The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1888-03-08

west of the camp, and all the animal
were staked out there Outside of th
bunch of animals was guard of tw,
soldiers, and two more were between
the animals and the wagons. Their,
was no danger apprehended from tn,
Indians, and the guard was set t.
keep prowling wolves out of CAM
and to assist any horse which Nigh
get tangled in his lariat. 1t had beer
hot day, with thunder heads
showing in the sky, but when the sur
went down the sky was perfectly cleal
and all signs pointed to quiet night
1t was midnight when the sharpes
flash of lightning ever saw, followed
by such a crash of thunder as made the
earth groan, tumbled every sleeper il
camp out of his blankets. l say the
sharpest flash l ever saw, for wa.
awake in time to see the most of it L
was so fierce that it seemed to burr
our eyelids. l was hardly on my feet
before there came another, followed by
another roar. 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 1 rushed out OF
the tent, and all the camp fires had
burned low. l 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 afame 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
a sound to drown all others. 1t was a
steady roar like the rush of great
waves, and it grew louder all the time.
l could not understand it for two or
three minutes. The noise came from
the west, and L stood upon the wagon
so that L could overlook the tents. A
flash of lightning was followed by a
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 lightning ceased they
entered the stream.
The splash of the waters had the
sound of breakers, and though j
shouted a 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. l scrambled
back into the wagon, and what l saw
Turing the next ten minutes can never
be forgotten. The frightened horses
eaped over the tents, or ran against
hem, fell over guy ropes, bumped
against the wagons, and made clean
caps over the ambulances, and ali the
line each one kept up wild neighing.
heard our own animals plunging and
earring and neighing, but knew that
We were helpless to prevent the stam-
oede.
As the first of the herd got through |
'ur camp to the wagons. two of them
the V-shaped space, and 9TH
RS kept them crowded in there. The
ightning was flashing and the thun-
Ter roaring again. and the poor beasts
we're appalled, at the situation. There
we're four or five lassoes and dozen
pare lariats in my wagon, and when
saw that the entrapped horses were
making no move to get out l picked
p noosed rope, lifted the side cover
f the wagon, and had the moose over
he head of one in three seconds. The
ne behind him tried to turn when /
ought to moose him, but hit his heels
ga nst something and twisted back
oward me until my hand touched his
ose as l slipped the moose over. Then
made the other ends fast, got out
ne lassoes, and, standing on the front
the wagon, l noosed three horses
lside of five minutes. 1t was no trick
all, for they were pressed right up to
lie wagon by the weight of those be-
ind. and the awful war of the ele-
tents tanned them. E-@.
The herd was ten minutes working
trough the camp, and as they cleared
they took away every horse and
lule that we had. Every tent was
rostrated, much of our provisions and
destroyed. and one ambu-
nee smashed to pieces. One man
as killed and three were injured by
e rush of horses. As an offset
agoner had lassoed two, 1 had five,
I'd two more had hobbled themselves ;
it'll tent ropes. In the course of a ,
" we got ali our animals back but
lie old mule, and managed to repair !
images. Our captives were the !
lest wild horses ever seen on the !
aims. My lot included three stations,
I'd l sold one of them right there ,
ith the moose around his neck for :
20 hundred dollars. The others l
'pt until our return to Texas, tanning +;
EN- little every day. and then got :
e thousand dollars for the four. }
lie span of stations went to St Louis =
ter bit, and one of them proved :
mself the fastest trotter of that dec 7
e.-M Y Sun. :