San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-05-03
AFTER BUFFALO CALVES.
BABY STEALING ON THE PLAINS
AN EXCITING BUSINESS.

Domestic Cows CofraIled to Nurture the
Wild Young ones-A Sample Hunt and
What 1t Netted-what Maternal Aztec
ton VIII 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 punchers" with
buffalo calves Western men have at last,
however, begun to realize, with more than
little regret, 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 a 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 a 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
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 protitless if the
calves are injured and the preparations for
the care of the captives are not only minute,
but necessarily expensive Domestic cows
are provided as wet nurses, and a constant
watchfulneSS is observed over these compul.
sory foster mothers until they have overcome
a not unnatural repugnance TO their new
charges The calves, however, when captured
and placed in a corral with their nurses, dis
play no excessive modesty in foraging for
milk and their impetuous raids upon the new
commissary 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 Rawliqs, Wy. T, In the first
HSNeANAShAi
a gentleman known as 1.-THE colonel" whose
weather beaten and genial face was aglow
with the pleasures Of anticipation and whose
wagon was packed With comfortable bedding,
grub" 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 1000 pounds OF
baled hay and a quantity of rope to be used
for lariats, and was manned by a notable
Jehu, who, the colonel swore, could trans
form a jack rabbit into pullet, or if the very
worst should befall them, could broil the
harness leather so that it would beas good as
a tenderloill
Three days travelling carried the party to
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 price
of each calf which should be caught unin
iured 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
After quietly riding for an hour Gomez
called attention to 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,
across innumerable draws, until Gomez
reached the summit of 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 enor
nous bull four cows and three calves were
| browsing, unSuspiCiOus of danger, about half
mile away from the party. Fresh horses
were roped and saddled, and the hunters
separated to surround the herd with as little
| noise as possible At a signal from Wright.
| given when each of the hunters had Crept as
close as possible the three horses made dash
| forward. With snort of fear the bull threw
| up his head, and seeing Wright rushing upor
! him he wheeled in blind terror and plunged
| headlong towards Chapman, whose horse
reared and fell backward As Chapman
swung himself out of the saddle unhurt the
terrified brute went past him like a cyclone
FIGHTING FOR THEIR YOUNG.
Meanwhile Gomez had thrown his rope
over a calf, and was in the act of getting out
of his saddle to tie the calls legs when the
mother came dashing through the sage brusL
with savage believing for her young. A!
the Infatuated brute rushed toward him, Go
mez dropped his rope and swung his horst
around, and the COW, finding both Gomez
and Wright galloping toward her from
the rear, fled, panic stricken, and her cal
was secured. By this time the others of the
herd were a mile away with Chapman flying
after them. Another calf was run down anC
tied before its mother had sufficiently recov