Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1891-03-13
BATTLE WITH A MAD COW.
A Ration Mountain Herder's Tale of the
Worst Shot on Record.

A Ration Mountain Herder's Tale of the
Worst Shot on Record.
One afternoon while at Ration mountain
/ went over to the ridge between the Red
river and the Caliente to look for deer. |
spoiled ones running, and being afoot-for
| was less than mile from CAMP hung
it to the branch of pine tree, and after
cutting its throat and performing some
other alterations in it's makeup suggested
by the gentle art of venerie started to pro-
cure pony to pack the carcass to camp.
A seventy pound deer is no trivial pack
age in rough country, and l had no in
tention of carrying it myself.
While so returning | was walking down
a little valley, the damp bottom of which
was free from trees and just springing, in
the cold, clear rays of the April sun, to
short grass.
Ahead some ten yards l beheld an old
COW, emaciated to degree and whose far
ing eyes betokened the insanity which
seizes on starving cattle. She was marked
with our ear marks-a swallow fork in
each ear-and | concluded to drive her up
to camp, where was fodder and feed, and
with three or four days of that | thought
she would pull through to grass.
But | never had IL chance to put my be.
nevolence into effect. The moment she
espied me she danced out in an uncertain
and staggering way, fairly bristling with
rage.
/ watched her, surprising it would come
to nothing more serious than an attempt
to bully which failing, she would come
along sedate enough. was mistaken.
Bracing herself on her four weak legs
she charged with lowered head. / still ex
4 hale II. 1,
fifteen feet, staggering and stumbling, al
considerable speed and fairly afre with
bloody intentions. | snatched off my big
sombrero and sent it sailing into her face
The only effect was to bring her head up 9
little and abated nothing of her headlong
gait.
AS l fully realized that the old she vii
lain meant business ! flashed into rage
and pulling back the hammer of the SHARP
rifle | carried resolved to bore her through
her addle head and correct her disposition
to quietude for all time.
Matters were coming too fast to allow
me to take any aim, and | banged away
with the Sharp as it lay in my hands.
The irate COW was not three feet from the
muzzle of the rifle, but how missed her is
more than can tell. But | did.
As it was she was so cross AS to appear
to CAT her the smoke of the gun and bring
it along in her frontlet, and realizing haC
missed just had time to escape her horns
by IL quick twist, getting, indeed a smart
jolt from her shoulder even then.
1t took a tenth part of a second to put
another cartridge into the rife, and | re
hected with ferocious satisfaction that il
would be my turn now, as had no idea o
making second miss of it.
OF course | confidently counted on hel
turning and charging me again. TO my
surprise, however, she kept straight on III
the slight and pine covered hill toward tn,
divide and never seemed even to cast
thought behind at me.
overcame an impulse to pump bulle
into her anyhow, and no one having sus
tanned injury, called the battle "A draw.
The irony of fate was shown by finding
this old COW who had escaped my bulle
by Il miracle, dead with her calf, in biz
zard which struck the hills two days after
The existence of this calf hid over on tn,
divide, and my being directly between tn,
infant and the old COW when she saw me
was no doubt the whole cause of the war.
left the two stark in their drift o
snow, and make no doubt they We're highl,
appreciated by the buzzard and the raven
who that day tapped their wide wings il
those skies. Kansas City Star.