scaffolding, we were covered with blood, and on the topmost branches
of the pecans sat a dozen or more of those miserable turkey buzzards,
awaiting an opportunity to come down and eat what was left of the
carcass. It was necessary to keep as close a watch over those birds as
we did over the wolves, else all our labor would have been speedily
devoured. When there was an opportunity for a much-needed bath, father
allowed no more than two of us to go into the stream at a time,
obliging the others to remain where they might stand guard over the
meat.
[Illustration]
When night came, the ribbons of flesh were not wholly cured and we
found it necessary to gather them up and store them in one of the
wagons lest the dew spoil the flesh; in the morning we hung all the
thin strips out again, standing over them jealously.
It seemed to me just then as if all our days and nights in Texas were
to be spent standing guard over something. During the night we were
forced to watch lest the wolves devour our sheep, and during the day we
had to keep a careful eye over the turkey buzzards who seemed on the
verge of starvation all the time. In addition to this labor, it was
necessary to perform the regular work on the ranch, and thus it may be
seen that we did not have much time for idling.
SEARCHING FOR THE CATTLE AGAIN
The next day father sent out two of the negroes to search for our
cattle, believing it would be useless for us to make any attempt at
herding them until after they had had ample time to quiet down from the
alarm caused by the chase and the killing of the bull.
The black men were absent from the camp twenty hours before coming back
with all the herd, and to have heard these negroes complain, one might
have thought that they had walked a full hundred miles. According to
their story they traveled a long, long distance before coming upon the
herd, and then they found it extremely difficult to drive the beasts in
toward the Trinity River, because the two wild cows made every effort
to stampede the herd whenever the negroes came in sight.
Perhaps I do not need to set down in detail all that we did during this
first season on the Trinity, but I will tell what we accomplished.
OUR NEW HOME
[Illustration]
First, and next to the raising of sheep, the most important matter to
me was the building of the house. This we did, working at odd times
when not engaged in planting, and seeing to it that never an hour
was wasted, either by ourselves or by the negroes. When the work was
finished, truly we had a building of which to be proud, for this new
home seemed quite as fine as the one we had left in Bolivar County.
It was built throughout of sawed lumber; the roof was made of a double
thickness of boards, and the crevices on the sides of the house
covered with the first strips taken from the trunks of the trees, with
the bark still remaining; but this did not, in my eyes, detract from
the general appearance of the whole.
Perhaps it was because I had labored so hard and so long on this home
of ours, that it appeared so beautiful in my sight. At all events,
it was most convenient, as even mother admitted. We had one room on
the front, overlooking the river, and back of that a storeroom and a
kitchen, which, if not exactly fit for a king, served our purposes very
well.
In the loft, which of course was directly under the roof, we had our
beds, mother, father, and I. Just behind the building, or, I should
say, on the other side of the pecan motte, was a small hut built of
round logs for the two negroes. We had sent back on foot those men whom
father hired to drive the teams; therefore when our house was finished
and the season at an end, only John and Zeba remained to aid in the
labor of the ranch.
PLANTING, AND BUILDING CORRALS
We had planted no less than three acres of corn and potatoes, all of
which promised a bountiful harvest, and gave token of yielding two or
three times as much as we could have hoped for on the richest of the
Mississippi bottoms.
In addition to the dwellings, we had built a large pen for the sheep,
made of mesquite bushes stuck so firmly into the ground that the
coyotes would not dare attempt to force a passage through.
[Illustration]
We also had smaller pens for the sheep with lambs, perhaps a dozen or
more of them; for, as you know, the mother sheep very often will not
take kindly to her young, and it is necessary either to tie her up, or
put her in some small inclosure with the little fellow, during two or
three days, until she becomes acquainted with him and is willing to
admit that he belongs to her.
During the season the last work done by the negroes was the splitting
of rails. With these and with the wagons, we made a corral for the
mules, where they could be inclosed at night, or whenever there was
promise of a norther which might stampede them. For those fierce storms
came, as it seemed to me, very often.
BAR-O RANCH
As for the oxen and cows, they were still allowed to roam over the
prairie. We could not well provide them with a corral, because cattle
often feed at night, and must have plenty of room in which to roam; but
we took good care that they were branded, father using as his mark a
big letter O with a line drawn across the middle.
