Thomas County cat., 1889-10-31

lfI went down. the animals woult
fall upon me. If stayed on the edge
they would trample me to death
There was but one chance-that
could turn back the herd, and l tool
it l ran at them, firing my rifle
bowling them over. yelling and
screaming as man can only scream
if it is for life. But the roar of theil
feet was so loud that l doubt if they
could have heard me.
''On they came, like whirlwind,
and, turning again, l made for the
canyon. l reached the edge about q
thousand yards ahead, and, dismount'
ing. l started my horse back to take
his chance, and flung myself over the
side. There wasn't much time to
think, but l thought the best place
would be at the edge. So / crept as
close to it as possible, and at the
steepest place, and waited.
What were my sensations? Well,
can hardly tell. I was pretty cer-
tain that my day had come, and l re-
member trying to brace up, and l
thought of my old mother; but didn't
have much time. On they came, and
then l was buried with earth, and the
| next second l saw buffaloes 60 shoot
ing over the edge They went as if
they had been shot out of a gun, clear
ing the edge and striking many feet
below. Hundreds of them, it seemed,
and, for all know, thousands, went
over before they stopped. You see.
the tremendous pressure behind
pushed those in front on, so that they
could not help them selves, and it was
some time before the front ranks
could stop the rush, and not before
many had gone over. had been
saved by the hardness of the soil
above me. A part of it had given way
and covered me up, but shelf of clay
held, and to it l owe my life. l
dragged myself up the slope, moro
dead than alive, and about the first
thing l saw was my companion riding
up, while the buffaloes were cloud of
dust in the south. 1t seems that he
had. thinking to get the start of me,
gone around and begun to fire into the
herd from behind, and had thus Gre
ated the stampede. He didn't know
any better, so couldn't say much.
1.-The bottom of the canyon was
about full of dead and wounded buffa-
loes. | never saw such sight before
and never want TO again. Perhaps"
concluded the old hunter. 'you have
been under the fall at Niagara Well,
just imagine the water living buffaloes
and you can imagine my situation.
My horse l never saw again. Whether
he went into the canyon or not don't
know"
Many animals are subject to stam-
pede, but especially those that are ac-
customed TO herd. When they are
large and powerful the most frightful
results may follow. 1t sometimes oc-
ours among elephants. when entire
plantations are wrecked and fences
and houses are ruined.
In the sea-Iion rOokeries of the
Alaska coast some curious stampedes
and exciting incidents are often seen.
At certain seasons of the year tho
Aleuts have drive of 'seevitchie,"
as the lions are called. 1t is gener-
ally begun in September or October.
The largest and strongest Aleuts are
selected for the purpose, who, with
provisions, repair to the vicinity of
the rookery. At night. when the sea-
lions are lying in the sand above high
water mark, they make their first at
tempt. Armed with sticks, guns and
clapping bones, they creep down to
the waters edge. and finally, with
much skill and maneuvering, place
themselves between the sea-lions and
the water, and, at a given signal. rush
with yells ana screams at their vic
Tins. The sea-lions awake. and hear
ing the terrible noise, dash away in a
stampede, each one rushing in the di-
rection in which he happened to be
sleeping. In this way half may go
inland, while the rest head for the
men. In the latter case there is some
danger, but, as rule, the Aleuts es-
cape injury. The sea-lions come hop
ping, houndering along, making mar
ve!ous speed for such huge ere atures
and care nothing for the men in their
blind rush.
The stampede of the sea-lions euds |
disasterously to the most of them.
They founder inland, and are then |
followed and driven to the houses of |
the men by shouts and cries. There |
stakes are placed in the ground about !
them. forming rude corral. To the
posts streamers of cloth are attached, |
and their futtering in the wind pre-
vents the foolish sea-lions from escap-
ing. Other catches are added until |
finally two or three hundred sea-lions |
are corralled, when the final march is |
taken up. The sea-lions are liberated
and headed in the direction of the |
AIeut village. ten or twelve miles |
aWay and driyan fbora Tho ;o,,,no,- |