POWER OF SONG.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XII, Issue IX, 3 March 1894, Page 215

POWER OF SONG.

An Englishwoman visiting in Colorado has sent to Chamber’s Journal rather an exciting experience of her own with wild cattle, in one of the lovely mountain parks of that western paradise. She says that in her quest for sketching ground it was her fashion to start off on long expeditions by herself, after having been once assured that no Indians were within thirty miles, that bears seldom came down from the mountains so early, and rattlesnakes were fast disappearing. But one morning, walking down a narrow part of the valley, she found her road disputed by some fifty mountain cattle, which had come down to graze, and were clearly puzzled at her appearance. They formed in line, and for a few minutes we stared at each other. I had no weapon more formidable than a paint brush, and was fortunately too frightened to run awayAn inspiration came to me, and, warily watching my enemies, I struck up a stirring melody. The effect was delightful. The creatures listened attentively for a few minutes, and then one after another quietly fell to grazing, while I walked through the midst of them, singing as I went. A few days later I was returning to supper, when, about a mile from the ranch, I saw a large number of cattle massed across the way I had to go. Remembering my late experience, I marched on, nothing daunted, and when within easy hearing, struck up my song. As before, the animals all faced about and gazed at me, but alas ! instead of dispersing, they came slowly towards me, like a moving wall. Louder and louder I sang, until looking beyond and around me, I saw cattle everywhere, all moving in my direction, up the slope from the river, down the mountains on my right, cattle slowly but surely closing me in. They were not fierce in aspect, but still they came nearer and nearer, a vast, noiseless audience. I dared not stop singing, as I saw clearly my song was a charm, without which I was but an ordinary human intruder, and to be treated as such. On the other hand, it was evident that the more I sang the more the herd gathered. Closer and closer they came, until I could feel their hot breath like a cloud about me, and then a gentle poke in the back or shoulder from their long horns. For a moment I despaired, then, with some difficulty, from lack of space, I opened my parasol, whirled it round and round before me, with all the strange shouts I could invent, and charged straight at my foes. To my grateful surprise the bewildered animals gave way one by one, and fairly made a lane down which I rushed, brandishing my weapon. When free of them I looked back, to find them steadily staring after me in dull amazement : but not one moved a step in pursuit of me. Some weeks later, when I was telling the story to a Nebraska farmer, he informed me that the danger had been extreme; only a week before he and some other mounted men had barely rescued alive a new comer who had incautiously strayed into a cattle run. From the fact that they are invariably driven by mounted men, the animals seem to have lost their respect for humanity on foot, and treat it with slight consideration. One day Johnnie’s mamma sent him to the meat market to get a sirloin steak. Johnnie soon came back and told his mamma that the man had only shoulder and round steak. His mamma told him she did not want round steak, but that be might get a shoulder steak. The little fellow ran off, feeling very important to be entrusted with the errand, and soon came back and handed hie mother the steak, saying, * Here is the steak, mamma, but I forgot whether you said elbow or arm.'