146 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[MAlieH 12, 1891, 



S^otknim ^anrisi 



A STAMPEDE IN THE STORM. 



ANOTHER stampede, by all that's holy!" And 

 springing to his feet Taylor gazed anxiously out 

 into the night in tlie direction of the herd, whence the 

 sound of a thundering thousand hoofs mingled with the 

 faint shouts of the herders fully demonstrated the truth 

 of the Texan's exclamation. 



To the reader inexperienced in all the phases of nomadic 

 life the dread significance of the abore remark may not 

 be at once appai-ent, but to the freighters and cowboys 

 upon our Western plains that strange, indescribable and 

 often inexplicable panic, which sometimes seized their 

 stock, was one of the worst calamities connected with 

 their hazardous calling. One of the favorite methods 

 employed by hostile Indians to harass the trappers, 

 traders or immigrants passing through their country was 

 by creating this panic among their animals; and descrip- 

 tions of how it was accomplished by crawling into the 

 herds on all fours, or dashing down upon them on horse- 

 back, hideously accoutered and yelling like demons, are 

 familiar to all who take pleasure in tales of Western ad- 

 venture. 



But a stampede in one of the great herds of cattle which 

 were formerly driven from Texas to markets inthejSTorth 

 and West, that were many hundreds of miles distant, 

 possessed some features that were essentially unique and 

 which are not perhaps as generally known. One singu- 

 lar fact in this .connection was that the most disastrous 

 stampede always occurred in those herds composed en- 

 tirely of full-grown beeves, four years old or upward; 

 while mixed herds, containing cows, calves, yearlings, 

 etc., seldom stampeded without some excuse therefor. 

 The selected droves of great steers that had possibly never 

 been touched by the hand of man since they were branded 

 when calves, among which it was as much as a man's life 

 was worth to go on foot, and which in the daytime would 

 with a slight provocation give battle to a grizzly, will 

 when driven far away from their ranges into wild and to 

 them unknown regions, often acquire at night a timidity 

 surpassing that of the most defenseless animals with 

 which I am acquainted. 



These panitis usually occurred when there was little or 

 no moon, and unless the first one was promptly checked 

 in its incipient stages, was sure to be followed by others, 

 each more easily created than the last, until only a vigi- 

 lant, strongly-mounted guard in constant attendance 

 could prevent them from occurring nightly. Strange to 

 say, the human voice had at such times a most tranquiliz- 

 ing effect even upon the wildest cattle, and although of 

 but little influence after the stampede had fairly started, 

 a continuous talking, shouting or singing was one of the 

 best preventives that could be employed. It was in times 

 of the greatest quiet, when everything seemed most 

 secure, that the greatest danger was to be apprehended. 

 Alozig toward midnight the whole herd, tired from the 

 long day's drive over the dusty trail, Mes down to rest, 

 not a sound in all that vast solitude around breaks upon 

 the listening ear, the melancholy howl of the gray wolf 

 that an hour before arose at intervals like the wail of a 

 lost spirit, is hushed, and even the jackal-like voice of the 

 coyote for the moment is still, all nature seems to have 

 sunk into repose, and the silence is oppressive in its in- 

 tensity. To the inexperienced herder, who has perhaps 

 been constantly riding since sunrise, this seems to be a 

 most favorable opportunity to relieve his aching limbs. 

 He slips quietly to the groimd, and the horse, equally re- 

 lieved, gives the heavy Spanish saddle a vigoroiia shake. 

 The effect upon that great motionless mass can only be 

 described by a simile. It is like the action of a flock of 

 shore birds at the report of the fowler's gun, or the elec- 

 tric shock that runs through a school of menhaden when 

 struck by the bluefish. Where a moment before many 

 hundreds of cattle were quietly dozing, not one now 

 remains. Every instinct, every faculty seems swallowed 

 up in the one that prompts them to flee from a horror, 

 whose unknown character makes it tenfold more terrible 

 than any actual danger that ever existed. The herders 

 stationed in the direction of the stampede spur their 

 trained horses to either flank. Both horse and rider are 

 fully aware of their danger. Both know the futility of 

 attempting to check that resistless surge, that like a 

 mighty flood bears everything in its course to destruction 

 and death: they would be safer in the path of a cyclone. 

 To skirt the sides of that flying phalanx of hoofs and 

 horns and go with it wherever it shall lead them is all 

 they can hope for now. 



By this time the sleepers at the camp are all upon their 

 feet. The sounds that come from the herd are too 

 familiar to be mistaken or to need explanation. Each 

 man- has at least three horses at his disposal, and at night 

 one is kept staked and saddled near by for just such 

 emergencies. For weeks the men have ridden sixteen or 

 eighteen hours a day, and during that time have snatched 

 the little sleep they could get with their boots on and 

 their bridles by their sides; and without waiting for 

 directions or company, each as he mounts dashes off into 

 the darkness after the fugitive cattle, with no prospect of 

 a moment's rest until the light of day shall allay their 

 mad frenzy. 



