Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1908-01-29
CHAPTER II.

neither Of them had seen Miss Rem
wyck. 1t was the noon hour. The
morning shift had gone back to camp.
and the afternoon gang had not yet ar
rived, so there were only these men
watching the herd. The quiet had
made them relax their usual vigilance.
The instant they heard the first "barkp
from the steers they leaped to their
feet and sprang to saddle.
They're OFF, cried the taller of the
two rs he drove his spurs into his
pony and took Il straight cut across the
prairie SO us to head them off
well get 'em millin' under the hills
all rIghtw shouted his companion as
they raced along.
A quarter of mile, however,
brought them in sight of the woman.
The first man. who was little ahead,
pointed.
Look yonder!" lie shouted.
my God" said the other. Fright in
their direction. She's goner if''-
"Fasterw cried his companion.
He saw that unless the onrush Of the
cattle We're diverted the girl would be
overwhelmed and trampled to death in
the stampede. Try as he might, he
could not reach her in time, yet he had
the fastest pony on the range and rode
like centaur. lie fairly lifted the
bronclo through the air in his mad
impetuosity. A woman was quicken
Ing sight on the range. and all the
chivalry in the souls of the men re-
sponded to the appeal of her peril;
but. try us they might, they realized
they could do nothing.
We'll be too latew cried the leading
man.
yep" answered his companion Ia.
conically, driving his spurs home again.
NO" cried the first man as the cattle
swerved; she's kept her head. That
woman knows her business. They'll be
milling In minute"
Shed ought to be glttin' out'n 1t
now, though"
Eyes. God, they've got herr" he
cried MS he saw the girl caught on the
periphery of the whirling mass.
well git her OUT! cried the other.
"If she lives long enough to give us
a chance"
When stampeded cattle get to mill
ing they turn in upon themselves,
either involuntarily or because of pres
sure put upon them by cowboys seek
ing to control them. They sweep
around in concentric circles In great
spiral. The pressure on the outside
tends to construct the circles more and
more until the cattle are damned into
whirling yertiginous mass. of which
nothing can be seen but uplifted heads
and uptossed horns. This mass, fran
tic with fear and fury. sways and
whirls over the ground like tornado,
with motion OF rotation and transla-
ton at the same time. Above the dust
of its trampling comes the clicking of
the dew claws and the cleft hoofs MS
the feet are lifted sharply from the
ground. These. with the rafting Of
horns and the believing OF those on
the outer edge, make the animal whirl-
pool perfect inferno of noise and
clamor
The mill sweeps around and around.
and the only wy to break 1t is to un.
wind it-that is. to cut into the bunch
and start the outer edge off on tan
gent. SO that the whole unwinds itself
mechanically by reversing the process
which brought 1t together. This is an
operation Of much difficulty, attended
with great danger. The man who
breaks in must do it backward, as 1t
Nyara uo yp,,st folloyu tho !
Of the perimeter of the great circle,
heading MS the cattle do, and by skill
and dexterity force out first one and
then another until he gets the circum-
ference broken. In the end the break
is apt to come quickly. and the awful
maelstrom of maddened animals dis
solves into peaceable herd almost MS
quickly as 1t wound itself into fran
tic mob.
To be caught inside such mill is
death. Fortunately Harriet Renwyck
was on the outskirts. The situation
was sufficiently terrifying as it was,
however. Above the dust she could
see a tossing, quiverlng expanse of
horned heads. She was riding mans
saddle and in man fashion. The pres
sure upon her horse was SO tremen.
dOus that in order to keep from being
crushed she shook her feet from the
stirrups and drew her legs up about
the snddlehorn. She had no contro
whatever of her pony. Although she
was fortunately OH the outer edge Of
the ring, there We're still half dozer
of the cattle between her and the oper
prairie. all crowding into the center
and with every turn she was being car
ried toward the vortex with irresisti
BILE force.
She was utterly terrified, yet she
realized that her only possible hope OF
salvation was to keep her senses and
her seat. If she tainted and fell the
result would be death. The love of life
was strong in her. and she chung to hel
saddle and prayed as never before
Her eyes We're blinded with dust and
fear She could see nothing but cattle
and the terrible gyratlng mass. How
long she whirlcd about with them III
giddy rotation she could not tell II
seemed hours, ages. before Il voice
pierced her ear. Where did it come
from? She turned her eyes toward the
sound ana dimly made out the figure
Of man ON the edge of the circle
above the cloud of dust. He seemed to
her of gigantic stature. What was he
saying? She strained every nerve to
understand. Presently size made out;
Keep up! Don't let go! Well get
you OUT"
This was reinsurance but not much
The prospect seemed hopeless The
cattle were going slower now rs she
worked toward the center. which was
yet n great way off. Her pony was
wedged in so tightly flat he could
not fall. The voice kept up Il continual
cry Of encouragement 1t seemed to
be drawing nearer. but the terrible
strain under which she WAS lnboring
Was telling upon her. Although she
tiutchel tire pomnel of her saddle with
the tenaclty Of Despair. she found her
- IL. n