Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1890-10-25
CATTLE IN STAMPEDE.
The Reckless Daring of Cowboys With .
Big Contract on Hand.

The marketing of its beef is the sole
source from which flows revenue to a
ranch. and the collection and gather
ing Notwithstanding beeves is he
most scientific part Of ranch work
engages September, October, Novem-
Der and a part of December Of each
year. The beef herds, ~aggregating
1000 to 5000 head OF cattle each, in
charge of an outfit Of about ten men,
including the boss" and cook, betake
themselves to "A convenient shipping
point, sometimes 200 to 800 miles dis
tant. This excursion is slow. and by
virtue of the strength and spirit OF
the cattle. as well as the stormy season
of the year, not unfraught with danger.
Stampedes are the rule rather than the
reverse and sometimes are very ex-
pensive in their cost from loss and in
iured cattle. To this trip are usually
assigned the most skilled aud cOmpe-
tent of the men.
In former days the drive from Texas,
north through the Indian Territory.
had a special hazard. The Indian was
there, abundant aud full of thrift. Nor
was it the aboriginal intent to permit
n herd to wind its valuable length
across this domain without tribute.
TRe method Of tax collection in vogue
with these officials of savage revenue
was simple and complete. some dark
aud quiet night the sleepy riders out
on herd would be astounded by the
spectacle of every one of their horned
wards springing to his feet, and paus-
ing but one brief second to get the
general direction, go scampering into
the gloom with great fcrvor. The
cause was easily found. An Indian
had crawled up on an unguarded flank
and tapped a blanket. A most eff
fective flap. indeed, that pulled into
sudden motion $3.50. 600 worth of beef
by one small breath.
The sequel of a stampede Is the re-
collection Of the herd. From the first
jump of the first steer the cowboy, AS
dauntless rs a Cossack and blindly
true to his trust, goes with the herd.
No man ever takes a more dangerous
jauut. The night ms dark as Egypt;
the country new and unknown; per-
haps at any second To go leaping from
a precipice or crashing up against a
wall Of rock; cattle. terror-mad,
charging on all sides, the certain re,
suit OF a fall being a crushing by the
galloping hoofs of the herd. Still this
American Arab never halts nor waivers,
but with rein held high and loose. and
spurs bloody to the boot. whirls his
half broken broncho through at thirty
miles an hour.
How cattle and men end q stampede
alive Is n of the mysteries of the
craft, but they do. As showing these
trips not altogether lacked in safety /
might add | never knew a cow nov to
achieve ten years of service without re-
calling one broken limb at least and
sometimes two or three.
The purpose of the rider, In n STAN
pede is, by lying well mp and forward
on one ar the other side of the herd. to
turn or stop the cattle. This. even il
successful, Is slow, and is bound to in-
volve a ten mile run as Seast. By that
time one cause or another has more or
less split the herd into punches and
many of the cattle are lost. The next
few days and sometimes weeks are de-
voted to securing the country and
rounding up the herd again. Here is
where the recreant native who caused
the whole trouble gets in his dusky
work. He presents himself at Your
camp and pleasantly proffers his ser:
vices to help collect the renegades at d
dollar a head. As you are sure he has
hidden a bunch or 81 up some canyon
where no white man can find them,
you subdue your ~six-shooter. which
leaps and throbs in it's scabbard to kill
him of. and hire him. The poor In
dian. with his fellows. frequently makes
several hundred dollars ont of a staml-
pede and four or five of your best
steers for personal beef-steak besides.
Kansas Ctr Star.