, 1890-01-19
THAT STRANGE ANIMAL.

III lt[l4'oh nv Al IL
North and east of Fort Davis, Tex,
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 in the Biographies as 'Llano Estaca-
do" or Staked Plain. The name desert
is a misnomer. for the Llano Estacado is
not n desert, but rather n 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-
ton of the United States.
All the buiTaloes we have in the coun-
try, except a 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
all 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
cattle, came in from the plains and re-
ported that, while chasing a wild and I'M
tamable steer into an entirely unknown
region, where perhaps nc human foot
save that of an Indian had ever travel
ed, he saw in the dim distance n large,
bulky and unwieldly creature, which he
at first took to be n buffalo. Yet it could
not be n buffalo, for it was too large and
too slender of build, and covered the
ground in q long, Looping sort of stride,
''hereas a buffalo, when put to his speed,
usually adopts a short gallop, very much
like n range steer.
Big enough for an elephant. and yet as
slender as a 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 a chase 10 the death, so the
COW puncher turned his tracks and trotted
slowly back to the Mound up camp, where
he told his yarn to his comrades, with
due exaggeration IS to the size, speed and
build of the strange animal he had en-.
countered.
Now come, Bill" exclaimed one,
"what did the beast look like, anyway"
"Why, jest as l tell yer" answered
Bill. "He was n great big brute, with
two story legs, a long neck, n fast, ugly
trot, an a hump on his back big as a
hogshead."
"Oh, l see," said another. Nothing
but a stray butler, cause he had n hump
on his back. Yer got fooled that time,
Bill, and fooled in the bargain by an old
BUTLER bull. Yer ought to know better,
Bill"
Tell yer, Jim, I'm not fooled" ex-
claimed Bill, hotly. Don't l know a
BUTLER bull when l sees one? That Teller
was no butler, 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 so earnest about
it, and al agreement was made that
rounding up, cutting out and branding
should be suspended 4 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
h great plain, except the one ridden by
Eerkes, 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 a branch of the south fork OF
h 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 6
O'Clock, feasting upon wild turkey which
had been shot from a tree near by, their
missing comrade rode up.
He threw himself from his horse, re.
moved the saddle, watered and picketed
his animal and then joined the others.
wal, f~ellers," he exclaimed. "Ihave
spotted the darned cuss again"
1.-The deuce you have" calculated the
others, with great interest.
Eyes, l found him about six miles
above here at shutdown, and jest as / YVES
about to give up the hunt"