The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-01-02
WILD RIDE ON ABULL
TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE or. A PLuckv
PENNSYLVANIA WOMAN.

Her Daughter Dangerously III = Dooser
Far Away-No Horse 1t Hand-A wild
Steer Was Riddsn--Tho Return Trip
Hesdlong Charge-A Heroic Exploit.
The emergencies which made heroines
Of SO many women of the early colonial
days have not even now ceased to arise
in some parts even of the older settled
portions Of the country. An instance In
this line occurred only few days since,
and within few hours ride Of New
York, which might we'll go down with
some of the pluckiest exploits of the
pioneer mothers.
In desolate, lonely place near Star
acca, Pa, there lives family consisting
of husband. wife and young daughter.
The husband has to be away from home
q good deal on account OF the nature OF
his work and was away recently when
his daughter was taken i'll. The mother
exhausted her store Of household reme-
dies, but the girl grew rapidly worse.
There was not doctor within more
than four miles, and there Was no neigh
Dor within reach to 60 Tor him.
But even that was not all the poor
mothers source Of perplexity. The girls
condition was fast becoming so alarm
ing that, desperate as the step seemed,
she saw that she must herself go for the
doctor. And there was no horse to take
her. Her husband was too poor to own
horse even if he had much use for one,
which he had not. The wild mountain
roads were rough and clogged in places
with snow. To think Of undertaking
the journey on foot and ever getting to
the doctor in time to bring him tothe
sick girls bedside in season to have his
service Of any avail seemed little short
of madness.
But the doctor must be reached 9TH
erwise the child's death seemed certain.
The woman went to the doorway Of her
| little home and looked forlornly out on
| the bleak wintry hills. Then an idea
came to her. It was desperate, but the
situation demanded desperate measures.
Among the live stock her husband owned
was a young and frisky bull, barely Q
years old, but rather tanned down by
scanty rations and the general winter
depression. He was skinny, and his
backbone suggested q serrated ridge Of
| miniature peaks. But the brute had
abundant strength to travel, and II he
could be dubbed into some sort OF sense
be might serve as conveyance.
There was nothing to hitch to; he
must be ridden. So after exhaustive
maneuvering the plucky woman man.
aged to get q rope tied to each OF his
horns, and, with a strong club in her
hand, she at last managed to mount
him and head him out into the high
way. he proved very sensible and de-
Gently disposed sort if beast, obeying
the sharp jerks to the right and left
from the ropes ON his horns and gallop-
ing of finely along the road when he
was properly encouraged by the club. II
was not an equestrian expedition that
would quite do for the park, but the
poor mother thought little of that. She
was after the doctor to come and save
her child from death, and after nearly
two hours rough jolting she got there.
The doctor was not at home, and II
would be some time before he would re-
turn, but his wife promised for him
that he should respond to that call If he
never did to another. She urged the
woman to wait and ride back with him,
but she would not listen to it.
She must get back to her child, and
of she went again on her grotesque
mount The bull had settled down to a
philosophic acceptance Of the situation
by this time and started off at brisk
canter, possibly with some sordid asso-
citation in his intellectuals between the
homeward road and the shelter and fod-
der at the end Of it. About mile from
the house he saw man driving noun
tain wagon along the road in front of
him, and that man had the fnconceiv-
able impudence to wear q red shirt.
From that time on the return trip
was one wild, headlong charge. The
man heard the snorting and clatter be-
hind him. and when he looked around
and got q glimpse of the awful night
mare freak that was pursuing him he
lashed his horses onward with the very
frenzy Of fright.
There was no need Of the club now.
It fell by the wayside, and the woman q
energies were devoted to hanging ON.
She olung to the bulls back until he
reached her home, when she rolled on
unharmed in the mow, while the bull
and the man In the red shirt disap.
psared in . oloud Of flying snow and
gravel over the crest Of the nearest hill.
At the last accounts no tidings Of either
The one or Nhe othse had been received.
But the doctor came along soon after
and had two patients on his handa. for
the mother, too, had to take to her bed
after her rough experience. Her daugh.
tsr's life was saved. however, and she,
too. will soon be none the worse for hel
heroic exploit. New York World.
Niagara Co Have . Vast Hotea.
Colonel George K Gouraud has pur.