Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1895-05-30

"Hou can ma men equal to hand
ling wild cattle without going to the
Western ranges" said Gotham
sportsman. II saw young Pennsyl-
vania farmer tackle an ugly bull last
September and get the better Of him
in great shape. For downright nerve
and readiness his performance beat
anything that ever came under my
observation. 1t occurred in q coun-
try district, known as the Rock Hill
neighborhood, among the foothills
Of the Alleghanies. where was pass
ing fortnight's vacation.
II was going along the road afoot
one morning on my way to o stream
where / expected to find some good
bass fishing. passed an unusually
neat looking farmhouse, and .
quarter OF q mile beyond met the
owner driving yoke OF oxen. He
was pleasant faced. stalwart young
fellow, who handled his 'goad stick
like wand, and he gave me a cherry
good morning as we passed. A half
minute later l heard the believing
of an angry bull and a child's voice
screaming in the pasture on the left
of the road. A little girl was rum
ming toward us, and after her came q
bull. a big white Durham with short
thick horns, who was cutting pace
that would bring him to the child
before she could get half way to the
fence. A little red cape that she
was wearing had excited the bulls
anger.
II started for the pasture. but the
young farmer was ahead OF me.
Keeping hold of his goad stick with
one hand he placed the other on tlse
upper rail, vaulted over the fence as
lightly as trained gymnast, and
ran like deer for the child. He
got to her just as the bull, about
fifty feet behind her, lowered his
head and broke into a gailop. With
out stopping the farmer caught the
red cape from her shoulders and
leaped in toward the bull two or three
PAGES more, then sheered to one side,
shaking the cape toward the animal
as he ran. The bull, with his eyes
fixed on the red cloth, turned as
sharply as he could to follow it, and
chased the young man, WHO ran in
a direction to lead him away from
the child. For so heavy an animal,
the bull handled himself with wonder
full quickness, and, though he lost
little ground in turning, he soon over
hauled the farmer, who, at the last
momsnt, faced him and jumped to
one side, at the same time thrusting
the red cloth in front of the animal.
The short, sharp horns tapped the
garment upward as the bull rushed
by, and the farmer, slipping behind
the beast as he passed, ran for q tree
short distance away, the cape
thrown back over his shoulder. The
bull set out after him, and by that
time / had reached the child and
was getting her to the fence.
AFTER l had got the little girl
safely over the fence turned to see
how things were going in the pasture.
The farmer was playing game OF
tag with the bull and the tree, and
he called to me that he was all right
and to stay where / was. The tree
was maple, two feet in diameter,
and, do the best he could, the bull
couldn't get round the tree fast
enough to overtake the man or stretch
his neck enough to reach him with
his horns. The farmer had kept hold
OF the goad stick all the time, and as
the bull thrust his head to one side
or the other OF the trunk he received
the sharp brad in his nose or blow
from the heavy butt on the tip of
his horn, both very sensitive places
in horned cattle. The bull got tired
of the game first and backed away a
few steps, shook his head and seemed
to fall to thinking Presently he
took a mouthful Of grass to help his
meditatioEs, then another and
another. The farmer stood quiet
and kept the red cloth out of sight.
The bull kept on browsing and
seemed to have got oil over the idea
Of fighting. Presently he lifted his
head, looked over at the cattle feed
ing at the other end Of the pasture,
and then, as if sudden thought had
struck him, trotted away to join them
The young man went out into the
pasture to pick up the little girls
berry pail, and then came back to
the road laughing as If a tussle with
fierce bull was the best OF jokes.
"'That's fine animal lie said.
Did you ever see such neck and
shoulders on horned crltter? Tool,
first premium at five county fairs.
l got him for 5000 after he killed
Squire Kempton's hired man two
years ago. 1t was the red cape that
stirred his dander; but lordl he's
the most peaceable beast in the world
IL you don't excite him.
HE gave the little girl her pail
and cape and told her to 60 home,
nodded to me, and started after his
oxen, which were just turning into
the farmyard. Here was hero who
had done feat worthy o Spanish
matador. AMI he didn't know il or
care about it,"