Johnstown weekly Democrat. (Johnstown, Cambria County, Pa.) 1889-1916, 1890-01-17


proper distance. On came the big game
with a rush, making wonderful long
strides with his tremendous legs, and
not two hundred yards behind were the
three cowboys, urging their mustangs
at the top of their speed, Yelling like
mad Yerkes got his lariat in position,
and then began that long graceful
swing, with the magic circle opening
like an oval, that only the practical arm
can give to the rope Straight at the
man rushed the brute. but, evidently
discovering him when too late, the lat
ter made . buli swerve to the left, as if
to pass hv him Galloping alongside
for a moment, the rope swung in the
air. and then, swish it dartcd, settling
snugly about the long, hoop like neck.
In true cowboy style, as if handling
steer, Yerkes kept up his pace and grad
ually got into position for throwing the
animal. This process is as follows: When
the moose is around the head. horns or
neck. the next movement is to arrange
the line on the further side of the ami
NAL. both ptIrsuer and pursued going at
full speed, SO that it is about the height
of the legs Then, by suddenly stop
ping the pony, who planes his forelegs
firmly TO withstand the shock, by a
quick, sudden jerk the steers legs are
pulled from under him. and over hs rolls
in the dust This is precisely the man
ner in which Yerkes treated his strange
captive
When everything was ready and the
line in position he pulled his horse up
suddenly and jerked the strange brute's
legs from under him. the mighty body
of the latter tumbled heavily all in heap,
but there was sharp, ugly snap as if
something had cracked In a word, the
fall had Eroken its neck.
Ina fc.' minutes the four men were
grCrl,G l..-' Ter standing over the car
cas- i; in perfect wonder.
"... . shot for a tenderfoot
bui - ne. said Jim Pepper.
"". e devil did he come from,
anyhc -,!aimed Bob Newhall
N..~-- ..---.e was silent. After scan
ning c mining the creature closely
heG: .... C.tcrel, in the most absolute
surl"! "itays. that's camel as sure
as {, :' ica Now, how in the name
of .:...s o. he get in Texas? I've al
WI " lived in Asia or Africa
but ned and scalped alive if
her l Texas. Let's go back to
camp I'm done herding and
branG IN going back to the states,
l an.
tt" ~, after all, is no mystery
at : was really and truly
cal cr genuine camel was ac-
tua ~ cowboy named Den
nj. ~ the ranch of Col. Lewis
We. the Confederate States
ar ... .ty of ella Bend, A. T.
Ii g.. measuring over nine
ft,, o.. ..ir- a was supposed to be
an .~. 'r. I've old herd that has
ba,: ...... Ver the deserts of Ari-
zo;:. ..,! t.a mia since 1853 or 1859
Tho ..' t..' :,ed first for the purpose
of C..:'E ,sht from Inyo, Cal, to
Car, and proving failure for
thi. -. re turned loose to hustle
fo:
J....... lhe civil war the govern
me: 'rt .. Of them and proposed to
ma. =, cful on the frontier in keep
ing g.. ..I.iGnication between the
wideiy pr"ied military posts, where
it hec.aW necessary to travel long dis
tances without water. They were never,
however, of much service, and upon
the breaking out of hostilities between
the north and south were seized by the
Confederate authorities and sent to Camp
Verde, about sixty miles northwest of
San Antonio. Here they were put in
service as mail carriers, often making
trips of iifty-hve to sixty miles day in
a dry, barren, hot country where no
American horse could have survived such
hardship
At the close of The war they again fell
into the hands of the Federal authori-
ties, and were sold at auction in the city
of San Antonio il 1866. They were
finally taken west to Arizona, and, prov
ing useless, were soon abandoned to
their fate. Wandering over the wild
portions of Arizona, New Mexico and
Texas, the: increased somewhat in num-
bers, bu, i. was supposed that the In
dians had lOay ago killed them off. 1t
has since been learned that the red men,
superstitious and silly as they usually
are in such cases, regarded them with
great awe as strange creatures from the
clouds, and so fled from them in terror.
A few lonesome and forlorn camels
are yet drifting over the wild, unin-
habited places of the far southwest, SO
that the novelty of a genuine camel hunt
presents itself to those in search of
pleasures new" who care to travel the
long distance to seek them.-Atlanta
Constitution.
Candid Friend.