Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1889-05-31
| AFTER BUFFALO CALVES.
BABY STEALING ON THE PLAINS
AN EXCITING BUSINESS.

Until within the last five years it was not
strange or uncommon for buffalo COWS and
calves to be found herded with the wild
cattle of the ranges, and the spring round ups
always reported more or less sport for the
daring and reckless "cow punchers" with
buffalo calves Western men have at last,
however, begun to realize, with more than
little regret, that the large droves of bufaloes
roaming at will over the trackless plains OF
the territories formed sights that are forever
to be lost, and to realize also that the shame
full slaughter of these picturesque brutes has
been waste of gold. The fact that the do
mesticated buffalo and the cross breeds are
both very valuable and easily herded is just
now giving new zest to the sport of buffalo
hunting, and the dangers Of the chase are in
creased ten fold by the fact that the object
now is not to kill, but to capture.
To make prisoners of the young or to bring
upon ones self the fierce ayenging fury of a
buffalo COW, by throwing a rope over her
calf, requires the utmost self possession as
well as that peculiar daredevil familiarity
with saddle and horse which are found SO
fully developed in the range riders of the
western plains. The hunt is proftless If the
calves are injured, and the preparations fol
the care of the captives are not only minute,
but necessarily expensive. Domestic COWS
are provided as wet nurses, and constant
watchfulness is observed over these compul
sorry foster mothers until they have overcome
a not unnatural repugnance to their new
charges. The calves, however, when captured
and placed in corral with their nurses, dis
play no excessive modesty in foraging fol
milk, and their impetuous raids upon the new
cemmissary are extremely amusing.
An important element in the buffalo hunt
ing of today is the fact that the females give
birth to their young very early in the spring
and the hunt must be accomplished before the
beginning of the spring round up of cattle
or the calves become too strong to capture
alive
A SPECIMEN RAID.
In February two four horse teams, with
heavy wagons behind them, pulled slowly Out
of the town of Rawlins, Wy. T. In the first
wagon and in charge of the expedition, wa*
a gentleman known as "the colonel, who's
weather beaten and genial face was agloN
with the pleasures of anticipation and whose
wagon was packed with comfortable bedding
''grub,n cooking utensils, and last, but no;
least, a varied assortment, consisting of soul
mash, Martel cigars, tobacco, pipes, rifles
etc. Beside him sat John, rotund, smiling
and evidently content with the world as it is
The rear wagon contained 1000 pounds Of
baled hay and quantity of rope to be useC
for lariats, and was manned by notable
Jehu, who the colonel swore, could trans
form jack rabbit into pullet, or if the very
worst should befall them, could broil the
harness leather so that it would beas good a:
a tenderloin.
Three days travelling carried the party t,
the northern boundary of the Red desert
where were waiting the hunters-Wright
Chapman and Gomez, Mexican vaquero
Each hunter had ''string" of eight horses
Twenty-Five dollars was the stipulated pric,
of each calf which should be caught unin
jured and bound by the feet At 4 o'clock OF
the following morning breakfast was an
nounced, and at its finish all hands but th'
cook saddled their horses and shit the trail,
driving the extra saddle horses before them
After quietly riding for an hour Come
called attention to a buffalo TRAIL and fol
lowed it at some distance in advance of thu
Others carefully watching ahead. The trai
lead through sage brush over the plains
across innumerable draws, until Come,
reached the summit of a low range of hills
when he suddenly wheeled his horse and re
turned to the party. Instantly all was ex
element; the game was in sight. One enof
nous bull, four COWS and three calves wer'
browsing, unsuspicious of danger, about hal
mile away from the party. Fresh horse
were roped and saddled, and the hunter
separated to surround the herd with as littl
noise as possible. At signal from Wright
given when each of the hunters had crept a
close as possible, the three horses made a dasl
forward. With snort of fear the bull threw
up his head, and seeing Wright rushing upoi
him he wheeled in blind terror and plunge(
headlong towards Chapman, whose hors
reared and fell backward. As Chapman
swung himself out of the saddle unhurt tn
terrified brute went past him like cyclone
FIGHTING FOR THEIR YOUNG.
Meanwhile Gomez had thrown his rop
over calf and was in the act of getting on
of his saddle to tie the calf's legs when tn
mother came dashing through the sage brusl
with savage believing for her young. A
the Infatuated brute rushed toward him, Go
mez dropped bis rope and swung his hors
around, and the COW, finding both Come
and Wright galloping toward her from
the rear, fled, panic stricken, and her cal
was secured. By this time the others of tn
herd were mile away with Chapman fyin.
after them Another calf was run down ant
tied before its mother had sufficiently recov
cred from her fright to notice its absence
The three hunters then put their horses to
gallop to run down the remaining calf. !
half hours hard riding brought them up t
the band again, but this time under vastl
different choleric conditions.
The COWS. that had lost their calves wer
furious, and the one whose calf was still wit
her was disposed to fight savagely. The ca
was exhausted by the run and the cows WEI
decidedly vicious &c. giving their horses
breathing space the three hunters separate
again, coming upon the band from differer
points. As they approached cautiously, il
tending if possible to stampede the herd an
rope the calf as it fell behind, one of the il
furiated COWS made sidelong dash, and in
twinkling Wright's long legs were in the a
and his horse lay kicking in the sage brusl
while the cow was plunging away down tt
plain with the speed of an unlimited e,
press. Chapman threw his rope on the cal
and as it beloved, its mother turned upe
Chapman, who was forced to drop the roI
to avoid collision which would have bee
certain death.
Finding her calf free the COW fed and W,
run away from the calf by Chapman an
Gomez, while Wright, who had picked hin
self up and got into his saddle again, TO
lowed, overtaing the calf, and throwing al
other rope over it secured the last of tt
three One Of the wagons was brought U
and the calves loaded into it. Saddle horse
were again changed and the party moved tt
camp about twelve miles to a corral, whel
domestic COWS were held awaiting their ne
charges.
The following day was spent in fruitle
search for other buffaloes, but on the thiI
day two other calves were captured, maxim
in all five captives as the result Of a ten day
hunt.-New York Herald
Seeing How It Is Done.
Some time ago when Janisch, the pretty
Austrian actress, was playing in New Or
leans, she visited one Of the engine houses 1
was proposed for her especial benefit to cal