The Democratic advocate., 1888-06-09

off hind wheel of one and the nigh hind
wheel of the other was not over foot, the
space between the tongues was six or eight
feet. The sky was black as l rushed out
of the tent, and all the camp fires had
burned low. 1 flung my clothes into one
of the wagons, and then hurried back and
got my weapons and some other articles,
and during this time the heavens seemed
afame and the earth fairly rocked.
Men were shuuting, horses neighing, and
the din was awful, but as l reached the
wagon the second time there came sound
to drown all others. 1t was steady roar
like the rush of great waves, and it
grew louder all the time. l could not un-
derstand it for two or three minutes. The
noise came from the west, and l stood upon
the wagon SO that could overlook the
tents. A fash of lightning was followed
by moment of pitch darkness, and then
came long, tremulous flash, lasting three
or four seconds. By its light caught
sight of the herd of wild horses bearing
down upon us in mad mob, and just .as
the Liz ghtning ceased they entered the
stream.
The splash of the waters had the sound
of breakers, and though 1 shouted war
ming at the top of my voice no one could
have heard me twenty feet away. Next
moment that terror-stricken herd was in
camp, while the clouds opened and the rain
came down in torrents. scrambled back
into the wagon, and what saw during the
next ten minutes can never be forgotten
The frightened horses leaped over the
tents, or ran against them, fell over guy
ropes, bumped against the wagons, and made
clean leaps over the ambulances, and all
the time each one kept up wild neighing
I heard our own animals plunging and
rearing and neighing, but knew that We
were helpless to prevent stampede.
As the first of the herd got through oul
camp to the wagons, two of them entered
the V-shaped space and others kept them
crowded in there. The lightning was
flashing and the thunder roaring again
and the poor beasts were appalled, at the
situation. There were four or five lassoes
and dozen spare lariats in my wagon,
and when l saw that the entrapped horses
were making no move to get out | picked
up noosed rope, lifted the side cover OF
the wagon, and had the moose over the
head of one in three seconds. The one
behind him tried to turn when | sought tc
moose him, but hit his heels against some
thing and twisted back toward me until my
hand touched his nose as slipped the
moose over. Then made the other ends
fast, got out the lassoes, and, standing Oh
the front of the wagon, / noosed three
horses inside of five minutes. 1t was nc
trick at all, for they were pressed right VI
to the wagon by the weight of those be
hind, and the awful war of the elements
tanned them.
The herd was ten minutes working
through the camp, and as they cleared ii
they took away every horse and mule that
we had. Every tent was Frustrated, much
of our provisions and ammunition destroy
ed, and one ambulance smashed to pieces.
One man was killed and three were injured
by the rush of horses. As an offset a
waggoner had lassoed two, had five, and
two more had hobbled themselves with tent
ropes. In the course of day we got all
our animals back but one old mule, and
managed to repair damages. Our captives
were the finest wild horses ever seen on the
plains. My lot included three stations
and 1 sold one of them right there with
the moose around his neck for 5000. The
others 1 kept until our return to Texas
tanning them little every day, and then
got 1000 for the four. The span OF
stations went to St. Louis after bit, and
one of them proved himself the fastest
trotter of that decade.