The Wadsworth dispatch. [volume] (Wadsworth, Nev.) 1892-1899, 1897-05-26
Wadsworth Dispatch,
PUBLISHED
So 90 Per Annum,
THE SWIFT.

AhlAhA Ahnt CAn nun - way FROM
. Bullet.
Having always felt an interest in
animal life, l made the best of a re-
cent opportunity to learn what 1
could about an animal which is, SO
far as / have been able to ascertain,
unknown to the authors of zoologi-
cal works, at least by the name I'M
der which the animal is known
where I found it. The quadruped of
which I write is found on certain
portions Of the staked plains of
western Texas and is known there
as the swift, a name which but fee
bly, expresses the cumming qualities
of the animal. The name swift is
also applied to certain birds and liz
ards, but it is also the only name
by which this fleet footed animal of
the plains Is known.
Any description of the swift must
from the animals nature be incom-
plete,s FOR a swift is always on the
move when a human being comes
within range of his vision, and it Is
claimed by the people who live on
the plains that a swift has never
been captured. This claim may be
untrue, but as a circumstance going
to show the wild nature of the ami
NAL l saw only two Of them during
a four months stay on the plains
in, l locality where they were said
to be rather numerous. -
When Z was first told about the
swift, Twas inclined to consider 1t a
myth. l said to the old plainsman
who was telling me a seemingly
miraculous story about ITS power to
get over ground" Does the swift
have a hole in the ground like the
other prairie animals, where he
may hide from pursuers7"
Holy smoke" CALCULATED the old
man. IA swift would not give his
four legs for the Mammoth cave
when it comes to getting awayfrom
any fool who has little enough sense
to chase him."
"The swift must be a pretty good
runner, II remarked.
"Runnerr' snorted the old man.
why. young feller. the swift is the
only yarmint on these plains that
can run of and leaves rife ball. .
/ saw ut once that the old fellow
had great faith In theswift'ss pow
ers Of locomotion. but itwas not nm
til | saw one splitting the atrnos-'
phere across the plains, rapidly put.
ting distance between himself and
me, until he faded away onathe mo-
rizon of the level prairie, that ]
fully realized the force Of the cid
mans remarks: ] had seen an ante
lope pursued by q pack. Of hungry
wolves. and I had witnessed some
pretty good horse races, but that
swift's burst Of speed against time
was the greatest run / ever beheld.
When the cowboys afterward told
me that the fastest horse on foot
could not catch the swift, ! readily
believed them. u
This phenomenal fiiers Of the
plains resembles the fox somewhat,
but lis taller and longer than Roy
nard, having the same bnshy tail.
The thing that first comes into ones
mind at sight of a swift Is the fact
that the animal is constructed espe-
cially for the purpose of running,
and that nothing has been omitted
from its make up that would en-
nance its ability to cover distance.
The second swift l saw, as well as
the first, was running when l first
saw him and engaged in the same
business when / last beheld him.
Thousands of cowboys and ranch
men on the plains will bear testimo
ny to the fact that the swift can
outrun the feetest horse. / saw a
young Kentuckian who had chased
a swift on a thoroughbred from the
blue grass country. He said of the
chase:
when / started, l thought / was
chasing a young wolf, but before
| the chase ended l concluded that ]
was Oh the track of a streak of light
ming that had taken on the form OF
a wolf to test the speed of my
horse
did you catch the swifta' ask.
ed.
II did not stay within sight OF II
for more than three minutes" was