TALES OF THE WILDERNESS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1114, 29 April 1911, Page 6

TALES OF THE WILDERNESS.

,?IIE HUNTING OF THE RED BULL. {Br Will Lawsox.). '(All Rights Reserved.); ! The Eed Bull of the Eanges and his •herd with him kept to the bush all -through the,winter. And while tho station cattlo far away in tho fenced lands were rough-coated and poor, these cattlo of tho wilderness were slock and fat. Thcy fed on the scrub and were sheltered from the bitterness of the winter's gales by tho scrub. But with the coming of the spring the rising sap in tho,stems and leaves caused a. sourness that was distasteful, and moreover tho swarms ■ of mosquitoes and other insects became unbearable. So the Eed Bull led them out into tho open hillsides, where' the grass, though Tank and long, was sweeter than tho scrub. Having mado this move, tho Red Bull proceeded to settle a. difference that had arisen between him and a young and ambitious bull in the herd. And his method of declaring war was a strange one. On ■th.3 side of a'gully where a cattlo track ran along the face, was a low clay bank, soft with'the spring rains. The lied Bull attacked this with .his'horns; churning and smashing the clay with short, fierco jabs. From Ids throat camo a rumbling, roaring* grumbling sound, which occasionally rose to a.deep !>ellow. ] The young bull began the shine- performance twenty yards away.. From'time to time they eyed one another, but 'never ceased their mangling of the innocent clay-bank. But at every butting, of tho heavy heads tho beasts edged nearer to one another, their passion 4'or'battle rising to white- heat as -the .process of wprking-up went on. AVhe'n they were within striking distance, the young bull turned quickly, and, with lowered horns, charged at the Red Bull. But he was not to be Caught unawares.'Me swung head on to the assault eager for the fray. As the horns came together, a riflo spoko in the distance and a young steer came galloping in from tho outskirts of tho herd. At this ■■ warning of danger to the herd, the fight was promptly declared off. The Red Bull trotted up tho ridgo to see what threatened, and all the cattle gathered about him.

Altogether, thero were some 200 head 1 of cattle scattered, in several herds, over the rough country contained in over 2000 acres'of bushed slopes. At tho bottom of this slope a deep-sided grass gully ran down to a river about six miles off. The ■owner 'of tho cattle station which abutted on this river, becoming wearied of the depredations of stray bulls from the wild Jierds, which crossed the river and broke fences, decided to make a raid on the Eed Bull , and his fellows. The raid was ; planned- by one of his cattle-men named Jfike. This man had great individuality and energy,' and he made a compact by which hoi was to get .£2 a head for all tho cattle ho got across tho river, and the 6ame sum foi' every bull ho shot. "• With six men, all mounted, he went to ,;tho top of the slope, and, camping there, "spent a week in working the cattle down towards tho gully. . They kept well clear of the herds, and made a lot of noise with Ulogg and 'rifles. Occasionally they shot a •bull that became truculent. It ( was thei crack of one of their rifles that had interrupted the fight between tho Eed Bull and the would-be usurnor. The Eed Bull's herd was much further down the slope than - the other herds, and once, the wholo of tho .cattle were brought into fairly close touch, Mike the hunter, called off and.issued'his orders. The six mounted men were to begin shooting the bulls until .-the cattle began to nioro down the gully Then Mike would follow on foot with dogs and rifle and keep them going while three of the horsemen galloped down each side of the gully on the high ridges to block the cattlo from-turning up two sidegullies leading out o" the main one—gullies that led to liberty for the cattle. Then these men were to form up behind the hunted cattle and rush them- across tho river.

, When the seven rifles rang and many a young bull fell, the cattle started downhill with tails-on end. And after them raced Alike with gun banging and dogs barking and snapping. The Red Bull was the last beast to swing round and go lumbering down the hill. For his tardiness, he got a rifle bullet through the flesh of his ear—another inch would havo ended his career. ' A cow with a calf suddenly turned and charged Mike, and .she went down iu a heap with a bullet L n lL s P lne - This mau ,vas not one to be trifled with. He would just as soon shoot the bulls, but for . very - bravado's 'sake desired to get as many as possible over the river. So two hundred head of cattlo ran before him as they would from ■a bush fire. Once a. hull turned and charged with a determination there was ao gainsaying. Mike dodged to let him go. past. But he dropped the .beast as he passed The Eed Bull never turned. Like a docile calf he trotted down tho gully : though an occasional hoarse .bellow voiced the rage in his heart. With his rage was mingled great cunning-craftiness that . taming his high station a s the champion :of tho ranges. He knew of the gullies that ;led to left and right. It was expedient, .ho know, to reach ono of theso quickly, ■and he set the pace for the mob of cattle ■;a pace that mado the redoubtable Mike pull and blow in his haste to follow, (boon the side-gullies came in view, and in each one were ranged threo mounted men ; 'Wi rlfl , S ' This Napoleon of cattle-men had mado his preparations thoughtfully order? 11 *^ A Ws ™«« i carried out their :.orders. There was only one road open now, the road that led to tho river and slavery and death Behind were the hills the wild Rlonons hil is whcre th(J E j nad reigned supreme. When he saw the ways' barred the splendid beast stopped and roarerl, and a ■J' >et ivh,stled past his nose from the sn rk th^l'r'lT" 01 '' AlK V fhat lras the t'uk h ht of the Bed Hulls anger With. a. .bellow that was a battle-cry to all the cattle, an order to W,ri lghfrJ,nml , su }}y- Behind him he bi v? y° un e-. bulls leaping--to his call, while tho cows wero following oo at a pace that.was. torrifflc, with a Lift" +£ -u «' o,no <l incredible, this King of the w,lderness charged the three a med 'di Thei C( ; r n - Tl,cse l*™ »o Others in tho chase.fell, but never tl is ? reat leader. Tho men had scarce timo to spur their horses clear when he ™ upon thorn, and who can stay the rush of maddened cattlo? Un tho' » u L°' s reamed, heads down. bils° he Bnly, arid, away back .to their beloved hills. More than a scoro were shot-tha only mar e the „, t the madder. . When they had gone, tho mounted men rode into the main, gully.and gathered about an exceedingly profane person who S hall? • A g fl°A a rifle »' ] 'is ?y &Tst t hoy lma ßined ho was " ?,™ nK th -,7,' antl °, no venfc >"'«l to sayto" y «wi :M ' ko i.i W0 • I °. ns wl,afc >'« *oM us "it ™W^T> ? said MHre* -It jvas a. beautiful p l an> superbly evecuted. I run six miles mesel'f. But™ should; havo shot that red fellow. He was our Waterloo, boys. I take off mv hat. to the Red Bull." my From afar up the gullies, where ho paused on a spur-to. reconnoitre, came the fierce loud bellow of the Eed Bull of the Eanges.