The Portland daily press., 1892-10-12

speed ana finally stopped, p2ntlhg ara
quivering, all the run knocked out OF
them. OF what use was q handful OF
steers out of one Thousand and seven
hundred? Riding off a few yards !
listened, but could hear no sound OF my
companions. Becoming conscious Of a
severe pain in my left foot, reached
down and found that l was literally
pincush toned with the sharp needles of
"a cactus. having ridden through bed
of the prickIy stuff, my foot unprotected
by boots.
In the excitement of the run l had
not felt it, but now the pain was in.
tense. pluclled such as l could and
then deliberated what was best to do.
My lone dozen steers had wandered
away and I made no effort to overtske
them, knowing the uselessness of the
undertaking.
Here was predicament. In the mid
die of the prairie, shoeless, and SILVER
ing with cold, not knowing in what
direction to go to reach camp and my
horse blown with his fearful run. Know
ing the instinct of horses dropped the
bridle-reins and suffered him to go
where he would.
He promptly wheeled around and
started off on slow trot, which he kept
up for about fifteen minutes. I knew
we were camped on the bank of the
river, and supposed that he would go
in that direction, but wishing to test
his instinct I turned him from his
chosen course and to my dismay he COM
piled and started of in the new direc-
tion just as willingly. tested him
from every point Of the compass, and he
seemed to go in any direction just as
willingly. =.
1 gave up in despair then, and con-
cluded to keep kim moving until day
light, when I knew I could find the
river On he trotted, while I began to
curse the fate that ever led me to be-
come q cow-puncner. After riding ;
should Judge an hour was delighted to
find myself on the river bank; but then
q new question arose: Was the camp be-
fore me or behind me? Again tested
the horse. He would go up or down,
just as pleased. peered through the
darkness. trying to look for any thing
that might servo as guide, when afar of
in the distance saw a faint light which
grew to tiny blaze and then died out
Where there was a light there must be
life, and with renewed hope / galloped
off in that direction, and about ten
minutes later had the satisfaction of
seeing the canvas top of the mess wagon
looming up before me.
The light had seen was a match in
the. hands of one of the boys, who had
struck it to light the lantern. which
had burned out. Its last Pickering
gleam had been seen by me quite &C.
cidentally, and his providential light
ing of match had guided me Alright
We were the only two Of the outfit
who reached camp that night. The
others, like myself had chased the
cattle until they scattered, and had
spent the night in vain search for
camp. Daylight found many of them
travelling in an entirely opposite direc-
ton, and one nearly ten miles from his
destination.
Messengers were dispatched to q
ranch across the river and to another
twenty miles away. Men were sent to
our assistance, and with force OF
twenty cowboys the scattered cattle
were rounded up in two days and we
continued our journey. having lost but
six head in the wild stampede.
Evidences of the wild rush Of the
cattle were plentiful in the broken
horns, and two carcasses were found al
most trampled to a jelly. The poor
hrutes, exhausted. had fallen to the
ground only to be cut to pieces by the
sharp hoofs Of their companions Four
times they stampeded before Springer
was reached, but the stampedes
fortunately occurred on clear nights.
and we're stopped with little difficulty