It was under conditions such as I have attempted to 

 delineate that the writer found himself during the sum- 

 mer of '67, while endeavoring to drive a band of cattle 

 from Texas to southern California. The journey had 

 from the beginning been a disastrous one and this fatality 

 attended it to the end. We had started with 1,500 head 

 of full-grown beeves gathered in Lampases, San Saba 

 and Llano counties, with an outfit of two wagons, sixty 

 horses and twenty men. The men had been mostly re- 

 cruited in Austin, which was filled at that period like 

 many other frontier towns with disbanded soldiers, 

 criminals and refugees of all descriptions from, the older 

 States. Subsequently we found to our sorrow that we 

 had secured the services of several of these gentry, who 

 proved worthless in the drive and dangerous to the peace 

 of the camp. Two marked exceptions, however, were 

 Taylor and Coffee, both experienced' cattlemen and 

 splendid specimens of the native-born Texan, These 

 two men were a host in themselves, and their sterling 

 qualities and valuable services gained for them our 

 warmest consideration to the end. Considerable game 

 it was expected would be found along the trail, and as 

 the Comanches were at that time making frequent raids 

 into the border counties for horse fitealing pirposes, some 



arms were considered necessary; but as my partner, who 

 was the principal owner, was no sportsman and intended 

 to go round all the Indians, a dozen or so old Spencer 

 carbines were the only addition made to the side arms of 

 the herders. 



It was the middle of May before we were beyond the 

 settlements and fairly started on our journey, and very 

 soon after we began to suffer from the" incompetency of 

 our men. Before we had reached Kickapoo Springs we 

 had. lost more than a hundred head of cattle, mostly by 

 their ehiding the guards and running back to their old 

 ranges. On our way we had passed Phantom Hill, a place 

 whose singular name had often attracted my attention 

 and excited my curiosity while looking at the" map. No 

 one lived within many miles of it at the time, but there 

 were the remains of a large fort with many detached 

 buildings. The houses had disappeared, but the chim- 

 neys, built of a very white limestone, were still standing, 

 and their weird outlines among the scattering trees gave 

 them a spectral appearance, especially at night, which 

 doubtless suggested the name. Deer and antelope were 

 quite plentiful, and we saw several bands of wild hoi-ses, 

 but the turkeys dwindled in numbers as the timber to the 

 west grew less abundant. 



Soon after we passed the springs two of the worthies 

 we had hired in Austin concluded they had gone far 

 enough with the outfit and decamped one bright moon- 

 light night, taking two horses, two of our best saddles, 

 two guns, four revolvers, and a few other trifles, none oi 

 which were their own. Recalling their talk and actions 

 during the evening, it was apparent that they had in- 

 tended to take the two fastest horses in the band and thus 

 defy pursuit, but fortunately these happened to be staked 

 so near the camp-fire that their removal could not be 

 effected without great danger of discovery. Their flight 

 was discovered at midnight. The cattle had already 

 shown signs of stampeding and half the entire force was 

 on guard until that time, and the remainder then went 

 on tmtil morning. 



Taylor and Coffee volunteered to pursue the deserters 

 at once; and, well armed and mounted, they took the 

 track before it was two hours old, The men were shap- 

 ing their course for the settlements; and as a heavy dew 

 had fallen in the evening their trail through the long 

 grass could be followed on a lope for miles, Taylor rode 

 a gray mare, his own property, and the assistance she 

 rendered in the chase was as surprising as it was unex- 

 pected. The sagacious animal soon comprehended the 

 object of this midnight ride, and, without breaking her 

 gait, followed the trail like a hound over ground where 

 its faint impression would otherwise have caused much 

 delay. Shortly after sunrise they came in sight of the 

 quarry, and succeeded in getting within a few hundred 

 yards before they were discovered by the runaways, who. 

 not dreaming of any pursuit before morning, were riding 

 very carelessly and leisurely along. A running fight en- 

 siled, in which Taylor and Coffee, from their superior 

 position, luarksmanship and horses, had decidedly the 

 advantage. The fugitives then endeavored to reach a 

 river bottom a short distance ahead, where there was a 

 small growth of timber, but they never got there alive; 

 and by noon the same day Taylor and Coffee were back 

 to our camp with all the plunder intact, a striking ex- 

 ample of the swift and terrible retribution that sometimes 

 overtakes the horse thieves of the border. 



