The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1921-01-15
THRILLING EXPERIENCE
AT ROUNDUP RELATED

The class in English, second year.
at the Bemidji High school recently
was requested to write concerning
their most thrilling experience. Ar
tlcles forthcoming were of varied ma
ture, add from those submitted the
FOLLOWING has been selected as
among the very best:
Most Thrilling Experience"
One summer when I was visiting
my uncle in Montana, l think l had
my most thrilling experience.
There was to be a roundup at a
town called Havre, and my uncle and
l were going.
A roundup out there is as i'm
p3rtant as a county fair is here, with
about ten times as many thrills. All
the former cowboys and expert horse
back riders get together to try to see
II they can ride as well now as in
former days when riding was work
and not pleasure or sport.
The sports were to begin at two
O'Clock in the afternoon but long be-
fore that the field was covered with
men, large sombreros on their heads,
gayly colored handkerchiefs around
their necks, leather Chaps and vests,
high-heeled boots and long, ugly
looking spurs fastened to the heels
of the boots.
The corrals were off to one side
of the field. One corral was filled
with bucking bronchos which had
never yet felt the weight of a saddle.
Others were filed with large horned
and ugly looking steers. These the
cowboys had to grab by the horns
and by twisting the head throw them
to the ground.
The events started at the appoint
ed time.S>s Horses went into the air.
Some. Of the riders stuck on easily,
while others hit the ground rather
hard. If anyone, was hurt, the am
bulance was there to convey them to
the hospital.
1t was during one of these events
that l received the greatest scare of
my life. A cowboy was attempting
to ride very wild steer and was hav-
ing very hard time of it. Many
times he only missed being gored by
the steers horns by the traction
of an inch. Finally, he got astride of
him and began to use his spurs. The
animal started down the field at a
terrific pace. He bucked, bolted, kick
ed and ran.
Finally he stopped from shee ex-
haustion and the man climbed onto
a horse which another cowboy had
led up. Then they started riding
around him using their whips on him
and making him very angry.
We were sitting near the fence en-
Joying the scene very much, when,
suddenly, the steer bolted and started
for the crowd at the point where we
were sitting. He looked about three
! times his normal size as he came
bearing down upon US, and thought
the end had come for me. We turn
ed and tried to get farther away, but
it was useless. The crowd was as
excited as we were, and we had a
regular panic. DE-.
looked back fearing that the ami
NAL was right on top of US He was
but few feet from the fence, how
ever, and one or two jumps would
bring him into our midst. Just then
one of the cowboys, riding like mad
right behind the steer, whirled his
lariat over his head, and, just as the
animal raised its front feet to leap
the fence, the lariat swung out in a
wide, graceful loop and encircled
the front legs of the steer. The cow
boys pony settled bacl, for it's pull,
and, when the rope frightened, the
steer fell to the ground, rolling over
and over and kicking.
The crowd took their seats again
and the sports went on, but it was
many days before got over the feel
ing 1 had when l saw the steer so
close to me.
CLAIRE ROGNLIEN