[Illustration]
Because of this brand I decided we would call our new home the Bar-O
Ranch, and to-day I venture to say it is as well known in the state of
Texas as any other, even though we may not number our cattle by the
thousands, as do the more wealthy cattle raisers.
During all that season we had but two visitors, and how they chanced to
stray down our way so far off the trail I was curious to learn. They
were Mexicans, each driving a cart of home manufacture, which was the
oddest contrivance I had ever seen.
AN ODD CART
The wheels are about seven feet high, made of three pieces of plank
perhaps three inches thick, the middle one being the widest, and the
two outsides quite narrow, the whole being rounded into the shape of a
wheel.
The axle on which it is hung, for the carts are built somewhat after
the fashion of a gig, is nothing more than a straight stick of timber
with the ends rounded off to fit into holes cut through the center of
the wheels.
On this axle, fastened to it by wooden pins and strips of rawhide, is
the body of the cart, formed of timbers no less than three or four
inches square. The tongue, to which the oxen are yoked, is only a
straight piece of heavy hickory bound to the axle with thongs and pins
in the most awkward manner possible.
Take it all in all, it is as heavy, as ill-contrived, and as odd a
vehicle as one can imagine. Because of its exceeding great weight, the
Mexicans cannot carry very heavy loads, and, because there are no hubs
to the wheels and because the owners of the carts use little or no
grease, it is possible at times to hear the creaking of the huge wheels
a mile or more away.
[Illustration]
If a Mexican cart is an ill-looking contrivance, then surely the yoke
for the oxen fully matches it, for it is nothing more than a piece of
timber, the edges rounded somewhat so they may not chafe the animals'
necks, laid directly behind the horns, and lashed there firmly with
thongs of rawhide. It is made fast to the tongue of the cart in the
same awkward manner. It must cause the beasts much discomfort, and
certainly the strongest oxen are unable to pull half as much of a load
as when a yoke with a smooth bow is properly adjusted around the necks.
THE VISITORS
[Illustration]
These Mexicans, who were driving two oxen to each cart, claimed to be
going to Fort Towson after certain goods which were to be left there
for them; but I doubted the statements made, as did father, for they
had their unwieldy vehicles partly filled with packages five or six
feet long, wrapped in what looked like tow cloth, and we afterward
learned that these were probably muskets being sent to the northern
border to be sold to the Indians.
These strangers were decked out in most fanciful costumes, with
scarf-like blankets of gaudy colors thrown over their shoulders, simply
by way of ornament. They could speak only a few words of English,
making their wants known mostly by gestures.
They asked if they might make camp near our house. Such a request was
not to be refused, for they might have done as they pleased. Father
would not have had the heart to drive them away, for the prairie, even
though staked out as a homestead, is free to all travelers.
ZEBA'S CURIOSITY
That evening Zeba's curiosity, like my own, was aroused by the sight of
those bundles in the carts, which seemed heavy, as could be told when
the Mexicans unyoked the oxen. He therefore loitered around trying to
find an opportunity of learning what was inside the wrappings of tow;
but before he succeeded in getting his hands on one of the packages,
the Mexican drove him away with threats that I fancy would have been
blood-curdling had we understood the Spanish language.
Their behavior toward Zeba, who thus far had done no more than stand
idly by the side of one of the carts looking in, as a negro will when
his curiosity is aroused, caused father to suspect that there was
something wrong with the men, and that their approaching Fort Towson
by way of the West Fork of the Trinity was not an accident, but rather
done by design, that they might avoid the beaten lines of travel.
[Illustration]
Therefore during the night that they remained in camp near us, both he
and I stood guard, for while we had not heard very much concerning the
troubles with Mexicans and Indians which the settlers on the western
border were having, we knew the people of Mexico had no good will
toward us who came from the States; although why that should have been
the case I have never succeeded in learning.
POSSIBLE TREACHERY
On thinking it over, there appears to be good reason why the natives
should be the enemies of those who have settled in Texas, for this
republic was forcibly taken from the Mexican government at the cost of
much bloodshed, and it would be strange indeed if they looked upon us
in a friendly manner after that.
Even if they had not had so much territory taken from them, the
Mexicans surely had good reason for unfriendliness when they remembered
the battle of San Jacinto, to say nothing of the other engagements
which gave independence to the republic of Texas.
