The Savannah morning news., 1901-02-26
SAVED BY cow BOYS.
OF A WOMAN FROM MAD
RVsH OF sTAMPEDED CATTLE.

rrecipicc Into the Colorado River.
From the Chicago Tribune,
half dozen or more Texas girls. and
40 fifteen or twenty cattlemen and
,,uhovs were recently witnesses near
,,.rble Falls of one of the most fright
=, scenes that ever occurred on the
western plains. They saw about 500 head
} -, badly frightened steers stampede and
art in their mad rush straight toward a
,nff on the Colorado river, that rises in
,,e form of a great natural wall to a
sight of more than 200 feet above the
marking waters of the stream.
10 Westerner there is nothing new
and little that is alarming about the
e,gbt of a herd of cattle under ordinary
circumstances. In this instance some
hing had happened which caused. every
observer to peer through the cloud of
dust raised by the hoofs Of the animals
in amazement and terror. The whole
herd might roll in living waves over the
awful abyss and fall in mangled heaps
into the water and on the rocks below.
II vvould not have been the first time that
such thing had happened in Texas.
Fear of such a catastrophe was not
what caused the cowboys to turn pale,
nor was it peril of this character which
caused old Sam Slaughter, the owner of
he cattle, to drive the spurs into the
tanks of his fine horse and dash amongst
his cowboys, shouting, "For Gods sake,
men, rid! Turn EN- or they VIII XIII
herv'
The cowboys needed no urging. They
were doing all they could with quirts and
snurs to make their ponies fly toward the
leader of the herd. They could see a
voung girl mounted on black horse
mingled with the foremost ranks of the
mad cattle. Some of them knew what
he'd happened. One athletic young man,
whose spurs were dripping with blood,
shouted: 1T is Pauline, boys! That
black Comanche has run away with her."
That was exactly what had happened.
Pauline Slaughter and a bevy of young
girls who were spending the holidays
at the ranch had rode out to see the
herd pass and exchange glances with the
cowboys. They were just out of school
for the holidays and animated by the
hracing Texas atmosphere and the mag
Enihcent mountain scenery they galloped
their mustangs with reckless abandon, in
sensible to danger, nearer the great herd
n of wild steers than they should have done.
COL Slaughter had noticed them riding
as only Texas girls can ride down the
pecipitous descent of mountain in the
wind swaying their hats and doubtless
4 mngling chatter and song with the notes
Of the hooking birds, insensible to all
motions but unrestrained joy and insen-
toility to care. He was an old Cow
man as the Westerners would say, and
occurred to him that the girls might APP
woach too near the herd and start a
Stampede, and once he turned to Jack
"A Hamilton, saying: Hadn't you better
a hide over and cut out that flock of birds
n Of paradise. They might scare the
Geers. If their double X panther legs
ach a glimpse of them and scent Flor
ia water they viii start towards the Rio
Grande without bidding us adios.''
Tie wealthy old rancher was in a most
happy frame of mind. The herd had been
We'll sold and he was proud of his pretty
laughter and glad to have her at home
in such excellent health and fine spirits
Hamilton rode off on a gallop toward
the girls, eager to obey the order of his
empicyer, for nothing. pleased the young
nan better than to find himself close to
Pauline. Hamilton missed the flock of
birds of paradise. They had reached the
valley and disappeared behind a grove
Of cedars. While looking about him from
The summit the girls had recently cross
Cd he heard his own name called, and
upon turning round he saw Pauline on
noted Comanche pony ride out into the
road Knowing that the herd, pretty we'll
lMched, was rapidly approaching on that
read, and fearing that the cattle would
a2mpede the moment the leaders caught
glimpse of ribbons, and calico, he wav-
his hat and shouted:
~ tic,
be steers The other girls, who We're
@ far away, hearing the words: Scare
be steers" and, considering it a great
Ne, they shouted with laughter, Pauline
ung her hat about her head and an
aered: Am I really such a fright?"
NE, however cast her eyes along the
I'd, for she had been raised on the
ach and she knew that Mexican cattle
IRE as easy to set in motion as a flock
tquail.
lack Hamilton says he was suddenly
&sessed with a premonitlon of great
niger, and, wheeling his horse, he
sted towards the girls as fast as the
hmal could so. He was moment too
ate. The cattle appeared coming around
ne mountain in a trot. The instant that
head steers saw the strange locking
eng displaying so many colors on the
uaek horse they threw up their heads
1nd began to snuff the air.
Inc Comanche pony was a traiped "cpw
"se and when he saw the cattle snuff
s the air he understood the signal. and
snow that he accepted the challenge
rs eyes sparkled and he commenced
,sncing and champing the bride bit.
me nerd was punching up behind the
sd steers and Hamilton, fairly flying
ong the valley knew that they would
axe a break almost instantly, and he
w confident that the black Comahche
Ould spring forward like a panther and
NJ with the cattle as il a band of wolves
ere at mis- heels. Nothing would please
rascal better. Hamilton had often
en- on Comanche's back, and knowing
az IT took powerful man to hold him.
rempled for Pauline's safety.
II the young girl had fully compreheni-
every phase of the situation hardly
Jug was allowed her 10 escape, for the
~ Wheeled and streamed away with a
al that shook the earth the next instant
Ner seeing her. As Hamilton had feared
Uldck Comanche. took. the BIT in his
~. IN ana leaped forward like a racehorse.
'n.nre flying from the flint rocks under
teeI' Evidently he thought he was
ing MS little mistress a great service.
"n cone the same thing a hundred
oelore and he doubtless well re-
uloered that the one who rode him al
ays petted and praised him for his pluck
nnv speed. A dozen bounds brought the
al a.