The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1889-11-08

they crossed 1t, working to the
south in fear of the Indian buffalo
hunters who were abroad ON the
Dakota line, and in hopes to find
richer pasturage along the forks OF
the Platte. Here and there as
they have progressed water has
been found in small quantities,
but for Thirty hours past not an
animal has had drop. The grass
is scorched and dead, the ground
hot to their feet, and the almost
solid mass, covering acre after
acre, are almost quiet at this noon
day hour. Here and there one
tosses his head in anger as thirst
forments him, and others give ut
terance to their sufferings by long
drawn sighs and moans.
Every animal has listless look,
and you would say that it would
require something beyond the or
binary to cause single one Of
them to break into a run. The
sun glares down like ball of fire.
The stirring of SO many feet has
filled the air with a fine dust, to
add still another torment to the
situation. The OK or the horse
would long ago have fallen to the
earh to die.
See! Near the center of the
herd a great bull suddenly throws
up his head and scents the air.
He is magnificent specimen
one of the kings of the herd. Does
ibis keen scent bring the presence
Of water over the dozen miles OF
scorched plain? Is there some
thing to make him afraid? He
wheels round and round-he utters
hoarse bellows which excite tie
animals around him, and in two
minutes half the herd is in state
, of agitation.
OF sudden, with massive head
held low, as if to attack, with eyes
blazing, with clots of foam flying
from the corners of his mouth
!, with fierceness of demeanol
which clears path for him-he
heads to the west and charges
through the herd. He is followed
r by ten, thirty, a hundred, thous
and, by every animal that car
move, and now begins stampede
A mighty living mass rolls ovel
the plain-a body more to be
dreaded than tidal wave sweep
ing In from the sea. Movement
incites to new energy, a rivalry te
reach the front, sort of madness
= which knows no fear or obstruc
ton.
The emigrants are at their din
- ner. and their horses are feedin!
. about them, when an alarm
Il sounded. One of the horses raise
,, his head, looks fixedly to the cas-
y and utters shrill neigh of anxiety
u The men look up. The sky j
= clear, and there are no signs O
y Indians about. They make ligh
Il of the warning and sit down, but
d momen later half a dozen horse
are pulling at their lariats, ther
l. is trem bling of the earth, and
+ man whose face is paler tina
'o death leaps up to shout:
y. ga buffalo stampede! Thake t
io the wagons!''
There is room for all and tim
ifor all, but as the men look to tn
- east and see that great living wave
two or three miles long and a mil
u broad, bearing down upon til
40 ca mp, they shout in dislnay an
cry out in despair.
ed Nearer, nearer, coming straigl
us on, maddened by their thirst an
i terrified by their own conddc
~ aud there is chorus of shrief
"a and shouts, the reports of two ,
ms three rifles, a series of crasht
ne which blend into one, and IL
so camp has been blotted out. 4
- the great wave hurls itself into IL
bed of the Loup and beyond, the
'rd is no sign of the camp, no sight
IDS the wagons, nothing to tell of tt
as thirsty human beings alive an
well and full of hope only tV
minutes before. All have bee