The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-01-11
THAT STRANGE ANIMAL.
4 Chase that Astonished a
Inland Of Texan cowboys,a
fAtlanta Constitution

North anu east OF Fort Davis, lex,
stretching far away TO that strip of nom
descript soil, known as mo Mans Land"
is the remnant of the SO called Great
American desert, designated on the maps
and inrhe biographies as 'Llano Estaca-
do or Staked Plain. The name desert
is misnomer, for the Llano Estacado is
not desert, but rather well watered,
grassy plain, covered with hay and YER
dure, the natural home and refuge at
the present time of nearly all the large
game animals Of the southwestern por-
lion of the United States.
All the buffaloes we have in the coun-
try, except scattered pair here and
there, and the mountain bison of the
Yellowstone park, are to be found home
lessly wandering over the staked plain.
Mustangs, wild and untamed, gallop
with unshod hoofs over the soft, velvety
carpet, and antelope, the most dainty of
AL feeders, seek here the delicate wild
clover and maiden flowers which are
found nowhere else in such abundance
as upon this wild and unsettled tract.
A Texas cowboy, in search OF stray
thttiCs AolhS III iiOih tnS re-
ported that, while chasing wild and I'M
tamable steer into an entirely unknown
region, where perhaps no human foot
save that of an Indian had ever travel
ed, Ire saw in the dim distance large,
bulky and unwieldly creature, which he
at first took to DO buffalo. Yet it could
not be a buffalo, for it was too large and
too slender of build, and covered the
ground in a long, Looping sort Of stride,
whereas buffalo, when put to his speed,
usually adopts short gallop, very much
Ike range steer.
Big enough for an elephant, and yet as
slender as giraffe, what in the name Of
wonder can the creature be? thought the
cowboy. His jaded mustang was too
weary and the day too far gone for him
to undertake chase TO the death, so the
COW puncher turned his tracks and trotted
slowly 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 animal he had en-.
countered.
snow come, Bill exclaimed one,
what did the beast look like, anyway
why. jest as ] tell YER" answered
Nil. HE was great big brute, with
two story legs, long neck, a fast, ugly
trpt, an hump on his back big as a
hogshead.' =
'sOh, see" said another Nothing
hut stray butler, cause he had hump
on his back. Yer got fooled that time,
Bill, and fooled in the bargain by an old
buffer bull. Yer ought to know better,
Bill"
"Tell yer, Jim, I'm not fooled" ex-
chained Bin, hotly. Don't know a
buffer bull when sees one? That Teller
was no buffer, nor no steer, an I'll bet a
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 80 earnest about
IL and an agreement was made that
rounding up cutting out and branding
should be suspended couple of days,
while the whole party went ON a chase
across the country in search of the won
derful animal seen by their comrade
that day.
Next morning, before day, four stout,
sturdy fellows were in the saddle and
moving westward, leaving one of their
number behind as guard for the camp.
Their mounts were beautiful. The mus
tangs they bestrode 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 a gaunt,
raw boned specimen, raised somewhere
IN the southeastern part of the state and
brought to the range by Yerkes himself,
who seemed very fond of the brute.
The four men separated striking off In
different directions, like an open fan,
and agreeing to meet that night for
camp on branch of the south fork of
the Canadian, which was nearly dry at
this time of the year. About sunset all
had arrived at the rendezvous except
Bill Yerkes. While the others were
sitting around the camp fire, about Q
O'Clock, feasting upon wild turkey which
mad been shot from tree near by, their
missing comrade rode up.
He threw himself from his horse, re-
moved the saddle, watered and picketed
hts animal and then joined the others.
rival, fellers,' he exclaimed. ''Ihave
spotted the darned cuss again"
"The deuce you have" calculated the
others, with great interest.
eyes, found him about six miles ]
above here at shutdown, and jest as was
about to give up the hunt"
swell, what is IT." exclaimed tho
three in one breath. r-
"Darned if know, said Yerkes. IT
was too dark to see clearly, and then
The tarnal cuss sighted me as soon as I
did him and off he started toward the
sefting sun like q locomotive. But I've
got his bearings, and I'll catch that
skunk tomorrow or give up COW punch.
ing and range riding for good"
The second morning the four were in
the saddle by light and travelling I'D
stream until grass overgrown bottom,
mterspersed with scrub oak and pecan
trees, was reached.
Here" said Yerkes, lis where saw
the fellow last night"
"And here" said DICK Pepper, nare
the busters tracks'-at the same time
fssping from his mustang and examining
several large footprints in the muddy
portion of the creek bottom. '''-'''''
rival, that beats me-" remarked Bob
Gewhan, the fourth of the party. "What
You take them tracks to be, Yerkes? No
E1ch steer as that in the whole kentry az
I knows Of"
I" 'Tsintno steer, responded the other.
SDarned If ! can size the creature up;
Int let's keep after him an we'll soon
find out, or I'm no preacher"
Out over the prairie rode the four men,
following as best they could the trail Of
ehis strange animal, but all signs were
coon lost in the sand and grave., as the
country had now assumed barren, desc
late appearance, covered with hillocks Of
Sand, and almost as fat as billiard
table a. far as the eye could see. About
aoon a speck on the horizon was sighted,
and toward this atom the quartet rode
steadily, gaining rapidly, and very soon
coming SO far within range as TO outlive
the object.
CHATS the fellow an no snakesn
shouted Yerkes, hardly able to curb his
sxsiseRapt.
sure enough. There in the distanoe-