Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1891-04-13

grazing from the bed grounds when we
threw them off the trail they would ram
BILE in punches. If herder attempted to
hold them up they would either stop and
stare at him or else turn and travel to the
further side Where we formerly watered
in any creek or fair sized pond, it now re-
quired q river or lake. Most of us looked
for trouble any night, while thefew doubt
ers were silenced by the colored horse
wrangler, who expressed his views as fol-
lows:
'Uy cose dey is gwine ter run, for ole
Joe done sed it, and he's rep is at stake;
an dey is gwine fer run eff de old man has
ter git down ermong 'em some night wild
de slicker."
At supper that evening hut little was
said; even the cooks yarns, told in his in
imitable style. fell fiat. Every few min
utes our foreman would cast uneasy
glances at the great black clouds that were
slowly rising in the northwest. Instead
of picketing the horses, as was the Gus
tom, the animals were saddled and tied to
the wagon, or to bushes close by.
The first guard had hardly more than
taken charge when the rest of the outfit
prepared to roll in. The cook, after tying
lantern to the tongue, climbed in the
wagon, tied the sheet down, and thanked
the Lord that he was a cook. The wran-
gler found place under the coupling pole
that suited his complexion, while the ri
ders unstrapped their little ''hot roll'' on
the ground and piled in without removing
even boots and spurs.
For some reason l was restless and una
BILE to sleep. All the slumber- producing
| receipts We're tried in vain. | lay on my
| back and watched the clouds obscure star
after star until the whole heavens were
hid counted the number of rounds the
guards were making, and then fell to
watching the lightning and trying to Judge
| how far it was off by seeing how many l
could count before l heard the thunder
that followed every flash.
After a while, growing weary of this,
turned toward the fire; by it sat one of the
guards slipping strong coffee between
whiffs at his cigarette. The rattle of the
chains on his spurs and bit as his horse
! logged along told the whereabouts of an
other, while the wild Spanish song that
! hoated from the far side of the bed ground
I indicated that Little Jack" in thoughts
at least, was with his black-eyed sweet
heart on the distant Rio Grande.
1 closed my eyes for few minutes, and
when lookek again the guard had left the
fire, Little Jacks song was finished, and
the only song from the bed ground was The
deep breathing of some animal that had
just lain down. The thunder had ceased
for a few minutes, and the hoot of an ow
in the cottonwood made the darkness still
darker and the night more dreary.
AS 1 dozed off Old Joe's words KEEP
ringing in my head: There amt no dan
ger es long es any of 'em air up an a gra
zin', but when they air all down, an it,
that quiet you kin hear your own hear
beat, then you wanter git ready ter ride.
l was still semi-conscious when l heart
roar like a mighty tornado and sprans
up as some one shouted:
"They are gone, fellows, They ar
gone."
In less than a minute every man was il
the saddle and rushing after the fleeing
herd. No need to ask which way; tn
trained night horses know their duty AM
are straining every nerve. The lightning
play is grand; electricity is everywhere
flames dance along the name, ball of fir
CLEANS on each ear tip By the flashes tn
riders locate the lay of the land in FROM
! Soon we begin passing the drags. n
; need to look after them; they'll follow
and the real work is on ahead. Far away
: in front, above the roar of cattle an
thunder, the guards can be heard singin
, and shouting to the maddened herd. A
we dash on the sounds appear to be con
ing more and more from the left; the LEAD
, ers are being pressed around; and coon b
a flash we see them coming; right in fror
of the crazed animals, looking like gho
in his long white slicker, his fiery lit
night horse lunging and fighting for b
. head, rode Little Jack, singing, calling an
swearing by turns.
: By concerted action, in which goo
' luck, stout lungs and heavy quirts all pls
!, important parts, the herd is thrown t.
gether and the milling begins. Aroun
: and around they go, each animal with il
= head over the rump of the one Just j
1 front-no beginning, no end, just a soil
| mass, staring, moaning, as only stampede
cattle can Balls of fire leap from horn |
' horn. The cowboys are seated on the
8 horses still as statues, all forming a pit
ture that can't be duplicated. The ords
;, is passed along to "Give more room" Ii
riders fall back, the mill" ceases, an
: soon is heard a series of coughs; "Je'
8 clearin' their pipes for another dash, :" som
: one says.
Now the rain begins, first slow, then il
creasing, till finally it is coming in a dri,
a ing sheet. With the first drops the eattl
i turn and begin drifting with the storm, a
9 the riders getting in front and endesvorin
!, to hold them back.
!, sIf we kin only hold 'em till their hide
q get wet blieve we've got 'em," Old 10
= says.
q But it wasn't to De- SoheLuInS sfe
q them a scare and away they go. No soor
g er are the leaders checked than other
y turn leaders, and the whole herd goe
e laundering after them. Another mill
d formed and the same performance gor
It over again. Once a buffalo trail file
d with water checks them, again an arroy
# running breast deep is no obstacle. Du
Il ing lull between runs an animal wall
e out alone toward the riders. By ias
is Old Joe recognizes the dun steer that ga
d the warning, and Immediately the old ma
,, accuses the brute of being the instigat
l. of all the trouble, and vows that he mu
re die tomorrow.
is So the night wears away. The ru
B. grow shorter; occasionally an animal
30 gins to eat. The rain is over, though I
st clouds still hang heavy. The hghtni
er has ceased, and the riders sit still and n
rs tionless, unable to see even the heads
te the horses they ride. Water stands eve
iy where and the cattle begin grazing in
n directions. The foreman gives orders