Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1899-01-19

NNfh oEC cditle 'NN
asked a grizzled plainsman VIII
has passed the greater part Of his liz
upon the great cattle ranges Of th'
west Il don't mean a promenade q
mich cows frightened by neighbor
hood dog. but the maddened hight o
several thousand head OF long-horue'
Texas steers, almost ss Wild as th'
| bunaloes OF former days, whose tramp
ing hoofs raise noise like thunder ant
whose long horns toss among q sea q
| waving heads: the whole moving mass
plunging madly over bin and plain
ready 10 dash over precipice or clih
and not TO be halted until fde leader
of The stampede have been turned oaei
into the body % the herd, and the band
IS made TO circle about until the mad
dened animals become So closely
wedeed together that itis Impossible
for them 10 move further. ! tell sou
il is magnificent spectacle, at once
grand and awe-iuspiring.
TO miil a stampede, as the operation
Of clrcling the leaders is termed, is Il
task fraught With extreme danger, as
II is necessary for the cowboys who
have charge OF the herd 20 ride az
breakueck speed side by side with the
leaders of the afFrightcd cattle gradual
IL nearing them Hatil the cattle yeef
from their original course and turn
back into the remainder OF the band.
The misstep 90 a pony in this mad race
of life and Heath is fatal TO the rider,
who Is cast beneath a thousand pairs Of
trampiing hoofs in the twinkling 81 an
eye, 70 be crushed aud trampled ont
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
q headlong chase after a stampedcd
herd. They become hardened 10 the
danger, and take the call to horse as
a matter Of course. But the uninifia;ej
rider would hesitate long and care
fully before riding away 10 pursuit o.
stampeded herd, going at headlong
speed side by side with the long-horned
and auk-bellied leaders OF the alright
ed cattle, gradually approaching closer
and closer, and finally driving them
back with a whoop and a yell into the
midst OF their followers, aud then cir.
cling around the band until the STAN.
pede has been milled aud the danger
Of self-destruction to the band has been
averted.
II remember once In the spring OF
1856 VIC were coming over the trail
with a band Of fully 1000 head Of the
wildest-eyed Texans that ever found
resting place in a slaughter house. The
season was a stormy one, and unusual
care had to be exercised to prevent FIRE
quent stampedes. Thunderstorns are
the worst enemies Of the peace Of the
cowboys and trail riders. and they were
frequent and OF great violence. Several
times the stampede OF the herd was
averted only by the prompt appear.
ance 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 ~ Il
Is termed. ard singing TO the immense
herd. Strange as il may seem. cattle
are quieted quicker by the notes Of
The human voice than by any Other
known agency. When night fails and
the night riders begin upon their cir.
Giles about the gathered cattle. the
sounds Of familiar airs ring out clear
upon the night air. and you may sec
the cattle gradually sinking down 10
the ground. as though soothcd and con.
soled by The singing. Round and round |
the hand ride the night riders. meeting !
each other as they circle In opposite /
and always singing. Trifipo |
incidents have been known TO STAN I
pede the quietest band. OCCASIONALLY /
an inveierate cigarette smoker win /
strike parlor match aud the sholt.
sharp snap of the match as it is itr1.ited |
viii arouse the sleeping steers and IL q
trice they are up and away in n ma,
chase over the glo>ly prairie.
We were aboul four DAYS from the
end Of our Journey and locking for.
ward with pleasure TO a speedy cessa.
iion OF the continued anxiety of the
trip. when a tragedy was enacted which
cast gloom over the spirits of the ou,.
~. and from which old plainsmen pre-.
tieied disaster to the trail herd On,
COWBOYS were FOR the most part Tex
ans and Mexicans. the former bo,
headed and quick to take oiTense. The
AFTER 'reacherous and revenpeful ~.
wren two Of the riders there vas m
Ieeiing. arising from some trivial as.
lgFee mrni al the beginning of the ,,;r
! ne difference between the ner -.
sra'''iallN aggravated until only a sparh
WI. necessary TO cause an evrlos;ou
ne climax came IN the morpiug -.
''a r'Fs, q Texan rider. lighted eira
1ft'e after he had finished bis -
asi. and after taking few vl,iT. :.
Nc snoi'r tossed il oarrlesslv 49,
WIS carried some ,1;s.,