The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1889-04-24
AFTER BUFFALO CALVES.
BABY STEALING ON THE PLAINS
AN. EXCITING BUSINESS.

AN EXCITING BUSINESS.
Domestic Cows corrailed to Nurture the
Wild Young Oncs-A Sample Hunt and
What 1t Netted-W What Maternal Af,ec-
tion WIN Dare and Do.
Until within the last five years it was not
strange or uncommon for buffalo cows and
calves to DO 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 moro than a
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
ful slaughter Of these picturesque brutes has
been waste of gold. The fact that the do
mesticated buffalo and the cross breeds are
Nssas sSs zteJ rl-s-
now giving a new zest tosthe 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
Tomake prisoners of tho young or to bring
upon ones self the fierce avenging fury of
buffalo COW, by throwing a rope over her
calf, requires tho 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 profitless IL the
calves are injured, and the preparations for
tho caro- of the captives are not only minute
but necessarily expensive Domestic cows
,loA
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 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 Rawlins, Wy. T. In the first
wagon, and in charge of the expedition, was
a gentleman 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,
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 quantity Of rope to be used
for lariats, and was manned by notable
Jehu, Who tho colonel sworo, could trans
form IA jack labhit into pullet or IL tho very
worst should hefall them, could broil the
harness leather so that it would bons good as
n tenderloin.
Three days travelling carried the party to
tho northern boundary OF the Red desert,
wbero were waiting the hunters Wright,
Chapman and Honez, Mexican vaquero
Each hunter had .'stfingp of eight horses
Twenty-Five dollars was tho stipulated -'~.A
euf each calf WI4isn sho0.. NJ vsnagIirlu.slis
iurol and bound by Che feet At O'Clock on
the following morning breakfast was an
nounccd, and at its finish all hands but tho
cook saddled their horses and shit the TRAIL
driving the extra saddle horses before them
After quietly riding for nm hour Gomez
called attention to a buffalo trail, and fol-
lowed it at some distance in advance Of the
others, carefully watching ahead Tho trail
lead through sage brush, over tho plains,
across inmimerablo draws, until Gomez
reached tho summit of low range OF hills,
when ho suddenly wheeled his horse and re-
turned to tho party. Instantly all was OK
element; the game was In sight Ono enor-
nous bull, -four cows and three calves were
browsing, unsuspicious Of danger, about half
q mile away from tho party. Fresh horses
were ropod and saddlcd, and tho hunters
separated to surround the herd with as little
noise as possible. ~ IA signal from Wright,
given when each OF the hunters had crept as
close es possible, the three horses made dash
forward. With a snort of fear the bull threw
up hishead and seeing Wright rushing upon
him lie wheeled in blind terror and plunged
hcadlong towards Chapman, whose horse
reared and fell backward. AS Chapman
swung himself out of tho saddle unhurt the
terrified brute went past him like cyclone.
FIGHTING ron THEIR YOUNG
Meanwhile Gomez had thrown his rope
over n calf, and was ia tho net OF getting out
Of Ills saddle 10 tic the cnlf's legs when tho
mother cumo dashing through the sage brush
with u savage believing for her young. As
tho Infatuated 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
tho rear, fed panic stricken, and her calf
was secured. BY this time the others Of the
herd wero q milo away with Chapman flying
after them Another calf was run down and
tied before It's mother had sufficiently rccov-
cred from her fright to notice its absence
The three hunters then put their horses to n
gallop TO run down tho remaining calf. A
half hours hard riding brought them up to
tho Land again, but this time under vastly
different cholerlc conditions
The cows that had lost their calves were
furious, and the ono whose calf was still with
her was disposed to fight savagely Tho calf
was exhausted by the run and tho cows were
decidedly vicious 50, giving their horses q
breathing space, the three hunters separated
again, coming upon the band from different
points. AS thcy approached cautiously, in
tending II possible 10 stampede tho herd and
rope the calf ns IL fell behind, ono of tho in
furated cows made Il sidclong dash, and in u
twinkling Wright's long legs were in the air
and his horse lay kicking In tho sage brush,
while tho COW was plungIng away down tho
plain with tho speed Of an unlimited ex-
press Chapman threw his rop3 on tho calf,
aud as it beloved, its mother turned upon
Chapman who was forced to drop tho rope
to avoid collision which would have been
certain death.
Finding her calf free tho COW fed and was
run away from the calf by Chapman and
Gomez, whilo Wright, who had picked him
self up and got into his saddle again, fol-
lowed, overtalsing tho calf, and throwing am
other ropo over it secured tho last Of tho
three. Ono of the wagons was brought up
and tho calves loaded into it. Saddle horses
were again changed and the party moved the
camp about twelve miles to corral, where
domestic cows were held awaiting their new
charges.
Tho following day was spent In fruitless
search for other buifalocs, but on tho third
day two other calves werc captured, making
in all five captiyes as tho result Of q ten days
hunt New York Herald
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On ~ Southern Railroad.
Aged and Unctuous Mole-IIeres yo' cole
roas' chicls'nsl