Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-01-29
proceeds to chase the steer which is to furnish

proceeds TO chase the steer which Is to furnish
meat for his little band for two weeks.
Very active are most Of these steors, and IL
they were only active in proportion as they are
feshless Salvador himself would fail to over
take some Of them.
Some of the ponies are poor, but their pro-
prietors have persistently persuasive ways and
the result is speed which sooner or later re-
suits IN the running down of the steer. There
IL nothing particularly interesting in the re-
lease Of the first half dozen animals, but the
most phlegmatic man could not fail to become
somewhat excited when half a hundred steers
are tearing across the prairie to the south and
west pursued by twice as many mounted In
dams. The dust rises in clouds near the cor
rails, but a cool breeze blows it away and the
energetic action Of the picture is not concealed
but for an instant
SHOOTING STEERS.
Bang! A steer has been shot by one of the
pursuing horsemen. The painting horse is
pulled up and the rider makes sure that his
prey is dead by cutting its Throat. Other shots
are heard and as fresh cattle are being con-
tinually turned out the scene loses nothing in
point OF interest. All over the plain, just as
though the old buffalo days had returned, are
long-horned steers and rife-equipped eques-
TRANS. Shouts Of warning, Calculations Of
pride over success, other EXPLANATIONS when
there is il-luck, the painting of fast
moving moving ga cayu uss, and the g., snorts Of
were the Pine Ridge atmosphere less capacious.
These sounds reach ''the grand stand but
family, for the intelligent actors always take
themselves and their quarry SO far away that
the possibility OF injury to others is minimized.
An expert half-breed cowboy loosens his lariat
when his name is called and as the steer breaks
for what seems to- be liberty, the skilfully-
thrown rope jars the hope which few minutes
later is extinguished. And SO it goes until 1856
steers have been turned over to those who by
treaty are entitled to them, and within ten
minutes from the time when old 'Grass" in
PRODUCES the last animal there are more than
200 little groups Of Indian humanity scattered
over what was a smooth and appropriated plain
an hour or so before.
SHINING A STEER.
The work Of skinning and dressing the beef
is labor of love with the Indian. It does not
occupy much Of his time, for in a little while
his squaws have the meat in a wagon while
their lord and master is en- route for a post
traders store. his pony dragging the recently
deceased steers hide behind him. When IN
Indian chances to be wagonless he loads his
beef On pony. One luckless pony saw yes
terday who was struggling toward camp with
not less than $50 pounds Of dead steer on his
back. The little cayuse's legs bent beneath the
burden until l really feared one or more of
them would break.
A few well-meaning sentimentalists think
that Indian beef should be killed after the man.
ners and customs prescribed in some of the big
packing houses. The practical men who have
been dealing for years with the Indian as he is
and not as he might be, say the present method is
preferable. Laying aside the question OF ex-
pense, which would necessarily be incurred in
the erection Of enormous corrals and buildings
the scheme now in use works better than any
other possibly could. Suppose it does stir up
the Indian blood for awhile? 1t awakes mem
cries of the old days when the buffalo swarmed
all over these plains and it is sure thing that
so long as an Indian is engaged in an imaginary
buffalo hunt he il not hunting white men. The
cattle have to BE killed and if with economy there
can be combined little pleasure for the red
man, why endeavor to change the program?
G.H.H.