The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1897-12-17

country lay beyond them, and in this
respect they had an advantage.
Inc reinforcement of the cowbovs
who were off duty, and who had hastily
mounted and joined those on watch NJ
the time, gave them a strong advan.
tage in the efforts being made TO sion
the stampede. The plan was to oct
the cattle to milling" or running II
circle. The elder of the Wilson broth.
ers had been cowboy from Childhood
lie was riding a cream-colored stall.
non, and as he passed me he had HE
Colts revolver in his hand. One of tbo
cowboys on gray horse was able to
keep up with him. These two distanced
an the Others. They rode across the
front OF the stampede, which is fea,
attended with terrific danger; for when
rider is in front of the rushing drove
of-mad cattle, if his horse should stum.
Die and fall, he may be put down as a
thing of the past. The herd will "w;ne
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
Oh fuily 20 yards in advance, and toward
TINS leading group the two reseuers
rode. Of the leading group, also. some
were faster than others, and this oroun
ran In 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 10
oolique, and as the leading bunch of
cattle obliqued the main stampede oh
liqued, and the first step in "millipp"
mad been taken. BY this time the cat
tie were getting tired. Nearly five
miles had been covered, and the breath
OF the leaders was coming short and
palnfully; but they were rushing on.
because the front cattle at this time
knew as matter of fact their only
sa1ety was in keeping up the run.
lhose 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
put for the stimulants contained in Mr..
Wilson's outfit, it is possible that the
stampede would have been halted with
out disaster. He had 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. No
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, SO 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, be 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 execu-
tion of bending the moving mass from
a straight line to a semicircle. Re
yolver 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 precipice was wash in the prairie,
forming deep ravine fully 30 yards
wide; and in a shorter time than 1t
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 it
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 a council
Of war. A few seconds decided them.
and all hands commenced shooting into
the herd. the object now being to build
d breast-work Of carcasses and save the
rear end from the destruction that had
oxertaken the front. The gulley was
nearly full Of cattle BY this time. They
we're 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, Ike the sunken
road At Waterloo. was bridged by car
casses. The herd surged up 10 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 gulIey below and rode
around the opposite side and recrossed:
and in short time they had the cattle
halted. forming an incomplete letter o.
and there they stood. blowing. below
Ing. shIvering All hands remained on
watch all night. and in the morning
when a connl was made It was ascer
tanned that e.700 head were missing
There were afteward 1900 pairs OF
horns taken from that gulley. II was
called Stampede 0ulley for many year.
afferNard ana perhaps win alwavs
with some people be remembered
Tint name.-N Y Independent