River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1892-09-01
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A CATTLE FUNERAL.
Account of the Weird Demonstrations Of
Mourning Steers.

Account of the Weird Demonstrations of
Mourning Steers
One of the most peculiar and weird
scenes imaginable is the demonstration
made by cattle over the split blood of
one of their kind. That they do make
such demonstration is a fact we'll
known to people who have dwelt among
them, in the ranch-life of the west.
I was q witness TO one of these cere-
monies, a few years ago, ON camp
hunt in western Texas, which, taken
all in all, was spectacle more grew
some and horribls than even the mid
night orgies of a Louisians voedoo
band.
We were hunting deer and antelope
near the spurs of the Wichita moun-
taifisi We had pitched camp on a lit
tie knoll In The prairie about three
o'clock in the afterficon, and "the
boys had killed n yearling for change
1T diet We had enjoved the fresh,
tender steak broiled on forlSed stick
held in the blaze of the campfire, as
only cowboy can broil and flavor
meat; n hind-quarter was hung up on
tent@pole. curing in that pure, clear air
flor future fefetenee"--and the rest
of the yearling had been devOured by
the coyotes almost before our backs
were turned. We had sung our songs,
.old t'nr yarns, taken our toddy, and
were in bed, the tent-fies drawn, and
the smoldering campfire fickefiug
against the white walls.
II must have been near twelve
o'clock when I was awakened by the
a II f.,l Il,.-1
that ever pierced a mortars ears. I
thought it was the wolves coming back
for the remnants of the calf. Though
a long-horn ''to the manner born" I
am painfully afraid of wolves, snakes,
'arsntulas, Indians and all such do
nestle afilmals Of the west Ishivered,
cove0d up my head, and felt an over
towering impulse to say, Now I lay
me down to sleep" as an exorciser of
all impalpable ''boogars," as / was
taught in my childhood by my negro
hiafiiinyi However; compromised by
awakening another womafi and ask.
ing if she heard that horrible
noise. She had her head covered up
too, and she did. Again it came, rever-
berating over the still prairie, and this
time the rest of the ladies awakened
and each began to call on her nearest
male relative in the party of men who
were sleeping on cots and pallets out
side Of The teiit;
ats a COW funeral" said one Of The
boys; come outside and see it. It's
something worth seeing if it does make
yer back creep"
| am not quite sure whether it was a
desire to attend tie funeral, or 70 get
nearer to our protectors" which made
as respond so glibly TO this invitations;
but certainly we made very hurried
| toilets, and were soon standing among
the men by the fire.
1t was a beautiful moonlight night
| 1.-THE moon does shine more brilliantly
In Texas titan anywhere else.you know
unless it is in Italy,. Not star was
| to be seen, except few dim twinklers
| along the horizon. just that pale yet
luminous glow of the moon, suffusin2
the great rimless prairie, aid outlining
with phosphorus the jagged old
| Wichitas against that deep, dense, Sap
phire-blue sky. A pretty stiff south
wind blew, and the long mesquite grass
waved and shimmered in its breath.
| The spot where the yearling had been
killed was about hundred yards from
| the camp. Gathered about this
spot were fifteen ar twenty
head of cattle. Every one had
his tail twisted tightly over his
back, and his tongue hanging out, and
the freight on all their eyes made
them look like balls of fire. There
really seemed to be some sort of funeral
etiquette observed. First one steer,
then another, would advance to the
middle of the circle where the blood
seemed To be- He would toss up his
head. then lower il, running his nose
along the trail of blood. then throwing
his horns high in the air, give vent to
that blood-curdling howl. At this the
rest of the herd would join the chorus.
paving the ground and throwing the
trampled earth and grass clean over
their backs. Withal, their feeling
seemed to be anger or fury, more
| than grief 1t makes one feel
cannibalistic and solemnly responsible.
| II was as if a common Creator had
| spoken from the mouth of these speech
less creatures and said: "Thou shalt
not killr' They FLASHED and locked
| horns, believing concerted vengeance,
then silent they would stand, every
nose pointing to the heavens, and every
eye cleaning balefully in The Pickering
freight.
All the time fresh relays OF mourners
came trotting across the prairie From
the mountains, the canyons, the val
ley and hills, they came, guided un-
erringly for miles by that subtle smell
of kindred blood. As each relay neared
the scene of horror they quiclzened their
pace, generally arriving in a full run,
their tongues out and the froth flying
from their mouths, flecking their sides
and fore-legs At each arrival the
ceremonies were all gone over again,
each time with seeming intensity of
fury and realization.
BY midnight there must have been
more than a hundred cattle there. and
theS were still coming when we grew
| tired of the grewsome entertainment
and retired to our tent.
First horribly, then dimly, through
the rest of the night of broken clumber
the believing went en-. BY daylight
they were all gone. but 10 said they
were liable to return at any time dur
| ing the day and assuredly that night
| as long, in fact. as a vestige of blood or
| its odor remained on the ground, We
moved camp that day, much to the re-
| lief of us women.-Belle Hunt, in
/ Ho-..sr