE.
BY II. P. UFFORD.


 teen at tho Sierra La Sal about five weeks, set off to shoot "cotton tails" I took a double barrelled shotgun, and proceeded on horse back as far as the corrals and log cabin of squad of cat tlo men, three miles below cur camp. Four cowboys and herd boss, named Little, were hero patr rolling the upper line of an extensive range, on which were grazing fifteen or twenty thousand head of the half-wild Texas cattle of these western anchos.
 As it was already past "sun-ur" l was not surprised to find no ono at tn corrals; the boys were all out on the range. Dismouating and tying my pony inside tho horse-pcn, I first arranged my cartridges and other equipments for rapid loading, and then stal ted forth on foot over the rough ground beyonl the corral,.
 Furrowcd in a zigzag course across the plain was dry, shallow arroyo, at this time ofyear we'll stocked with the small game l was after, and in the course of an hour or so had as many birds as could c mfortably carry. Ard then, after short rest, I climbed out on the plain, and took a short cut for tho corrals. My course led mo along the upper edge of the cattle, who were grazing in scattered "bur chcs" all over the lower end of the valley.
 had gone perhaps half mile, when among tho feeding thousands. For it chanced that had now come upon a little swell of land, somewhat higher than the surrounding plain, and hal stopped for momct to watch the pas toral scene. Presently noticed that the cattle wero no longer grazing quietly in groups, but seemed, as by a common impulse, to be moving up the valley. could sec bunch after bunch lift their hoads, and, after watching fol Q short timo the movements of those in front, join in the slow procession.
 My first thought was that the COW. boys, for somo reason or other, werc driving them toward the corral; but then I reflected that If such were the case, those in tho rear would be tho first to start, instead of, as was tht case, following the lead of those i1 front. Besides, instead of stopping tc snatch an occasional mouthful of grass, as they would do if they were being driven, they came On with heads in tn. air, as though attracted by some curious sight.
 It wa~ not long before the whole drovo was in motion, and, as watched l noticed that the drift was not i, parallel, but in convcrgcnt lines, a though they were attracted to a com mon centre, and in another instant i flashed over mo that that centre was myselil
 A very strange sensation stole owe me at this discovery. and I now remem bered Little's saying once that whil theso Texas cattlo do not mind a mar on horseback, it would be dangerou thing to go amongst them on foot--th sight of dismounted man being almos unknown to them, since the cowboy invariably ride.
 As Hooked at the slow-moving thou sands, could we'll imagine that eve if curiosity was the only motive impel ing them, yet the momen tum of thos in the rear might so press the forwar ranks that Q man would have littl chance to escape being trodden to deat by the pushing throng.
 But there was strong reason to sus poet that less innocent motives tha mcre curiosity might actuate them, fo knew tho untamed, violent nature ( hi, half wild stock, and that they wer
 not to be triflod with.
 As yet the distant red brown throng werc only slowly drifting toward me bu l thought that detected symptoms ( uncasiness in thoso in front, and { once conc,udel that had better, i tho plains vernacular, "hustle mysel \ and hunt my holc."
 9 The distance to tho corrals was tw miles or ID ,re. knew that could nc
 reach that point and at once decided ss.s ,sssS.. ssssss ssss s.