Johnstown weekly Democrat. (Johnstown, Cambria County, Pa.) 1889-1916, 1890-01-17
THAT STRANGE ANIMAL.

North and east of Fort Davis, Tex,
stretching far away to that strip of nom
descript soil, known as ''No 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 a desert, but rather a 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-
tion OF the United States.
All the buifaloes we have in the coun-
try, except a scattered pair here and
there, and the mountain bison of the
Yellowstone lark. are to be found home
lessly wandering over the staked plain.
Mustangs. wild and untamcd, gallop
with unshod hoors 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 agch abundance
4 Texas COW. -. in search of stray
cattle, cane in from the plains and re-
ported that. while chasing a wild and un-
tamable steer into an entirely unknown
region, where perhaps 70 human foot
save that of m Indian had ever travel
ed, he saw in the dim distance large
bulky and unwieldly creature, which he
a.. 4. - a
not be buffalo for it was too large and
too slender Of build. and covered the
ground in a long, loping sort of stride,
whereas a buffalo, when pat to his speed,
usually adopts a short galIop, very much
like 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 chase to the death, so the
COW puncher turued his tracks and trotted
slowly back To the round up camp, where
he told his yarn to his comrades, with
due cXag"mration as 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 a great big brute, with
two story legs, long neck, a fast, ugly
trot, an hump on his back big as a
hogshead.'
"Oh, see,' said another Nothing
but a stray butler. cause he had a hump
on his back. Yer got fooled that time,
Bill, and fooled in the bargain by an old
buffler bull. Yer ought to know better,
Bill"
Tell yer, jim, I'm not fooled" ex-
claimed Bill, hotly. Don't | know a
buffler bull when sees one? That feller
was no buffier, 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 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
o'clock, feasting upon wild turkey which
had been shot from 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.
oval, fellers," he exclaimed. Thave
spotted the darned cuss again"
"The deuce you have" calculated the
others, with great interest
"Yes, found him about six miles
above here at sundown, and jest as was
about to give up the hunt"