Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-06-03
AFTER BUFFALO CALVES.
BABY STEALING ON THE PLAINS
AN EXCITING BUSINESS.

Wnd Young Ones-A Sample Hunt and
What 1t Netted-what Maternal AfYec-
tion win Dare and DO.
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 punchersn with
buffalo calves Western men have at last
however, begun to realize, with more than a
little 'egret, that the large droves of buffaloes
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 n waste of gold The fact that the do
mestii ated 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 avenging fury of a
buffalo COW, by throwing a rope over her
calf, requires the utmost self possession as
well rs 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 profitless if the
calves are injured, and the preparations for
the care of the captives are not only minute.
but recessarily expensive Domestic cows
are provided as wet nurses, and constant
IN IS oh ual
sorry foster mothers until they have overcome
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 for
milk, and their impetuous raids upon the new
comm issary 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
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, was
gen -leman known as ''the colonel" whose
weather beaten and genial face was aglow
with the pleasures of anticipation and whose
wagon was packed with comfortable bedding,
"gruh," cooking utensils, and last but not
least varied assortment, consisting of sour
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 1900 pounds of
baled hay and quantity of rope to be used
for Eriats, 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 as good as
a tenderloin.
Three days travelling carried the party to
the northern boundary of the Red desert,
where were waiting the hunters-Wright,
Chapman and Gomez, a Mexican vaouero
Each hunter had string" of eight horses.
Twenty-Five dollars was the stipulated price
of each calf which should be caught unin-
jured and bound by the feet At o'clock on
the following morning breakfast was an
nounced, and at its finish all hands but the
cook saddled their horses and ''hit the trail, ~
driving the extra saddle horses before them
After quietly riding for an hour Gomez
called attention to a buffalo trail, and fol-
lowed it at some distance in advance of the
others, carefully watching ahead. The trail
lead through sage brush, over the plains,
acrosB innumerable draws, until Gomez
reach ID the summit of a low range of hills,
when he suddenly wheeled his horse and re-
turned to the party. Instantly all was ex-
citement; the game was in sight. One enor-
nous bull, four cows and three calves were
browsing, unsuspicious of danger, about half
n mil uxrrur- fr.nvx H.
were roped and saddled, and the hunters
separated to surround the herd with as little
noise as possible At signal from Wright,
given when each of the hunters had crept as
close possible, the three horses made dash
forward. With a snort of fear the bull threw
up his head, and seeing Wright rushing upon
him be wheeled in blini terror and plunged
headlong towards Chapman, whose horse
reared and fell backward As Chapman
swung himself out of the saddle unhurt the
terrif ed brute went past him like a cyclone
FIGHTING FOR THEIR YOUNG.
Meanwhile Gomez had thrown his rope
over IL calf, and was in the act of getting out
Of his saddle to tie the calf's legs when the
mother came dashing through the sage brush
with a savage believing for her young As
the infuriated brute rushed toward him, Go
mez dropped his rope and swung his horse
around, and the cow, finding both Gomez
and Wright galloping toward her from
the rear, fled, panic stricken, and her calf
was secured. By this time the others Of the
herd we're IA mile away with Chapman flying
after Them Another calf was run down and
tied before its mother had sufficiently recov-
cred from her fright to notice its absence
The three hunters then put their horses to a
gallop to run down the remaining calf: A
half hours hard riding brought them up to
the band again, but this time under vastly
differ snt choleric conditions
The cows that had lost their calves were
furious, and the one whose calf was still with
her was disposed to fight savagely The calf
was exhausted by the run and the cows were
decidedly vicious So giving their horses o.