The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1902-07-04

as so many milch COWS, and everything
babe fair for quiet nj ght. The ami
mails appeared to feel the oppressive
heat quite as much as we did, | had
stakcd my horse some distance from
the herd, spread my blanket near him,
and gone to bed, So 10 speak, using
nv saddle for pillow. | couldnt t 60
to sleep for some unaccountable reason,
although it may have been on account
of the cxhaus,ing heat of the day $
work. was awake at 10 O'Clock,
when one of the Wilson boys came
over where was lying and said:
"'BilI, don't exactly like this
deathly quiet. 1t makes me nervous.
1t seems as if something out of the
ordinary was going to happen. I've
noticed considerable amount Of heat
lightning, and it's beginning to make
the steers restless. | wouldn't be 9
bit surprised if there was a big thun-
derstorm here before morning, and, if
there is. there's going to be trouble
with them critters. I've told all the
boys to saddle their ponies and be
ready at moments notice, if the
steers get on rampage, to turn them
eastward away from that big hole in
the ground over there, pointing in the
direction of the canon.
"The atmospheric electricity: as |
had already observed while Wilson
was talking to me, was becoming more
frequent and lighted up the smooth.
polished horns of the reclining animals
with a sort of shostly glow, producing
a decided V weird effect. | could alse
see that the steers were becoming more
| and more uneasy, and here anu th-.t
| noticed big steer rise up and act as
| if he SMILED danger OF some sort. In
| the meantime | had saddled my horse
| and was waiting whatever might turn
up. The silence still remained un
broken, except hy the low. intermittent
maudling grumblings Of 4 young Mex
| lean lialt-breetl, who had, earlier in the
evening, surreptitiously broken into
the stores in The commissary wagon
and helped himself to an overload OF
red Liquor. which the Wilson's had
brought alon. as an anti,lote Tor snake
bites.
81. is Il fact well known to all old
| cattle men that whenever animals
stampede there are always a score OF
more of steers known as leaders,
which make the first break, the balance
of the herd blindly following their lead
Every man in our party carried al
least one six-shooter, and some had 6
pair Of them: and they were instructed
in the event of stampede, to ride
alongside these leaders, on the side
opposite to the direction in which il
was desired to turn them, and to fire
in the ground near their hoofs, in order
to turn them from their course.
"Just before midnight we heard fol
the first time Il faint rumble of distant
thunder in the Southwest. The dis
play of heat lightning also had in
creased in intensity and a slight south
westerly breeze sprang up. The hoarst
muttcrings of thunder became louder
and more frequent. We were now al
ordered to get into our saddles and bt
ready for stampede, which in al
probability would Immediately follow
the first severe peal Of thunder.
"The breeze had now perccptibly
freshcncd, and we could hear the roa
of rain rapidly approaching. Th'
steers all about us were getting OF
| Cllcil lctt anu uitdo y h'Nii'S ANU
The suspense was becoming painful
Suddenly a binding flash lit up th
entire scene, almost instantly followed
by crash OF thunder, which lumblet
directly overhead, and slow y diet
away. Big drops of rain came down
and presently it fell in torrents. Her
and there throughout the big bunch Q
cattle could be heard a fierce below
ending in vicious snort.
"At last the expected happened
when binding flash occurred, simu1
tancously with a report like a cannon
\ movement among a number Of steer
on the edge Of the herd began. Al
other flash of lightning showed fort
or fifty leaders running at full spec
westward, followed by the entire hero
1t was a magnificent spectacle. Th
flashes of lightning were almost cor
tinuous, and the plungin~, crazy steer
, could be plainly seen as they madl
tore across the prairie, their heads low
cred, tongues protruding and thei
tails nearly erect and swaying fror
side to side, and the earth trembling
. beneath their tread.
"At the first break OF the leader
every man had put spurs to his hors
and with drawn revolver Was in full
pursuit of the flying column. AS W
slowly gained upon them we dre1
closer to their sides, and the first ma
abreast at the half dozen steers in th
extreme lead began firing at the grounc
close tO their hOOfs The others nov