Hopkinsville Kentuckian., 1890-02-18
STAMPEDES.
An Exciting Experience with q
Herd OF Buffalo.


|
II shall never forget that canyon.
not II I live century" said front.
iersman, as the train was slowly creep
Ing along over q deep but narrow
abyss, common In the Western coun-
try.
"Why?" asked. tlt-
because, was the reply. ~
dropped into it once, or rather, was
thrown in, and had the narrowest es-
cape OF my life l was what Is termed
a COW puncher' in those days, and
did little OF every thing. The year
have in mind was guide for party
OF prospectors and engineers. and
under contract to supply them with
beef Beef meant buffalo, and there
was plenty of it-too much, as you
will see, In those days. though they
are all gone now.
II generally worked ahead Of the
party an hour or so, to be on the look
out for the Indians and game, and one
day, having sighted big herd OF
buffalo, started of with one of the
party to kill some, and have them
dressed by the time the main party
came up. My companion was new to
the business, but had no idea that he
would put me into the scrape he did. |
We were about four miles from this |
canyon. which is simply big wash. a |
cut the sides almost up and down
and thousand feet wide. A horse
can jump from the edge at some
points and fall fifteen hundred feet
without striking; that's the kind OF a
place 1t is In crossing in the cars
you do not see the steepest part OF it.
1--WE started off in high spirits 1t
was beautiful morning. and there
was something in the air that stim-
ulated me, something that is difficult
TO explain. but exists nevertheless.
The country to the south and east was
rs level as the sea; but to tho west
rose the Rockies. blue and pink, and
here and there isolated buttes. Away
to tho northwest rose a cloud OF dust,
which hung over the ground for hum
! eds OF acres. That dust meant buff
'aloes, and for 1t we headed,
ii intended riding slowly. and when
We got near to put on speed and
'harge them. But all at once nv
nan's horse went into q hole, and |
'roke the cinch. / rode on and left {
i'm to mend 1t, thinking, OF course, I
hat he would follow. had gone two !
niles, when 1t occurred to me to stop Z
nd wait for him. The buifaloes were ,
ist ahead. and l wanted to give him /
fair chance. For half an hour /
'aited, and thon suddenly noticed :
iovement In the herd, which was ap- I
arently coming In every direction. a
he dust seemed to cover the entire
ORION. rising in the air like o cloud, a
nd spreading to each side.
"In a moment was in the saddle
nd riding out toward 1t TO see which a
irection 1t was taking, still not want e
,g to leave my companion. Just then 1
began to hear a roaring sound like 5
,under. Every instant It grew loud. v
r, and finally began to realize that o
was being surrounded, and then 1t q
ashed across my mind that II was O C
.ampede. In O second / wa, about
nd away In the direction OF the "
arty; but had been standing in a p
,pression. and as I came up I saw b
lat was In the center OF a half. moon q
dust Thousands OF buffaloes were b
ashing down on me, like an ava b
nche, and their fankers reaching 81
1T as II 10 hem me In. / didn't waste Il
uch time, and was soon on dead N
IN. IL you have ever seen man or Il
horse run down a track before an en- Il
me, animals leaping along before q 81
rairie fire, or to escape cyclone, you
IN imagine the feelings which i'm q
slled me. 1t was merely matter OF ia
sitting around the herd, but they d.
ere closing in on me. and fall, an W
,cident OF any kind, meant being sc
ampled to death. soon saw that II p
as useless to attempt getting around tl
% herd; 1t wa, too big and the start RI
as toe. great, and so / simply ran for p
ran FOR lie. ri
:" You never saw stampedeP ie
ell, imagine eight or ten thousand O.
tito, perhaps more, impelled by el
nr or terror, dashing along. crowd "
g together A living glacier; 1t Is NJ
nothing can stop II; 81
rging. solid mass, rushing blindly ul
ward. with roar and noise which u
axes the very earth. Imagine tr
like this. and you can re- h
20 something. perhaps, OF the
ltures Of a stampede 1t is merely oil
3 wild rush OF terrified cattle or hi
ifaloes. RI
III ran before them twenty minutes, m
d OF course gained, and. seeing w
ne buttes at n distance OF n mile or a
re, l thought could make them, o.
d would consequently bo safe. 10
Il lifc Is uncertain. and so IL riding du