The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-05-08
MILLING A STAMPEDE
PERILOUs TASK. TO ROUND VI A
RUNAWAY HERD
Nervousness of Texas Steers on the
PIains-A Chase After Il Herd OF
1000 Cattle Stampeded In q
Thunderstorm. 80

Bismarck, NJ D., Special to New York Sun.
ever see a cattle stampede?" asked
a. grizzled plainsman who has passed
the greater part Of his life upon the
great cattle ranges of the West. Il
don't mean a promenade of mich COWS
frightened by a neighborhood, but the
maddened flight Of several thousand
head Of long-horned Texas steers, al
most as wild as the buffaloeS of for
mer days, whose tramping hoofs raise
a noise like thunder and whose long
horns toss among a sea of waving
heads; the whole moving mass plung-
ing madly over hill and plain. ready to
dash over a precipice or a cliff, and
not to be halted until the leaders of
the stampede have been turned back
into the body of the herd, and the
band is made to circle about until the
maddened animals become so closely
wedged together that it is impossible
for them to move further. I tell you,
it is magnificent spectacle, at once
grand and awe-inspiring.
ITO mill a stampede, as the operation
of circling the leaders is termed, is IL
task fraught with extreme danger, AS
it is necessary for the cowboys who
have charge Of the herd to ride at
breakneck speed sid by side with the
leaders of the affrighted cattle, grad
ually nearing them until the cattle
veer from their original course and
turn back into the remainder Of the
band. The misstep of a pony in this
mad race Of life and death is fatal to
the rider, who is cast beneath thou
sand pairs of trampling hoofs in the
twinkling of an eye, to be crushed and
trampled out Of recognition. And yet
rarely a season passes but the hardy
cowboys are called upon, sometimes at
dead of night, to mount their horses
and away in headlong chase after Il
stampeded herd. They become harden
ed to the danger, and take the call to
horse as matter of course. But the
uninitiated rider would hesitate long
and carefully before riding away in
pursuit of stampeded herd, going at
headlong speed, side by side with the
long horned and lank-bodied leaders
OF the affrighted cattle, gradually ap-
preaching closer and closer, and final
ly driving them back with a whoop and
a yell into the midst of their follow
ers, and then circling around the band
until the stampede has been milled
and the danger of self-destruction to
the band has been averted
L remember once in the spring of 1856
we were coming over the trail with q
band of fully 1000 head Of the widest
eyed Texans that ever found resting
place in a slaughter house. The sea-
sen was a stormy one, and unusual care
had to be exercised to prevent frequent
stampedes. Thunderstorms are the
worst enemies of the peace of the cow
boys and trail riders. and they were
frequently of great violence. Several
times the stampede of the herd was
averted only by the appearance of the
entire band Of cowboys, who rode
around the herd until the storm had
Passed. At night four night riders were
regularly detailed to circle about the
band, standing guard as it Is termed,
Strange as 1t may seem, cattle are
guteted quicker by the notes of the
human voice than by any other known
agency. When night falls and the night
riders begin upon their circles about
the gathered cattle, the sounds of
familiar airs ring out clear upon the
night air, and you may see the cattle
gradually sinking down to the ground,
as though soothed and consoled by the
singing. Round and round the band
ride the night riders, meeting each
other as they circle in opposite direc-
tics, and always singing. Trifing in
cidents have been known to stampede
the quietest band. Occasionally an in
yeterate cigarette smoker will strike a