The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-11-28

The pirates had the drop on them, so they
paid the toll, 81 or IS, aud went their way,
boiling with helpless fury.
A trick Of rustiers thieves and bauditti
was to stampede the horses or cattle at
night, and even sometimes in open daylight.
This might be done for the purpose OF steal
Ing them,o where the thieves did not want
TO take too much risk and make the trail 80
dangerous aud unpopular as to cut of the
source OF revenue-passing herds-or call
tue ranger out after them Of being bired to
help hunt" the cattle.
IL was In Bandera county that the ex-
cattlemen had an experience OF this sort.
Going through that rough billy country
with a good big herd, and horses very poor
and ridden down. the whole herd was mys-
teriously stampeded one night. The next
morning, after the outfit had gathered.
counted and Tailed and found the herd 800
head short, some ordinary looking strangers
rode into the camp on fine. strong, WELL
bred horses.
Had some bad luck last night-stam-
pedHd ~
Yes. we're 500 head short"
That's mighty bad, in this rough
country, too. We amt got much to do
right now, and we'd like the job OF helpin'
you hunt EN-"
NO" said the cattlemsn, his anger ris-
Ing; we are going TO hunt them and find
them ourselves
But your horses is poor and rode down.
an you don't know the country. Ours is
all fresh an fat, an we know the whole
country perfectly. Wen help you-or we'd
rather Just agrees to find 'eTn fer va fer h0
cents head; that's oheaper'n you can git
'em yourselves sarchin' round in a strange
rough country on poor horses. an you won't
be able to git EN- all, either"
The cattleman knew that there was truth
N hrf hA xuaa AoA al -
himself TO tamely pay the tribute, or ran
som they demanded, so he sent them away
angrily, and the outfit hunted the cattle
themselves, finding only 300 The sixty lost.
at rough guess. would represent 5000 TO
81 200; the so cents per head demanded bv
the rustlers for finding the $50 hend would
only have been $3.50, so the cattleman's
angry resentment, though just, cost him
$500 TO $1,000.
When cattle are driven too hard or are
wanting water they are very hard to bed
down at night or even to hold. They "milln
around and mutter and moan and the
smallest thing will stampede them. When
once cattle that have been suffering for days.
maybe. for water scent 1t, they are abso-
lutely frenZled and there is no turning or
stopping them. II it Is DOGGY stream or q
sharp bluff they will rush in, miro up and
some OF them drown or fall over and break
legs and necks. IL it 10 salt water
rsnkly salt. as there 10 in some places
in Texas-they will stand and
drink as long as they can swallow,
and the weaker and moro susceptible will
fall over dead where they stand. In this
way, Mr. Goodnight told me, he had seen
800 of bis die in one little salt pond down
on the Rio Pecos. The fresh water OF the
river was in sight and the men got most Of
the herd turned into 10. but this bunch got
sight OF the salt pond first; nothing short Of
an earthquake could have stopped them,
and the outfit had no earthquake along, so
into the pond they weut--and that 600 never
had to be driven, nor bedded down, nor
sung 70, nor counted and Tailed any more.
The trails all lead north-northeas or
always northward from
Texas. up the trail" says the cowboy
and the cattleman; hes gone up the trail"
And it sounds poetic and suggestive to me,
as that other western expression, "over the
Divide" which has come TO be so universally
used in fiRurative and poetic seuee