Evening star., 1900-08-18
IN A HERD OF BuFFALoEs.
Dangerous Feat of Party OF Hunters
the Plains.


When buffalo could be found within half
a days ride from almost any ranch In the
great plains. and killing half a dozen in n
day was no particular feat the most ex-
citing sport was to dive into a herd with
well-trained cattle-roping horses and bring
out one or more yearling heifers for the
purpose Of raising them among the tame
cattle on the ranch. 1t was dangerous
sport, for the entire herd would unite with
the greatest ferocity to defend the calves
A cutting-out horse, that was also accus-
toned to the lasso, was the first essential
In an equipment Strong hair ropes heavy
revolvers and sharp hunting knives We're
the next things in the sportsman's outfit
AS soon as the calf was thrown upon its
side hopples Were placed upon its feet to
limit its power to run, 50 that ii would
fall behind the stampeded herd. Every
precaution had to be taken for safety, since
a single mistake or tardy action would cost
the life of both horse and man.
When all was ready the herd was ap-
preached as near as possible through a
gulch that led up near the animals from
behind hill near which they were grazing.
4 sudden dash was necessary in order to
prevent the bulls from getting to the point
OF attack before the calf was roped. Gen.
orally there was at least one hundred yards
of space to be covered in the run 10 the
herd, the COW must be shot down. and the
Gail ldSSbtd, Tangled. thrown. nbDplth. ana
the drag rope tied to its neck. all I'm time
for the horsemen to mount their horses
and get safely away before the infuriated
bulls could respond to the cries Of the calf.
When there was ravine or hill from
which the animals could be approached the
hunters could usually approach within easy
shooting distance by craving up after
their horses, who were caused to feed to-
ward the herd. The first stamp or snort OF
a bull was the signal for the hunters to
spring upon their horses and make dash
at the selected victims.
Early in the eighties a venturesome buy
er for noted menagerie lost his life
through a trivial mishap while endeavor-
ing To assist two experienced men in roping
calves for his show. A score of bulls, twice
as many cows and a dozen or more calves
Were found far out on the open prairie. 1t
took an hour to come within shooting dis
tance by the slow process Of creeping
through the grass after the feeding horses.
sun the old leader, a ponderous bull, who
stood as sentinel and guard upon a little
mound around which his flock was feed
ing, remained immnvable as a statue Near
er and nearer the horses fed until within
fifty yards, when a whif of scent-laden air
seemed to strike the bulls nostrils warn
ing him of impending danger. His head at
once began to sway back and forth. he
sounded a low. deep below of warning and
began to paw the sand slowly he gazed
at the three horses.
Now" exclaimed one of the hunters
Two Winchesters We're leveled and in a mo-
ment two cows fell beside their calves
The three men Sprang into their saddles
and before the amazed herd could respond
to the call of the sentinel bull two lassoes
cut the air and circled the shoulders of the
calves.
The horse of the Snowman was trained
for such work better than the man. He
was at full speed when the calves were
thrown upon their sides. The horse planted
his front feet in the sand and came to a
sudden stop, braced for a pull on the rope
that he supposed had been thrown from his
SADDLE. The snowman struck the earth ten
feet or more in front of the horse
At the first cry of distress from the calves
the whole herd in fury rushed to their as
sistance. The bulls with lowered heads
and eyes like Goals of fire came believing
upon the Snowman. A cannon could hardly
have been heard over their roars With
great pluck he got to his knees an. fired
both his revolvers at the foremost animal
i the bulfs legs gave way under him. but
ms tremendous momentum threw his body
forward and knocked the sh wman sense
less several yards away. The horse lodged
the lowered heads and leaped outside of
the line of their charge
Meanwhile one of the hunters had hon.
pied his calf, fastened the trailing rope TO
It's neck and got out of the way but the
other found himself surrounded before he
could make his lariat into a trailing rome
To escape the charge of one of the animals
he sprang aside and found himself sepa-
rated from both his horse and the calf
The huge brutes massed themselves around
In the rope, drew the horse closer and
closer to them. The furious group of beasts
were defeating their own purposes of re-
venge by crowding together in one an
other S way. None of them could turn upon
the enemy an have the room in which TO
make a charge. There was an instant of
and then one of the bulls made n
eap Tor the horse. A shot from the hunter
killed the animal, but not before the bull
had struck the imprisoned horse with such
lorce as TO knock him over upon his side
lie began to scream with pain and fear
His cries Immediately attracted the atten-
ION of the other buffaloes and a dozen
oulls spranS upon him. trampling and gor-
ng him to death. The man was now in
The midst of the grinding herd. Several
shots at close quarters made him a tenn
oorary bulwark of shaggy bodies, around
which the herd roared and surged
Presently there was heard the shrill
scream of calf fifty yards more beyond
he woolly mass. Its pathetic cries arose
above all the believing of furious bulls
There was sudden pause in the surging
mass and a silence through which the walls
1mL m the car came with startling distincIness.
he bulls raised their heads over one an
1thers backs. The pause was only for a
moment. With one fierce. deafening roar
All heads were turned in the direction nf
ne cry Tor help, and the earth seemed to
remble under the terrific charge. The i'm
1rlSoned hunter sprang upon one of the
bodies as the Gordon of animals broke
away and saw that his companion hunter
Effective but full of peril. He had caught
| yearling and wound it up in his rope
20 as to make it utter the loudest calls
or help. When he had succeeded in draw
ng the attack upon himself he cut the
,ope and mounted his horse barely twenty
eet in front of the foremost bull. sim
gle mlsstep of his horse and both would
nave been trampled and gored to Death,
With the instinct of a race for life the
horse sped on before the roaring beasts
The hunter that had just escaped death
)y this stratagem saw the shoWman's
lorse feeding hundred yards away He
prang from the carcass on which he was
standing and called the familiar signal.
The trained animal came toward him at
ull speed. He sprang into the saddle and
iashed away after the pursuing herd He
vas soon in the midst of the roaring ami
mails, firing his Winchester and revoIvers
Is fast as he could pull the triggers The
lerd became terror-stricken, and in a panic
oloughed straight across the plains The
lying horseman in front, being no longer
pursued, turned his horse out Of the road
II the fleeing mass and in a few minutes
oineu his companion. Together they went
o look for the Snowman. They found
lin near the buffalo he had killed crushed
o death.
Hirh-Heeled Sboa f- E.-o.