The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1909-06-28
Bison Goaded to Madness Charges Roundup
Riders Horse and Cores 1t to Death
JOHN DECKER IS HERO OF THRILLING EXPERIENCE
Infuriated Beast Lifts Steed Upon Its Horns and Haf
Carries, Half Pushes Animal and Rider for Dis
tance Of Three Hundred Yards or More
Across Corral at Roman.

With his horse impaled upon tho
horns of Il maddened fbufflao, Johnnie
Decker, expert roundup rider hal q
ride against death Saturday on the
F'lathenl reservation such as few men
experience and live to tell the story
The horse was gOred to death by the
infuriated beast and it is little short OF
q miracle that it's rider escaped with
out a scratch save q few minor
bruises, sustained when he and his
horse We're thrown from the horns
OF the beast
Decker's thrilling ride to what
seemed certain death occurred at Ro-
nan, where the famous Pablo herd OF
buffalo is being rounded up for
transportation to Ravalli and ship
ment to the Banf national park in
Canada. Decker and his brother, who
We're employed as expert riders to
corral the bison and aid in leading
them into the cages, in which they
are being hauled from Roman to the
railroad cars at Ravalli, were en-
deavoring to drive the unruly bison
from the corral at Roman into the
waiting cages when the herd, goaded
to madness by the efforts of the
drivers to force them into the wagons.
rebelled and stampeded. One shaggy
monarch of the herd, which Decker
had been trying to force through the
loading chute, wheeled suddenly, low
cred his massive head and, in blind
fury charged toward the rider. Travel
ing with the speed of the wind, almost
the beast bore down on Decker S
horse. The rider was unable to swing
his steed clear of the beasts path
and in an instant the horse was inn
paled upon the buffalo's horns. with
an exhibition of strength almost be-
ynnd belief the buffalo raised horse
and rider from the ground and half
carrying, half pushing them, bore
them across the corral for a distance
Of 300 yards or more.
Tries to Shoot.
With almost ccrtain death staring
him in the face, Decker attempted to
draw his revolver from the holster
and kill the beast But the weapon
caught and his efforts to release it
We're futile. While the five other rid-
ers, unable to lend their comrade any
assistance, watched to see him go be-
meath the lloofs of the buffalo, Deck
cr clung firmly to his saddle and
struggled with his revolver. Just
then the buffalo stumbled and the
gOred horse and his rider were hurled
from the horns of the beast into the
dust. The horse never moved from
where he fell, but Decker, fortunately.
was thrown beyond the animal, and
aside from a few bruises and a severe
shaling-up, escaped unhurt. Undaunt-
ed by his narrow escape, Decker
mounted another horse and assisted
his brother and the other drivers to
force the rnruly beast into a wagon
cage in which he was safely trans
ported from Roman to the cars at
Ravalli
Decker's horse, which was the
property of Michel Pablo. former own
er of the buffalo herd and one of
his finest animals, was the second
horse to fall a victim to the horns
of q buffalo since the roundup COM
monced. Only two days before Deck
er's experience, another animal be-
longing to Pablo was charged by a
buffalo and so badly injured Thar it
died, but in this case there was no