Our intention was to cross the Staked Plains from the 

 headwaters of the Concho, and when we arrived at the 

 latter point we went into' camp to rest the stock for a 

 couple of days before attempting the ninety mile drive 

 that lay between us_ and the Horsehead crossing of the 

 Pecos. In the evening of the same day two men, nearly 

 dead from exhaustion, came into our camp and reported 

 that a band of Indians on the Pecos had already captured 

 the three herds which we knew had crossed a few days 

 ahead of us and that they would serve us the same as soon 

 as we reached the river. From their account the reds 

 did not seem inclined to kill the herders when it could be 

 avoided, fearful, no doubt, of drawing the attention of 

 the troops there, by jeopardizing the profitable speeula- 

 tion they were engaged in of running the stolen stock 

 over the line and selling it to the Mexicans. All the pre- 

 liminary steps to this transaction were manipulated with 

 the greatest ease. The drive over is made, of course, 

 without stoppages; for forty consecutive hours the cattle 

 are hurried over that waterless waste as fast as they can 

 be forced along. When still several miles from the" river 

 —some put it as high as ten-— they smell the water and 

 hasten forward with all their remaining energy, some of 

 the stronger ones breaking into a brisk trot. The herders 

 do not attempt to restrain them and could not if they 

 should; they only try to m-ge along the laggards. The 

 result is that when the foremost reach the river the re- 

 mainder, with a herder here and there, are scattered 

 along the road for three or four miles. At the proper 

 time a strong force of Indians show themselves, make a 

 few hostile demonsti-ations, the herders disappear as if by 

 magic, and after the cattle have refreshed themselves 

 they are started by the Indians on their way to Mexico. 



This startling news threw the camp into a state of great 

 constei-nation, A council was held and it was decided 

 that the writer should go to Fort Chadbourne and en- 

 deavor to get a cavalry escort over the dangerous divide. 

 There was some little risk attending this move. It was 

 quite certain that Indian scouts were watching the herd, 

 and if they discovered the move the scalp of the messen- 

 ger would be likely to adorn their girdles. But there 

 seemed to be no other alternative; and accordingly, well 

 mounted and armed, with a little jerked beef tied to the 

 cantle of my saddle, I left camp by starlight the next 

 morning, and by sunrise was many miles away. No 

 startling incident relieved the monotony of my lonely 

 journey. The country was favorable for fast rid'ing and 

 my mission admitted of no delay. Long low swells with 

 broad shallow ravines and occasionally a rather elevated 

 plateau almost perfectly level were the general features 

 of the landscape. In one essential respect it dift'ered from 

 the Northern plains. It was not entirely destitute of 

 timber. Trees, mostly post oak and mesquit, were thinly 

 scattered everywhere, but seldom in groups dense enough 

 to obscure the vision. Deer and antelope were in sight 

 most of the time, and from a low thicket 1 routed two of 

 the curious little wild pigs, similar to the peccaries I 

 subsequently saw in Costa Kica, brrt smaller, being about 

 the size of coons. 



Soon Ei.fter sunset I selected my camping place for the 

 night in a shallow gulch containing patches of low 

 brufih, but rode slowly on until dark, when I retraced 



my steps, staked my horse in the grassy bottom and 

 spread my blankets in the bushes 200yds, away. A por- 

 tion of the jerked meat answered for supper: 'and with- 

 out fire or water I lay down to rest. Daylight the next 

 morning found me in motion buoved up bv the hope of 

 reaching the fort that night. But in this I was disap- 

 pointed, for the sun again went down without my. having 

 seen a sign of civilized life since I left the herd, and 

 what was still worse, I found that the remainder of my 

 meat, which in my ha«te I had tied carelessly, had dis- 

 appeared. I made camp under an oak in the midst of a 

 great level plain with a feeling of comparative security, 

 knowing that the fort could not be many miles away; and 

 weary from the long ride was reclining"on the grass with 

 my saddle for a pillow, when a fine buck antelope came 

 trotting along not 75yds. away. Seeing a strange object, 

 but not being able to make out what it was, he stopped 

 and began to snort. Silently I reached for my rifle, 

 which lay near me, and the next instant he dropped in 

 his tracks with a bullet through the breast. Hungry as 

 I was I did not feel quite safe enough to build a fire'and 

 cook supper in that exposed position; so after cutting a 

 large chunk from one of the hams and hanging it in 

 the tree above me as a safety j)recaution I went supper- 

 less to bed , 



During the night nothing disturbed my slumbers, and 

 it was broad daylight when I awoke. As I arose to my 

 feet I noticed that the dead antelope, which h-id been in 

 plain sight the evening before, bad disappeared. Some- 

 what astonished at this, especially as the country about 

 was so open that I could have seen it for half a mile had 

 it been dragged off, I proceeded to investigate. It was 

 easy to find the spot where he had lain by the blood, and 

 it was evident that he had not been dragged off, but had 

 been torn to pieces and devoured there. Nothing re- 

 mained but a few slivers of bone an inch or two long: 

 and I have never ceased to wonder how this was accom- 

 plished without ray knowledge. Certainly I must have 

 slept very soundly that night. 



