The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1897-09-24
Mrs. Drifter a
. Bas Fer Say.
she found Wild Bulls, Dry Rivers,
and Chigres ia Texas.

hIu ~se~ 1~sAA AA<AN 6iS"
lvl the other evening. Some of Drift
er's friends had called, and the subject
of his adventures in the south came up.
"Of course, it is all right" said Mrs.
Drifter, "for Drifter to tell about the
trials he endured when he was the edi-
tor of a paper in Texas. l never put in
such time in my life. expected that
Drifter would come home to me shot
full of holes some night. When was
down at his Office reading the proofs of
that cunning little daily paper he got
out it used to make my blood run cold
to hear those men talk about gun plays
so and SO had made up in somebody's
saloon.
"Drifter reassured me by telling me
that the crack of pistol did not al
ways mean that somebody had been hit,
but you know what brave man Drifter
is. No, you don't either. You say you
don't know anything about the time he
saved our lives down in Texas? don't
think I ever realized before Just how
courageous Drifter Is. You know had
not seen ranch nor herd of cattle
since arrived in Texas, and begged
Drifter to take me where the real Pan
handle cattle could be seen, SO he took
me out to the stock yards beyond Fort
Worth.
"Times were very, very hard down
there, and the packing house was
closed, and there were no signs of life
at the stock yards. We walked around
and around the huge Enclosure, and
tried to imagine what it must be like
when the herds of Texas steers came in
from the Panhandle. We had gone quite
a little distance from the high board
fence. and were admiring the scenery,
when some cows come strolling along.
We stood watching and admring them
until about so or rs had passed us. when
all at once there doomed up before us
an immense Texas bull. His manner
was dignfied and masterful. He looked
at us. elevated his head, shifted. and my
heart gave jump
THAT was when Drifter and his in
born bravery came to the front. 1t is
needless to say that was frightened.
] thought my last moment had come.
The fence of tie stock yards must have
been so feet high; at least it looked so
to me. Drifter afterward said that it
was not more than IS. but know that
the trees around it were not so high as
the fence. He grasped me by the hand
and said:
Little girl. run for the fence. Twill
stay here and protect you.
II was brought up in the country, and
know it is the height of foolishness to
run from wild animal, so fatty re-
fused. If we are going to die, we will
die together, Drifter,' said l, but the
best thing to do is to back slowly away
from that awful bull We backed
toward the fence. and the bull paced
toward us, never taking his eyes off us.
know could hear Drifter's heart beat,
but it must have been anxiety for me,
for he Is not afraid of anything.
".Get behind that tree he said, and
his voice sounded as if it was away off
somewhere, and felt as if we we're to
be separated forever. Reassuringly he
said:
~ will see that he does not touch
you With that he took out his little
pocket knife, opened the blade, which
was not over three inches long, and
said: 'There!' with as much defiance
in his tone as if he had been behind
stone barricade and armed with a
Martini rife. Somehow or other we
got to that fence at last. 1t was evil
dent that Drifter would not let me
take any chances alone, for he got
there as soon as did, and if you ever
saw two people climb high fence
in the quickest possible space Of time,
it was Mr.. and Mrs. Drifter.
Eve sat there on the top of the fence
until dusk. and Drifter never let go
of the knife. l really believe that if the
bull had attacked me Drifter would
have stabbed him with that penknife.
In the evening, after | had mustered
up courage enough, we made our way,
keeping close by the fence, until we
reached little hotel connected with
the stock yards. Drifter never said a
word about the adventure, and you
Noulu NV noNS hC AldO NoiV
anything at all remarkable, but know
that he saved my life from the wild
Texas bull"
1t took Mrs. Drifter's friends some
time to rise to proper appreciation
of the courage displayed by her hus
band in that time of danger, and after
she had famed herself vigorously, she
continued:
you ought to get Drifter to tell you
about the time we went out to the lake
near Fort Worth. was just dying for
sight of body of water. 1t did seem
to me as If I would dry up there in Tex
as unless l could get within sound Of
the oceans roar, so Drifter did the best
he could. He took me out to a pleas
ure resort about five miles from the
city, at a place called Arlington. The
trolley cars ran there, and the COM
pany made a great fuss over the Airing
ton lake. told Drifter would be sat
isfied If l could spend few hours in
saiTboat out there. At any rate,
would see body OF water once again
in my life.
well, we Ind our dinner at the hotel,
and said: Now, Drifter let us get
right out on that lake as quick as pos
sible.' The people In the hotel office
told us in what direction to walk to the
lake. and we walked. We kept on walk
ing. and not sign Of lake was to
fbe seen. At last we found our way back
to the trolley line, and asked one of
the RAILROAD men where the Arlington
lake was.
"'Oh.' he said, i guess they have not
turned the water on yet. There isn't
much of crowd. Last Sunday there
--~-~-
was big excursion, then you could
have seen the lake full of water
Turn the water ont | exclaimed.
4 thought they advertised sailboats
and pond lilies and all that sort of
thing?'
so they do. ma am said the troll
ley man. but you know it's pretty dry
country down here, and they can't
afford to waste. water on that lake un-
SsseeessSee