The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1907-11-08
With blanehed face and widely distendee

along the ROAD between the DUH ana the
steep embankment the stampeded came,
with lowered heads, blind and mad with
thirst and fury, came plunging on.
Digging her spurs into her pony, she
waited for no second glance at the death
which Numbered so close behind her, but.
followed by the cowboy, piled quirt and
spur, as she galloped for life along the mar
row trail.
cain there a turn up here in the road
somewhere ?" shouted the cowboy, as with
strained muscles they plunged on, urging
the terrified ponies to their utmost. cain t
there somewheres we could turn out, SOS
to get chanst to turn EN- or mill 'em ?
We CAM hold out long this away Hur-
nv, Jess Faster, faster, girl Give him
the CAD Cant you make that old pony
go no faster? They're a-gainin' on us
every minute y
The girl, sitting straight and square in
her saddle, with her lips set firm and white,
and her quick, keen gray eyes glancing
now behind her, now in front long the
curving. narrow trail, shook her head.
She had been over this road many times
before, and knew there was no turn in the
road no widening of the trail for more
than mile ahead, and before they could
reach that
The thunder of hoofs came closer, the
snorts and bellowings of the maddened
beasts were in her ears With shudder
ing heart she glanced back.
As far as she could see along the trail
behind her came the black wave OF tossing
horns and lunging forms, coming every
second nearer and nearer, bringing death
the horrors of which this prairie girl knew
all too well.
Setting her teeth hard, she gathered
her reins firmly in her hand and bent to
the neck of her pony.
ssWe've got to do it, Buck = she al
most sobbed in his ear. We've got to
risk it, boy 1t may be our last jump,
but there nothing else for us to do !!
Then, as the foremost of the cattle rose
as a breaking wave behind her, she
screamed, Jump, Billy, jump! It's our
last chancer' And giving the buckskin
cut of the whip, she plunged over the
embankment and sank like stone beneath
the rushing, yellow waters Of the river.
At the same moment the leading steers,
unable in their mad wild rush to see or
heed the turn in the road, plunged after
her over the embankment, i'll huddled,
plunging, struggling mass Of hoots and
horns.
The cowboy, caught on the brink Of the
bluff by the wild rush Of the cattle, had
no choice but to leap into the river with
them or be ground to atoms beneath their
tramping hoofs.
The chances Of life were small, anyway,
and with something like a prayer on his
lips, he shouted to his horse, and went
over the embankment into the river in the
midst of a struggling heap Of horns and
hoofs and tumbling carcases.
The Girl struck the water moment
ahead of the avalanche Of living creatures
from above, and came up gasping and pant
ing, but in fair swimming water. With
cry she urged her pony on with whip and
spur, and struck out into the middle OF
the channel in time to avoid being crushed
to death or drowned by the frantic strug-
giles of the cattle.
CHANGING continually behind her as the
brave little buckskin breasted the current,
she saw Billy Callahan IS red head bob up
from beneath the waves, and breathed
thanksgiving as she saw his powerful horse
strike out for clear water.
As Billy came to the surface he looked
about him, and then began to shout with
all the power fright and water had left in
his lungs.
Hi, there T. he yelled. Hi, where
you goin' girl? Why don't you make
for the shore? What you dom ? Air
We crazy? What ye-
Il cant go and leave those cattle -
shouted Jess ''Do you think | III going
to save myself and let those cattle drown?
o, Billy, help me, help me to save them !
They-they re all We We got, and IN mother
mother has worked so hard to get them
together. II could never look her III
the face again if | let them drown ! She
trusted them to me. I'll save them If |
drown myself trying =
Regardless OF lunging horns and plung
ing hoofs, she swan her little pony i'll
among the struggling mass, and began to
drive the cattle apart, shouting meanwhile
the Eli, hoy, whoop-la = which was as
familiar music to their terrified ears.
With look of mingled admiration and
astonishment on his face, Billy Callahan
gave mighty answering shout, and put
ting his horse into the current swan IN
among the cattle. He called to the girl to
keep we'll out from the shore and away
from the quicksands, and adding his tamil
lar whistle and whoop, as he clrcled In and
out among the bewildered animals, herded
and drove them on one side while the girl
.held the bunch on the other. So they
guided the swimming cattle down stream
with the current, until at last they were
able to drive the now thoroughly meek and
subdued creatures out of the water and
back to the road.
As the ponies came out OF the river,
with their riders safe but dripping on their
backs, the girl turned in her saddle and
sent a joyous "Whoop-ee p ringing over
the prairies.
"We're safe. mother - she shouted.
''Safe and sound, and we never lost a
steer -
And Billy Callahan, wiping his dripping
face upon his dripping sleeve, echoed, with
a grin, "Neyer lost steer ! She saved
EN- all, she did, and there amt another