Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1900-12-01


describe. and it would take good work
TO get there and back in day
L passed few houses. and these were
mostly one-storied affairs, roughly built
| OF the native white stone. and tenanted
| by low class of immigrants known. or
rather unknown to fame as "RooshianS' -
1t was about IL O'Clock when my re-
! trlgerated self descended the steep bluff
which borders the Smoky Hill river. The
point | was aiming for was a couple Of
miles to the eastward, down the stream.
! Turning Off the road | passed through
! one of those inventions of Satan, a wire
gate. drove swiftly over the crisp buffalo
grass along the level river bottom. and
! IN hfteen minutes more was just at the
| desired point. / Sketchcd the bend in the
river as carefully as my benumbed CON
dition would allow, holding the pencil in
| my closed fist. One break that entered
the river on the other side | could not
see TO my satisfaction was too con
Sclcntlous to guess at it, so began looking
! for suitable place to cross
| Now. the Smoky at that point is not n
very formidable river. In summer it dries
up entirely, and in winter its depth aver
ages not over two or three feet. The bed
is stretch of sand a quarter of a mile
WIDE while Of actual water there is not
third of that width. II is possible. with
care, TO cross Iii safety at frequent points,
especially in n pasture, where the cattle
keep the sand well packed dCwn.
As | skirted the stream. looking for a
place where i was possible to descend
the bank to the riverbend itself | heard
a sound as of the rolling of distant fhun-
der. What could it be? | stoned and
listened. Louder and louder it grew 4
roar and a rumble that seemed to shake
the earth. A little swell in the ground
cut off any extended view in the direc-
ton from which | had come. Waiting
| listened
Suddenly on the crest of the swell out
lined against the sky. looking like giant
of its kind. appeared one Of those wild.
lOng-hOrned Texas steers. Seeing me he
gave surprised snort. turned his males
tic head and uttered "A below OF nStruc-
ton to his followers. and then. as if de-
clded that l was not a sufficient obstacle
TO cause embarrassment, started on a
run down the slope straight toward me-
Then the whole herd came into view
one solid, tossing mass of lowered heads
and waving tails plungins in the lead
ers wake. There must have been a
thousand of them. but to nv excited
imagination. they seemed to darllen the
whole horizon, and they were coming
with an impetus that apparently nothing
could withstand.
Certain death stared me in the face.
Inc river was before me, and. at the
point where | stood. PERCEPTIONS bank,
four or five feet high, said as plainly as
a slgnboard. 40 thoroughfare." Right
in the bend of the stream as | was. es-
cape seemed impossible. The cattle were
closing in as in a funnel. Their sharp
horns ] could already see red with my
blood. and could picture 10 myself the
nangled mass of horse and man their
mad stampede would leave behind
Tho
Of the danger. With the open bride
which | always used he could see as
much as ]. and he began to rear and
plunge uncertain as | in what direction
safety .ay.
Could divide that living stream. cans
ing it TO pass me As an islandf | had
heard of such things in buffalo DAYS.
of the blackboard, fettcred by my many
garments and >waddled in the blanket,
and holding my frightened horse with
one hand. ! took off my gloves with my
teeth and drew my revolver from the
little pocket III the dashboard Whore |
always carried it-for ! sometimes
amused myself popn!nc at jark-rabbits
Ny fingers were so stiff with the cold
even this excitement not having warm
ed me up-that | despaired Of being able
TO pull the trigger.
The leader was almost on me. his horns
lowered. his wicked blazing eyes tdkluG
in this intruding and unfamiliar combl-
nation with a most terrifying effect.
With n supreme effort Of will my numb
finger pressed the sensitive trigger.
Bang. the report rung in my ears. Dld
hit him? | never knew. Chesapeake.
nervous and excited already, leaped at
the sound of the pistol like an arrow
from a bow. Entirely beyond my control
he flew ever the bank with me and into
the icy water. The pistol was thrown
from my hand and from the vehicle.
| struck face first and went cOrlplctc,
~ under NJ. hut the water was cold.
1t went to my very marrow. But with
grim determination | held onto the lines.
Not a moment did Chesapeake pause but
plunged through the freezing river. drag
ging in his wake the front wheels and
myself. the remnant of his disntcgratci
load. until we reached the sandy shore
opposite Then. for a wonder. he
stopped. Not such a wonder either. for
to drag by the bi through that soft
sand such Il dead weight a. | was
cnCuCh 10 stop even Chesapeake ].
more dead than alive. las stretched out
be,ira gglel. ncrvpleSs object
The cattle didn't 90 into the river az
eli. Whether my pistol shot haltej
them or whether the watery channel had
turned their course. | could nct say.
But the fact i thar when / stood again
on my feet there they were. believing
and tossing their horns on the bank. and.