The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1892-01-01
A TYPICAL INCIDENT IN THE LIFE
or COWROY

We had been in the saddle all day and
were just turning in when the word was
given to "Get up and dust" 1t was no
use kicking, so up we got, harnessed
fresh horses, that also appreciated the
danger and were loath to be disturbed,
and, after being harnessed, threw every
obstacle in the way of progress. Arri5-
ing upon the scene the boys separated in
the darkness and slowly rode around in
circle of mile or more iu diameter
trying to surround the herd. There
being only six of us, combating with a
bowling wind, it was no easy job to make
progress, excepting, perhaps, when a
vivid flash of lightning disclosed for a
moment an ocean of long, slim horns
above a mass of black, moving bodies,
liable at any moment to become frantic
with fear and rush over you, and per-
haps trample both rider and pony to a
horrible death. Hour after hour we
drifted with the wind trying to locate
the end of the herd, perhaps not seeing
our ponies heads for that length of time,
the only way to guide ourselves in the
dense darkness being by the lowing and
believing of the now thoroughly fright.
ened herd. We heard the trample of feet
and the rattle of horns knocking against
each other and frequently the shout, or
rather yell, of another herder for the
dual purpose of keeping the steers quiet
and of letting his companions know his
whereabouts. What a terrible ex-
perience it was! Picture it!
Suddenly violent clap of thunder is
heard, and ragged flash of lightning
seen, and during that instant one of the
boys throws up his hands as he recog-
nizes second rider. But that motion,
quick as it is, attracts the attention of
some Of the leaders of the frantic herd,
and the steers stampede! In an instant
the ground trembles, the cattle make a
sudden rush, your pony takes plunge
forward and you imagine yourself in a
stormy sea with neither rudder nor COM
pass to guide you. Only the agility of
your pony saves you from instant death,
for you have drifted before the herd,
and, as the TANKS have taken fresh
fight, they are closing in upon you, and
when you remember a Texan steer is
nearly, if not quite, as fleet and long
winded as a cow-pony, you can in a
slight sense appreciate the danger. Ard
how dark it is! You lean forward in
the saddle, strain your eyes, dig your
spurs into the side of your now over
anxious but nearly played-out steed, all
the time galloping at fearful rate of
speed over strange country. Another
flash of lightning and you see the ground
ahead of you and note that your horse
has narrowly escaped tripping in a
praire-dog hole and that the herd is still
roaring and believing only length be-
hind you; you know your horse cannot
last much longer, but day is now nearly
breaking and you place your trust in
Providence. How many sinSSC but
earnest prayers have been offered up on
these desolate plains under similar cir
cumstances by men who know no relig-
ion!
The steers are also becoming winded
and gradually check their speed under
the reassuring effects of the approach of
day and the abatement of the storm, and
as the sun slowly energies from the
horizon you find yourself perhaps TWEEN
ty miles from the point where you
started and lots of work yet before you,
for you have still to gather the stray cat
tie or those who have fingered behind in
this mad race for life; and when this is
at last completed it is perhaps near IL
o'clock, and you yet have a ride of
twenty miles in the broiling sun before
you can get food or change your tired
pony for fresh Washington Post.