The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1890-02-14
THAT STRANGE ANIMAL.

! / !: Z 7 ! ! !:
4 = ORTIZ and east Q
X Fort Davis, Tex.
MA stretching fal
M NJ away to that stril
1 tNZ of nondescript soil
y HScA known as "Ne
va Wy Mans Land" Ii
WM&N the remnant of tn,
y so called Great
s-N American desert
designated on the maps and in til,
biographies as "Llano Estacalo, >
or Staled Plain. The name desert
is q misnomer, for ths Llano Estaca
do is not O desert, but rather q vel
watered, grassy plain, covered with
hay and verdure. the natural home
and refuge ut the present time o
nenrly nll the large game animals o
the southwestern portion of the
United States.
All the buffaloes we have in the
country, except q scattered pair here
and there, and the mountain bison
Of the Yellowstone park, are to be
found homelessly wandering over the
staked plain. Mustangs. wild and
untamed, gallop with unshod hoofa
over the soft, velvety carpet. and
antelope, the most dainty of al
feeders, seek here the delicute wild
clover and maiden flowers which are
found nowhere else in such abun.
dance as upon this wild and unset.
tied tract.
A Texas cowboy, in senrch of stray
cattle, came in from the plains and
reported that, while chasing wild
and untannable steer into an entirely
unknown region, where perhaps no
human foot save that OF an Indian
had ever Travelled, he saw in the dim
distance q large. bulky and unwieldlv
creature, which he at first took to he
buffalo. Yet it could not be q buf.
fnlo, for it was too large and slender
OF build, and covered the ground in q
long, Looping sort of stride, whereas q
buffalo, when put to his speed, usual.
y adopts a short gallop, very much
like q range steer.
Big enough for an elephant, and
yet as slender as q giraffe, what in
the name Of wonder cnn the creature
be? thought the cowboy. His jaded
mustang was too weary and the day
too lar gone for him to undertake q
chnse to the death, so the COW punch
CT turned his tracks and trotted slow-
ly back to the round up camp, where
he told his yarn to his comrades,
with due exaggeration as to the size,
speed and build of the strange ami
nal he had encountered.
''Now come, Bill," exclaimed one,
"what did the beast look like, any
way?"
"Why, jest as I tell YER" answered
Bill. HE was great big brute,
with two story legs, long neck, u
inst, ugly trot, an q hump on his
buck big rs hogshead.
ooh, l see" said another.
"Nothing but stray butler, cause
he had q hump on his back. Yer
got fooled that time Bill, and fooled
in the bargain by on old butler bull.
Yer ought to know better, Bill"
"Tell yer, Jim, I'm not fooled" ex-
claimed Bill, hotly. Don't know q
buffer bull when l sees one? That
Teller was no butler, nor no steer, and
] bet ~ ninety foot lariat he don't
belong to this country, either"
The Others were quite interested
now. for they knew Bill Yerkes was
likely to be correct when he was so
earnest about it, and an agreement
was made that rounding up, cutting
OUT and branding should be suspend
ed n couple of days, while the whole
party went on u chase across the
country in search of the wonderful
animal seen by their comrade that
day.
Next morning before day, four
stout, sturdy fellows were in the
saddle and moving westward, leav-
ing one of their number behind as
guard for the camp. Their mounts
were beautiful. The mustangs
they heslrodo had been captured
while mere ponies from the wild herds
that yet, in limited numbers, course
over the great plain, except the one
ridden by Yerkes, and this animal
was q gaunt. raw boned specimen,
raised somewhere inthe southeastern
part of the state and brought to the
range by Yerkes himself, who seemed
very fond of the brute. Tho four
men separated, striking of in differ
ent directions, like an open fan, and
agreeing to meet that night for camp
on q branch OF the south fork of the
Canadian, which was nearly dry at
this time of the year. About sunset
all had arrived ut the rendezvous ex-
cept Bill Yerkes. While the others
were sitting around the camp fire.
about 8 o'clock, feasting upon wild
turkey which had been shot from a
tree near by, their missing conrade
rode up.
lie threw himself from his horse, re-
moved the saddle. watered and pick
eted his animal and then joined the
Others.
"Wal, fellers," he exclaimed. II
have spotted the darned cuss again."
"The deuce you have" CALCULATED
the others, with great interest.
"Yes. l found him about six miles
above here ut sundown, and jest as I
was auout to give up the hunt"
swell, what is it?" exclaimed the
three in one breath.
"l)arned i'll know?" enid Yerkes.
at was too dark to Gee clearly, and
then the tarnal cuss sighted me as
soon as did hin and OF he started
toward the sun like a locomotive.
But I've got his bearings, and III
catch that skunk tomorrow o: give
up COW punching and range riding
'es 4ss ss:s;e sssend no.s,ns@ @tay. x.r
IN the saddle BY ligl ss;ne
So afraaw .nnfil q ~