Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1888-03-22

shock, but soon after noon laid down
| and died. The man was actually cry
ing when rode up to him. although
| he had taken . hand in several Indian
fights and was reputed brave fell
low The danger had come upon him
50 suddenly as to overcome his nerves.
The horses teeth had not broken the
skin through his thick clothing. and
he did not have bruise to show, but
such was the sudden shock that he
was on the sick list for two weeks.
We were within two days ride OF
the Bonita, and had been in camp two
or three days. when one of the hunters
rode in just before dark with some
game and announced that herd of at
least fifteen hundred wild horses were
grazing about three miles east of us.
This was on the opposite side of the
Pecos, which just here spread out
over a rocky ledge. and was two
hundred feet wide and about foot
deep. Below our camp was an old
grove with many dead trees in it. 1t
was here we got our wood. In all
other directions the ground was open.
We had about twelve tents in camp.
aside from the wagons and ambu-
lances. The best feeding ground was
west of the camp. and all the animals
were staked out there. Outside of the
bunch of animals was a guard of two
soldiers, and two more were between
the animals and the wagons There
was no danger apprehended from the
Indians, and the guard was set to
keep providing wolves out of camp
and to assist any horse which might
get tangled in his lariat. 1t had been
a hot day, with "thunder heads"
showing in the sky. but when the sun
went down the sky was perfectly clear
and all signs pointed to a quiet night
1t was midnight, when the sharpest
flash of lightning ever saw, followed
by such crash of thunder as made the
earth groan, tumbled every sleeper in
camp out of his blankets. / say the
sharpest flash I ever saw, for I was
awake in time to see the most of it. 1t
was 80 fierce that it seemed to burn
our eyelids. l was hardly on my feet
before there came another, followed by
another roar. I knew it was going to
rain great guns, and l jumped into my
trousers and boots, and grabbed up
the rest Of my clothes and made for a
wagon only few feet away. The two
wagons were close to each other, but
the forward ends pulled away so that
the vehicles formed v. While the
space between the 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.
The sky was black as rushed out of
the tent, and all the camp fires had
burned low. flung my clothes into
one of the wagons. and then hurried
back and got weapons and some other
articles, and during this time the
heavens seemed aflame and the earth
fairly rocked.
Men were shouting, horses neighing,
and the din was awful. but as Preached
the wagon the second time there came
q sound to drown all others. It was a
steady roar like the rush of great
waves. and it grew louder all the time.
I could not understand it for two or
three minutes. The noise came from
the west, and stood upon the wagon
SO that could overlook the tents. A
fash of lightning was followed by a
moment of pitch darkness. and then
came long, tremulous flash, lasting
three or four seconds. By its light l
caught sight of the herd of wild horses
bearing down upon us in mad mob.
and just as the lightning ceased they
entered the stream.
The splash of the waters had the
sound of breakers, and though l
shouted warning 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 ono kept up wild neighing.
heard our own animals plunging and
rearing and neighins. but knew that
we were helpless to prevent the stam-
pede.
As the first of the herd got through
our camp to the wagons. two of them
entered the V-shaped space, and 9th
ers kept them crowded in there. The
lightning was flashing and the thun-
der 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 I picked
up noosed rope. lifted the side cover
Of the wagon. and had the moose over
| the head of one in three secOndA The