The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1900-02-27

PRIME anu ghnOpeo mholy along, SUI
fering from a panic for which no real
cause existed on earth.
whats the matter with the cattle ?"
asked a tenderfoot, as he galloped be-
side an old cowboy.
They've seen the devil, / expect"
the cowboy replied; "and we will catch
it before we get through with this
thing"
AS the herd rushed on their horns
ratified together, and all the horns of I
$4,000 head of cattle rafting together |
sounded like an immense concert of /
castanets.
Cattle are not able to sustain long
run, and this the cowboys know. For
instance, mad speed of five miles is
enough to break down almost any
steer; and the cattlemen knew how the
country lay beyond them, and in this
respect they had an advantage.
The reinforcement of the cowboys
who were off duty, and who had hastily
mounted and joined those on watch at
the time. gave them a strong advan-
tage in the efforts being made to stop
the stampede. The plan was TO get
the cattle to milling" or running in
circle. The elder of the Wilson broth
ers had been cowboy from childhood.
He was riding a cream-colored stall
lion, and as he passed me he had his
Colts revolver in his hand. One of the
cowboys on gray horse was able to
keep up with him. These two distanced
all the others. They rode across the
front nf hQ CT 10 ~. =
attended with terrific danger; for when
a rider is in front Of the rushing drove
OF mad cattle, if his horse should STUN
bic and fall, he may be put down as
thing of the past. The herd will wipe
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
so fully 20 yards in advance, and toward
this leading group the two rescuers
rode. Of the leading group, also, some
were faster than others, and this prouo
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
obilque, and as the leading bunch of
cattle obliqued the main stampede OBJ
liqued, and the first step in milling"
had 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 ard
painfully; but they were rushing on.
because the front cattle at this time
knew as matter of fact their only
safety was in keeping up the run.
Those 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 stimu,ants; and
but 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 be sue
ceeded in getting mounted, after having
fumbled with his bride good deal,
he was far in the rear and the stampede
had gone past him, so that when he
overlook the rear end, he 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-
ton of bending the moving mass from
a straight line to a semicircle. Re
volver 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 a wash in the prairie,
forming deep ravine fully 80 yards
wide; and in shorter time than it
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 Heutenants 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
breast-work of carcasses and save the
rear end from the destruction that had
overtaken the front. The gulley was
nearly full of cattle by this time. They
were 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