Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1892-03-03
A CATTLE FUNERAL.
HOW THE WILD HERDS or THE
PRAlRlES MOURN A DEATH.

HOW THE WILD HERDS or THE
PRAIRIEs MOURN A DEATH.
A Leader Shifts Decaying Carcass fron-
Afar and Bolts for the Grave, Followed
by the Believing Herd Creatures Come
from All Directions
A cattle funeral may seem an odd
thing to write about, but it is ten times
more sad to witness. If the observer
happens to be on foot in the vicinity of
the scene Of the ceremony, however. he
is apt to find it anything but odd. unless
there be tree or some other place of
refuge convenient. or the curious onlooa-
er be unusually fleet of foot.
But doubtless the average reader does
not know what cattle funeral is like,
and perhaps isnot inclined to give credit
to the possible existence of such thing.
If he has never lived in locality where
cattle of more or less untamed disposi-
ton are wont to range. he will certainly
never have had an opportunity to learn
by observation any Of the peculiar and
notable facts connected with this rel
markable phenomenon Of the range.
A cattle funeral, then. il nothing more
or less than exactly what the words seem
to indicate-a ceremony Of morning over
the untimely fate Of a departed herd
mate, in which every individual member
of the band that is within long range ear
or nose shot is bound to participate In
detail this ceremony consists of a sort of
walk around. accompanied with the
most doleful, ear piercing and heart
rending means, shrieks and bellowinga
and varied by ponderous pawings III the
ground and the most singularly dexter
GUS fingings Of the resultant dust upon
the backs of the four footed rnorners.
To observe or participate in 4 cattle
funeral let the curious minded 70 out
upon the range. select some spot which
is open and affords no obstruction to the
view, and from which no ''critter" is in
sight.
Having selected such spot. let one Of
the CRITTERS be brought quietly and se-
cretly from distance, and without IN
due ostentation, as becomes poachcrs
upon another mans range, let him he
done to death. Let the offal BE secreted
where even the coyotes cannot find it,
and let the hide and flesh be carried
carefully away Then let earth Be
( thrown on the blood stains to hide al
traces of disturbance. and let this all be
done so well that even the human eye
can detect nothing that would reveal
what had been done.
THE LEADER sNIFFs THE WIND.
Then let the twenty-fonr hours. 0r
I even less, pass. unless indeed there be
cattle within mile or less lit the time
of the slaughter But for the purpose
Of illustration suppose that twenty-foar
hours have elapsed.
Then suppose 4 lot Of one or two nun
dred head of cattle come drifting down
over the range to the leeward Of the
spot where the slaughter Of the day
previous occurred. The leader Of the
/ herd may be twoor three miles. perhaps
farther. from the scene of blood. sud
denly he commences to show sig n OF
uneasiness Though the grass be deep
and luxnriant hp only feeds "A few lffO-
menta continuously, lifting his head and
buSSlHS Ills HOliAS ~ VA oil SutAA9 Nalr
near.
Suddenly there is strong puff Of
wind and as the nostrils OF the leader
inhale the air a transformation occurs
/ like a fash of lightning. He halts.
I throws his nIuzzle into the air and then
emits most unearthly. prolonged
/ weird, moaning shrek or below. 1t Is
like none Of the various noises made
upon other occasions, Int has tone
that is all its own and which isevidentIy
well understood by the entire herd
\ With another shrek. which rau llr
heard for a mile and even further thp
leader breaks into rum with his tail III
4 the air and with his head shaking an
/ grily from side TO side, followed by all
( the members of the herd, each adding to
the volume of sound that now fills the
air. As other animals feeding quietly
at distance hear the peculiar sounds
they, too, prick up their ears, then with
answering shrieks they gallop wildly
toward the excited band and ION it In
pursuit Of the leader.
TERRIFIC SCENE
That animal quickly arrives al the
telltale spot. He snuffs at the ground
meanwhile lsshing his sides with BIS tail
and believing continually in 4 manner
that suggests the height of rage Ills
eyes fash wildly, the froth drops from
his jaws and hecks his neck and body.
He paws the ground angrily with his
hoofs. and BY dexterous twisting man
ages to cast great masses of the earth
into the air and upon biz bacz.
The others come racing MP and crowd
closely about the spot where their mate
was slain. An inner circle Is formed ay
the excited animals. with their heads ali
pointing to common center, and these
below and paw the ground and race
around and around until exhausted.
! Meanwhile the others are circling rapid
" about the central cluster and finally
displace the earlier arrivals. whereupon
they too 60 through the same perform
ance-
The scene il a terrific one- HciTS are
clashed against horns. the believing VT
the angry animals i deafeniAg. the alr
is filed with dust. the beasts seem actin
ated each BY some particular malevo-
lent spirit, and their actions appear
prompted almost by hnman understand
ing.
Occasionally the scene Of blooishe'l
will be discovered by some wandering
.scritter~ who has that portion If the
range to himself temporarily. There
may be no other cattle within two cr
three miles. yet the lone monrner Will
commence the procedure already ae-
scribed. and within a quarter Or half ia
hour he viii have been joined by others.
while inside Of an honr there will Ike j
dense mass of excited cattle on the spot
and from the range in every direction
others viii be seen hnrryiag f. the
scene.
Altogether cattle funeral is one Of
the oldest and most interesting sights
that can be witnessed By man up
tree.-San Francisco Chronicle.
FDiled Again.
10 prove how great u cheat II fame.
IA