The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-01-11

1.-The DEVIL! CIRCULATED 1erkes. Darn
my skin If l don't believe it's camel.
Well, IL can't catch him I'llronnd him
up, anyhow; SO here goes"
Making long detour, he managed
gradually to get beyond the animal and
turned him in his course, so that pretty
soon both pursuer and pursued were
travelling directly back over the course
they had come. But the pace was slow
this time, as the mustang began to show
evident signs OF pegging out, and the
man was very tired and weary, too. OBJ
serving that his game was now resting,
also, or rather nibbling the scant heritage
and drifting slowly eastward, the COW.
boy quickly leaped from his seat, re-
moved saddle, blanket and bride, lari-
atedi his steed, who commenced grazing
at once, took good chew of tobacco,
and, resting his head on the saddle,
turned over in pile Of soft, loose sand
and was soon sound asleep.
When he awoke some hours later he
found the moon nearly overhead and his
horse still quietly nibbling the few spears
of grass peeping above the sandy SOIL
Nowhere in sight was the strange ami
NAL he had followed. Saddling and
mounting he rode here and there in
search of the brute, but the latter had
vanished without sight, sound or sign to
follow.
Utterly and thoroughly disguised,
Yerkes started ON the back trail, at the
same time muttering startling exclama-
ffnpc CT ha Oh f1,,,, t1.u% 4
led him wild goose chase to no purpose
for two days and night over the plains.
Riding on and on in that still night, not
even a coyote bark or wolf howl to
break the intense silence, the man would
talk and reason with his horse upon the
confonnded i'll luck that had befallen
him. Toward morning Venus came sail
ing majestically up from the east, and
the moon, still shining brightly, lit up
the vast plain, rejecting back the spark
ling bits of sand like the water of the
ocean sparkles and dances under her sill
very beams.
just then u faint noise came floating
from far ahead. Yerkes pulled up in
stantly and both horse and rider bent
their ears to listen. Louder and louder
1t grew until the beating of hoofs could
be heard, and presently, too, the sound
of mems voices halloolng and shouting.
Somebody was chasing something, of
this there could be no mistake. Then in
the dim light black object hove in
sight with three horsemen in hot pur-
suit.
"That's my game, by gosh" said
Yerkes to himself with great excite
ment, land darn my hide but I'll have
him now"
The man quickly unslung his long
Mexican lsriat (he was a fine roper, and,
patting his horse encouragingly, made
ready to cast the moment he was within
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 bold swerve to the left, as If
to pass by him. Galloping alongside
for a moment, the rope swung in the
air, and then, swish, it darted, 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 pursuer and pursued going at
full speed, SO that it is about the height
Of the legs. Then, by suddenly stop
ping the pony, who plants his forelegs
firmly to withstand the shock, by
quick, sudden jerk TIE steers legs are
pulled from under him, and over he 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 word, the
fall had broken its neck.
In a few minutes the four men were
grouped together standing over the car
cass and eying it in perfect wonder.
wall, I'll be shot for tenderfoot,
but that beats me-" said Jim Pepper.
"Where in the devil did he come from,
anyhow" exclaimed Bob Newhall.
Yerkes alone was silent. After scan
ming and examining the creature closely
he lat length uttered. in the most absolute
surprise: Boys, that's camel as sure
as gums iron. Now, how in the name
OF reason did he get in Texas? I've al
ways heard they lived in Asia OF, Africa,
but I'll be burned and scalped alive il
here isn't one in Texas. Let's go back to
camp, boys; I'm done herding and
branding. I'm going back to the states,
am"
The mystery, after all, is no mystery
at all, for it was really and truly a
camel. Another genuine camel was &C.
tually caught by a cowboy named Den
mis- Madigon near the ranch of Col. Lewis
Wolfey, late of the Confederate States
army, in the vicinity of ella Bend, a. r.
II was large one, measuring over nine
feet in height, and was supposed to be
an cstray from the old herd that has
been roaming over the deserts of Ari-
zona and California since 1858 or 1859.
They. were imported first for the purpose
of carrying freight from Inyo, Cal, to
Carson, New, and proving failure for
this object, were turned loose to hustle
for themselves
just before the civil war the govern
ment got hold of them and proposed to
make them useful on che frontier in keep
ing up communication between the
WIDELY separated military posts, where
IL became 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 nv the
Confederate authorities and sent to Camn
Verde, about sixty miles northwest of
San Antonio. Here they were nut in
service as mail carriers, often making
trips of fifty-five 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.
saas- and were sold at auction in the city