Moving on to a little gulch I cooked and ate a hearty 

 breakfast of antelope, and then pushed on to the fort, 

 which proved to be only five or six miles beyond. My 

 mission, however, proved a failure. The commandant in- 

 formed me that all the troops that could be spared were 

 already out; and that it would be at least two weeks 

 before any of them would return. So after a night's rest 

 in the quarters I set out for camp again, where I arrived 

 in safety. 



Another long discussion then took place, which resulted 

 in our deciding to relinquish that route, turn to tlie north- 

 east, cross the Indian Territorv, and winter the stock in 

 Kansas. Our route to the Red River lay throiigh Shackle- 

 ford and Jack counties; and from the day we left the 

 Concho until fifteen emaciated, fever-stricken men, with 

 about thirty horses, drove what remained of the herd 

 through a blinding snowstorm down into therich bottoms 

 of the Marias de Cygene, the journey was a scries of hard- 

 ships surpassing anything that had ever fallen to the lot 

 of any of our number. Five of our original party were 

 dead. Of the last three, some pieces of boards torn from 

 the wagons, upon which the name of each was .rudely 

 carved with a jackknife, marked the shallow graves in 

 which we had lain them down to their final rest on the 

 rich rolling lands of the Indian Territory. Constant toil, 

 exposure and loss of sleep had made us all an easy prey 

 to miasmatic influences; and the deadly malaria in the 

 vicinity of Fort At buckle left its impress upon- the sur- 

 vivors for years after. 



Among the many stampedes that occurred during this 

 latter portion of the drive, none have left so vivid an im- 

 pression upon my mind as that with which I began this 

 episode of Western life. All that afternoon an immense 

 bank of inky clouds capped with thunder heads had been 

 slowly rising. There was not a single garment in the 

 whole outfit that made any pretensions of being water- 

 proof, and those who hacl the watch below (to use a 

 nautical term) until 13 o'clock, "were discussing the 

 brilliant prospect for a soaking, when Taylor's exclama- 

 tion, as given above, extinguished any hope of escape 

 that may have lingered in ou.r breasts. Darkness was 

 prematurely coming on, and big drops of rain were 

 already falling as one by one we vaulted into the saddle 

 and rode to the fray. Coming right from the fire we 

 could see n©thing. But that was immaterial. Our 

 horses knew as well as ourselves what there was to do. 

 I They needed no guiding to take us to the herd aa fast as 

 , we cared to ride. The only fear was that they would fall 

 i and maim or kill themselves or their riders. 

 5 The herders had concentrated their whole force on one 

 j of the flanks as soon aa the stampede began, and until the 

 I assistance which they knew would soon come arrived. 



were endeavoring to ""mill" the cattle or keep them run- 

 [ ning in a circle. This was really the only effective course 

 to pursue that promised any good results, and as fast as 

 our eyes became accustomed to the gloom, we all dashed 

 into that living tornado of hoofs and horns, each being 

 immediately lost in the darkness and able to locate the 

 others only by their shouts. Gradually the storm in- 

 creased in violence; the rain descended "in torrents and 

 the steady roU of thunder, with frequent flashes of 

 lightning burst from the heavy banks of clouds that 

 seemed to be concentrating over us from more than one 

 direction. The lay of the land was fortunately quite 

 favorable for our operations, or the situation would have 

 indeed been deplorable. It was a rolling pra,irie, nearly 

 destitute of timber, with but few ravines and no ledges 

 or precipitous banks. Badger and prairie dog holes were, 

 however, uncomfortably numerous, and we were in con- 

 stant fear of being thrown by them in our headlong ride. 

 Tlie ground soon became soft, and the sides of some of 

 the small gulches slippery with mud, while the splash of 

 water beneath the hoofs of our horses revealed many 

 a pool that we could not see. Once or twice the whole 

 herd came for an instant to a dead stop. They seemed to 

 be listening as a hare listens for the beagle that is hot 

 upon her traU. But it was only as the momentary Ittll of 

 a gale; and then the panic, like the shock of a galvanic 

 battery, struck them again, sending them off in a flight 

 wilder if possible than before. 



What frightful visions of impending evil must have 

 been theirs to drive them to such madness; surely the 

 fear of death cannot wholly account for it. Something 

 supernatural, demoniac or ghoulish there must have been, 

 a fear perchance akin to that which fiUed the breast of 

 Tarn O'Shanter when fleeing from the goblins whose 

 revelries he had disturbed iji "Alio ways auld haunted 

 kirk," Tn the glare of the ligMnin^ we pould gee'tbetn 



