Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1888-09-07
A NARROW ESCAPE.
BY IL 2. UFFORD

One morning in August, after wo had
been at tho Sierra La Sal about tiyo
weeks, set off to shoot "cotton tails"
| took a double barrelIcd shotgun, and
proceeded on horse back as far as the
corrals and log cabin Of squad of cat
tic mon, three miles below our camp
-Four cowboys and herd boss, named
Little, were here patrolling 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 ranches.
As it was already past "sun- up" l
was not surprised to find no one at III,
corrals; the boys were all out on the
range. Dismounting and tying my pony
inside the horse-pen. first arranged my
cartridges and other equipments for
rapid loading, and then started forth
on foot over the rough grouad boUond>
tho corral-. 9 -, - IL Ill
Furrowcd in zigzag course across
tho plain was a dry, shallow arroyo, at
this time Of year we'll stocked with the
small game l was after, and in the
course OF an hour or so l had as many
birds as | could c mfortably carry. And
then, after short rest, l climbed cut
on the plain, and took a short cut for
the corrals. My course led me along
the upper edge Of the cattle, who were
grazing in scattered "bunchos" all over
the lower end of the valley.
l had gone perhaps half mile, when
became aware of a strange commotion
among the feeding Thousands. For it
Glanced that l had now come upon a
little swell of land, somewhat higher
than the surrounding plain, and hal
stopped for monet to watch the pas
toral scene. Presently l noticed that
the cattle were no longer grazing
quietly in groups, but seemed, as by
common impulse, to be moving up the
valley. l could see bunch after Lunch
lift their heads, and, after watching for
a short timo the movements of tho3e in
front, join in the slow procession.
My first thought was that the cow
boy', for some reason or other, were
driving them toward the corral; but
then l reflected that If such were tho
case, those in the rear would be the
first to start, instead of, as was the
case, following the lead of those ia
front. Besides, instead of stopping to
snatch an occasional mouthlul OF grass,
as they would do if they were being
driven, they came on with heads in the
all, as though attracted by some curious
sight.
1t was not long before the whole
drove was in motion, and, as watched,
! noticed that the drift was not ia
parallel, but in convergent lines, as
though they were attracted to a COM
mon centre, and in another instant it
flashed over mo that that centre was
myself!
A very strange sensation stole over
me at this discovery and now remem-
bered Little's saying once that while
those Texas cattle do not mind man
on horseback, it would be dangerous
thing to go amongst them on foot-the
sight of dismounted man being almost
unknown to them, SINCE the cowboys
invariably ride.
AS looked at the slow moving thou
sands, l could we'll imagine that even
if curiosity was the only motive impel-
ing them, yet the momentum of those
in the rear might so press the forward
ranks that a man would have little
chance to esca?o bdag trodden to death
ly The pushing throng
But there was strong reason to sus-
pect that less innocent motives than
mere curiosity might actuate them, for
knew the untamed, violent nature OF
his half wild stock, and that they were
not to be trifed with.
As yet the distant red brown throngs
were only slowly drifting toward me but
l thought that l detected symptoms Of
uneasinoss in those in front, and at
once concluded that had better, il
the plains vernacular, ''hustle myself
and hunt my hole"
The distance to tho corrals was two
miles or more. Iknew that I could not
reach that point and at once decided to