Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1892-09-01
A CATTLE FUNERAL.
Account OF the Weird Demonstrations OF
Mourning Steers.


One Of the m st 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 fact we'll
known topeople who have dwelt among
them, in the ranch-life of the west.
| was 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 horrible than even the mid
night orgies of Louisiana voodoo
band.
We were hunting deer and antelope
near the spurs of the Wichita noun
tains. We had pitched camp on n lit
tie knoll in the prairie about three
o'clock in the afternoon, and "the
boys" had killed a yearling for change
of diet We had enjoved the fresh,
tender steaks broiled on forked stick
held in the blaze of the campfire, as
only cowboy can broil and flavor
meat; hind-quarter was hung up on a
tent-pole, curing in that pure, clear air
for future reference"-and the rest
of the yearling had been devoured by
the coyotes almost before our backs
were turned. We had sung our songs,
told our yarns, taken our toddy, and
were in bed, the tent-fies drawn, and
the smoldering campfire Pickering
against the white walls
1t must have been near twelve
o'clock when | was awakened by the
most doleful wall, or howl, or moan,
that ever pierced mortal's ears. /
thought it was the wolves coming back
for the remnants Of the calf. Though
a long-horn ''to the manner born"
am painfully afraid of wolves, snakes,
nestle animals of the west. Ishivered,
covered up my head, and felt an over
towering impulse to say, Now / lay
me down to Sleep" as an exorciser of
all impalpable "boogars," as l was
taught in my childhood by my negro
nanny. However, compromised by
awakening another woman 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 tent.
''It's 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 quito sure whether it was
desire to attend the funeral, or to get
nearer to our protectors" which made
as respond so glibly to this invitation;
but certainly we made very hurried
toilets, and were soon standing among
the men by the fire.
1t was a beautiful moonlight night
(the moon does shine more brilliantly
in Texas than anywhere else, you know
unless it is in Italy,. Not star was
to be seen, except a few dim twinlSlers
along the horizon. Just that pale yet
luminous glow of the moon, suffusing
the great rimless prairie, and 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 sbimmered in it's breath.
The spot where the yeariing had been
killed was about a hundred yards from
the camp. Gathered about this
spot were fifteen or 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 it, running his nose
along the trail of blood, Their 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.
1t was as if common Creator had
spoken from the mouth of these speech
less creatures and said: "Thou shalt
not kill" 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 UNI
erringly for miles by that subtle smell
of kindred blood. AS each relay neared
the scene of horror they quickened their
pace, generally arriving in a full run,
their tongues out and the froth flying
from their mouths fecking their sides
anu lOre-leRS. Az each dTrlVdl UHe
ceremonies were all gone over again,
each time with seeming intensity OF
fury and realization.
By midnight there must have been
more than hundred cattle there, and
they 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 clumbei
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 vestige of blood oil
it's odor remained on the ground, We
moved camp that day, much to the re
lief of us women. Belle Hunt, in
Harper's Weekly.
A Western Realist.
Lone Star Pete (disgusted)-0f all tn,
Internal Tommy rotl