Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1897-07-17

they were settled for the night. There
were about 900 beeyes in the bunch, and
only five men and the cook to handle
them, The foreman was with me on
first relief. As we rode slowly around
the herd. turning back the few strag-
glers that were still feeding, we noticed
the big blue looking for a soft spot to
lie down. With a jab of his glossy black
horn. he invited tirst-comers to make
way and not to crowd in. Hemust have
been nine years old by that time, and
was the biggest OK l ever saw. 1t is
not the least use TO tell you about the
spread of his horns, because you never
will believe it unless you see them. and
you never viii see them unless you go
down to Texas and look them up in the
statehousc.
"Well, that evening, with everything
so peaceful and a cloudless sky, with
the bunch only one days drive from the
railroad, it looked like we had dead
cinch on the big blue. It's the greatest
wonder on EARTH said to the foreman,
that he didn't get away in the storm
last night
"'0h, he's too fat and lazy this year
to do much running, | guess replied the
foreman. But every man must keep his
eye on him tomorrow. When we get
in sight OF the cattle pens, he will try to
pull OUT
"The big blue steer did not wait for a
sight OF the cattle pens. That night
the second relief was the cook and a
sooner. When they turned out and we
turned in, every beef was lying down,
but had hardly staked my night horse
and rolled up in my blankets, when,
with a crash of interfering horns, every
beef was on foot. There seemed to
come an instant's pause and silence,
then, with a rush and a roar, the whole
herd was heading toward the Indian
reservation.
EVERY man in the saddle beloved
the foreman, springing up, and shoot
that big blue steer on sight!'
IF there had been two men on guard
instead of a sooner and a slush, the
herd might possibly have been headed
but | don't know. They had rested
up all day, and now they were off for a
record. By the time the men in camp
could get under way the beeves were
three miles ahead, and we never sight.
ed them for five hours. They left a
broad, plain trail in the softened
ground, which w followed at as live
a pace as the horses could stand up
to. About daylight we overlook the
stragglers. We were now in the
reservation, with the trail still heading
away over the rolling prairie in nearly
l straight line. All but two men had
exhausted their mounts and fallen be-
and. For near two hours longer we
our tired horses on, and at last.
" miles from last nights camping
,round, we trailed the herd right
mack into a big corral, with a big pad
ock on the gate and a big, grinning
'uck Indian sitting on each gate post,
NV " piS 'aih Win the INDIANS at
heir village near by, the foreman got
heir demands FOR trespass reduced
rom $40 a head down to $3.50. Then
ley opened the gates and counted 76O
cad. Those fellows made us hold the
took two days on the reservation while
hey sent off and cashed the check. The
cost about $1,000 in money and
weeks time in getting back to the
'Ilroad' AS | tell you, the bunch ran
miles without letting up, and they
ere pretty fresh at the end.
The big blue? No, he was not in
lie corral, and | never saw him aoain
How do know that his horns are in
lie Texas capitol? Well, | don't ex.
lily know it, but l know they OUGHT
be- Tor they were the finest, biggest
ackest, longest horns ever worn by n
steer."~San Francisco Arpo.
tut.