Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1897-12-09

Colts revolver In his hand. One of the
cowboys on a gray horse was able to
keep up with him. These two distanced
all the others They rode across the
front of the stampede, which is a feat
attended with terrific danger; for when
q rider is In front of the rushing drove
of mad cattle, il his horse should STUN
bic and fall, he may be put down as a
thing of the past. The herd will wipe
him out" This Mr.. Wilson knew, and
the cowboy riding close to his crupper
also knew; but they were going TO
take all the dangers and get that herd
running in circle if it were possible to
do so.
Some cattle can outrun others, and
In this case there was bunch of about
so fully 20 yards In advance, and toward
this leading group the two rescuers
rode. OF the leading group, also, some
were faster than others, and this group
ran in a diamond shape, with two i'm
mense steers leading all. When Mr.
Wilson and his companion reached the
two leading steers they began shoot
ing their revolvers close to them, and
in that way the bunch was made to
ioblique, and as the leading bunch OF
cattle obliqued the main stampede OBJ
nqued, and the first step in milling"
had been taken. BY this time the cat
tile were getting tired. Nearly five
miles had been cc<ered, and the breath
of the leaders was coming short and
painfully; but they were rushing on,
because the front cattle at this time
knew as a matter of fact their only
safety was in keeping up the run.
Those behind were coming, and they
were in the majority, and the leaders
were compelled to run. There was real
danger for the forward members of the
stampede.
In the invoice of articles contained
in the regulation "outfit," there is al
ways some kind Of stimulants; and
but for the stimulants contained in Mr..
Wilson's outfit 1t is possible that the
stampede would have been halted with
out disaster. He had a Mexican along,
one of the best cowboys in the south
west. This Mexican and his horse al
ways reminded those who saw him ride
OF the tabled .centaur. He rode far for
ward ard bent over, so that he and his
horse appeared to be one animal. Nc
horse, however, rugged, wild and wool
ly," had ever been able TO unseat him
This Aztec had been to the little brandy
runlet too often. and had filed and
emptied his tin cup with surreptitious
intoxicants, 30 that his usual excellent
judgment went awry. When he sue.
ceeded In getting mounted, after having
fumbled with his bride a good deal
he was far in the rear and the stampede
had gone past him, so that when he
overlook the rear end, he passed to the
front on the other side, and rode on
the wrong flank. When he reached the
head of the herd he was Just In time TO
defeat the maneuver then under eNecu-,
tion of bending the moving mass from
straight line to semicircle. Re.
volver in hand. disregarding the other
men, he began shooting in the faces Of
the wild steers; and the effect Of this
was to straighten the run and bring the
advance straight toward a precipice.
This pTecipice was a wash in the prairie,
forming a deep ravine fully 80 yards
wide; and in q shorter time than II
takes TO tell of this contretemps the
head of the column was pouring over, a
horrible cascade of beef, plunging
madly into destruction while fleeing
from an imaginary danger. When Mr.
Wilson and his lieutenants saw that II
was impossible to save their cattle they
saved themselves by dexterously turn.
ing at right angles at full speed and
riding out Of the way. They next re-
turned to the flank and held n council
Of war. A few seconds decided them,
and all hands commenced shooting into
the herd. the object now being to build
u breast-work of carcasses and save the
rear end from the destruction that had
overtaken the front. The gulley was
nearly full OF cattle by this time. They
were snorting and believing, crashing
and tearing. and still heaping up; and
when the firing began the wounded
ones tumbled over on the others, and In
o short time the gulley, like the sunken
road at Waterloo, was bridged by car
caSses. The herd surged up in pillows
like an ocean, and bent now, because II
could not do otherwise. The semi
circle was formed. and Wilson and his
men crossed the gulley below and rode
around the opposite side and recrossed;
and In a short time they had the cattle
halted, forming nm incomplete letter o.
and there they stood, blowing, below
ing, shivering. All hands remained on
watch NIL night, and in the morning
when n count was made IL was ascer-
tanned that 2,700 head were missing
There were afterward 2.700 pairs OF
horns taken from that gulley. II was
called Stampede Gulley for many years
afterward. and perhaps will always,
with some people. tbe remembered by
that nnme.-N. v. Independent