The Forrest City times. [volume] (Forrest City, Ark.) 1871-1919, 1895-12-06

In view, and there, as if it had suddenly
sprung from the earth, we saw the ir-
regular, broken line of the adobe walls
OF Rancho del Paso, our resting place.
"Hurrah! 1t can't be more than four
miles away, Dell" cried. Come along;
let us drop into this dried-up arroyo and
get its shade till it runs out in the next
lowland," for we knew that such an
arroyo, or water course, cuts somewhat
deeply through the slow rises and but
little into the hollows of these plains.
While we dipped into the arroyo the
tufts of cacti on the upland seemed
! moving in the shmmering sunlight.
No more of the plain did we see until
we reached the lower level, when our
heads were higher than the fraved
sides of the water course. Then Del and
l cried out together in amazement. foS
countless cattle were near us on tie
plain.
AS we ran up out of the water course
we saw groups scattered as far as the
eye could reach. They fanked us On
both sides; hundreds were behind us:
compact array, almost numerous
enough to be called herd, stood on our
path to the ranch.
Toward this mass all the Others
seemed to be converging, as the slo,,-
ing sides of funnel trend toward its
hole, or rather as the horns of a COW
often curve inward at the tips.
Our course to the rancho lay almost
evenly between the sides of this living
TnnnpI R1t itc
Still. we believed we could pass round
that small, massed herd.
1t was not at all necessary for us 10
make the attempt, and we would not
have tried it had we imagined it to be
dangerous. Nothing but a little shade
and comfort could we gain by reach
ing the Rancho del Paso quickly Tilne
was of no account just then, for we
meant to stay at the rancho until the
next morning. And yet we went
"scorching" along with never a thought
of prudence or delay.
None of the cattle that fianked us on
either side were within 200 Yards when
we began the run. They were slowly
moving in groups, and those which
formed, as it were, the tips of the horns
were not within $50 yards of the herd
directly in our way. An opening lay
Oh each side of these. and we started for
the easterly gap at moderate speed, not
| imagining how the strange spectacle
OF bicyclers would hurry the cattle.
Scarcely had we started when the
commotion began. Thousands of eyes
turned to us; thousand snorts made
din; beasts near and far on our tanks
we're leaping as if to catch a glimpse of
us over others; the sounds of wonder
and alarm went to the massed herd in
front.
These leading cattle never seemed TO
glance behind to see the cause of the sud
den tumult, but broke into a slow run,
heads down and tails in air. Within ten
seconds the whole multitude of cattle
went crazy, as if with desire to mass
with the leading herd.
The leaders seemed equally desirous
to maintain their distance. They ran
massed and could not go at the top
speed of the fastest among them.
The quicker gallopers in the groups
that formed the sides of the funnel
could set their own pace and force that
of their companions. So the groups
strung out; they soon became two con-
tinuous but narrow columns on our
tianks, and these long columns were in
cessantly widened and solidified by the
inrushing of fanking cattle that made
short cuts to reach the stampeding
throng.
We've got to get through quickly or
they'll be on top of u.s." cried Del, look
ing at me with great alarm.
We'll get through-they'r not clos
ing the gap" | shouted, for we had to
shout if we would be heard above the
dull, strange din.
'They are!" he roared. "The cattle
in front are not running as fast as those
leading the sides. Don't you see the
sides slowly closing in?"
1t was true. The gap was narrowing
visibly. We put on all our speed. AS
the plain sloped slightly toward the
hext rise our pace was terrific. We
we're outrunning the cattle. We were
gaining on front and sides. But a great
fear that our speed was not enough to
carry us through the gap lay cold at my
heart.
Ii it had been possible for us to stop
them we should have rejoiced to do so.
But masses of cattle behind us were
galloping furiously-a dark, believing
array under the cloud of their own
dust. We dared not risk stop; we
could not turn aside; our only chance
of escape seemed to lie in outrunning
the flanks of the cattle impi. and SO es-
Gaping by the front.
4 i. Il u .