Father has always held that when the Comanche Indians overran Texas in
1840, they were urged on by the Mexicans, who hoped to get back their
territory, and perhaps believed that the savages would work such ruin
to the republic as to make it easily conquered.
SUSPICIOUS BEHAVIOR
Under pretense of guarding against the coyotes, and preventing the
cattle from straying, father and I moved here and there in the vicinity
of the house during the entire night, and I took note that one or
the other of those teamsters was on the alert whenever we came near
them, which fact caused father's suspicions to increase rather than
diminish, and we were thankful indeed when, at an early hour next
morning, they took their departure.
[Illustration]
Five or six weeks later, however, when we had fairly good proof that
they were carrying muskets and, perhaps, ammunition to the Indians in
order that an attack might be made on us settlers, father regretted
that he had not demanded to know what the fellows had in their carts.
When I asked him what he would have done if he had discovered that they
were carrying weapons, he said most emphatically that, knowing the
Indians on the border were in a state of unrest, he would have taken
it upon himself to stop the fellows at the point of the rifle, and
would have sent me to Fort Towson, even though I might have been forced
to go alone, in order to learn what disposition should be made of them.
Mother said that it was fortunate for us that we had not done any such
wild thing, for if the fellows had resisted our attempts to search
their carts, and resorted to weapons, then we might have come out
second best, for no dependence could be put in John and Zeba in event
of a downright fight, for they were more cowardly than any other slaves
I had ever seen.
GYP'S FIGHT WITH A COUGAR
Gyp and I thoroughly enjoyed ourselves hunting. He was not a dog
trained for game, but he had so much good sound common sense that
immediately after we had treed and killed our first wildcat, he entered
into the sport as if he had been always accustomed to it.
Gyp was more like a comrade than like a brute. With the game as
abundant as it then was on the West Fork of the Trinity, you can be
assured that he and I, after the hardest of the work had been done, and
when the sheep were not needing care, had some rare sport.
It was my ambition to kill what is called a Mexican lion, or cougar.
I knew there were several prowling around, having seen their tracks;
once I came in full view of one when he was making a dash for a sheep
and a lamb which had strayed some distance from the flock.
[Illustration]
Gyp and I hunted, day in and day out, without success, until one
morning by accident we almost stumbled over one of the fellows. In a
twinkling the cougar and the dog were fighting desperately, while I
ran around and around them, fearing to shoot lest I should kill Gyp,
but knowing it was necessary to do something without delay.
The two were rolling and leaping about, each with his teeth fastened
upon the other, as you have seen two bulldogs fight, but for the life
of me I could not get a fair chance to press the muzzle of my rifle
against the brute's head.
Finding Gyp was getting the worst of the battle, and forgetting the
danger, I whipped out the knife which always hung at my belt. Holding
it between my teeth and taking advantage of the first opportunity, I
seized that villainous cougar by the neck, and held him in such a grip
that he was half choked and forced to loosen his hold upon the dog.
This gave Gyp the opportunity he wanted to fasten upon the animal's
throat.
IN A DANGEROUS POSITION
Gyp, however, was not sufficiently strong to win the battle unaided,
and I had all I could do to retain my hold upon the beast's neck, not
daring for a single instant to let go with one hand in order to use the
knife. Consequently there I stood, clutching the back of the cougar,
while Gyp snarled and tore at his throat without doing much execution.
It was just when I said to myself I could not retain my hold many
seconds longer, and the beast might turn upon me, once my grip was
slackened, that father came in sight. Then, as you can fancy, the
battle was speedily ended. He picked up my rifle from the ground where
I had dropped it, and holding the muzzle against the brute's ear, fired
with such effect that on the instant the cougar ceased to struggle.
[Illustration]
But it was not always necessary that some other should interfere when
Gyp and I were waging war against the beasts that would have done
injury to the flock. We killed so many coyotes before the season had
come to an end that we ceased to think of it as any very great feat,
and save for the fact that we always took the wolf's hide, made no more
of slaying one than we did of knocking over a jack rabbit.
HUNTING WILD HOGS
Having killed a cougar and scores upon scores of wolves, it was my
desire to come across a drove of peccaries, as the wild hogs of Texas
and Mexico are called. One day, when Zeba told me he had seen a drove
of fifteen or twenty near the river, I set off without delay, Gyp at my
heels, intending to bring back one or more that we might have a store
of salt pork for the winter. Little did I dream what kind of animals I
was going against!
We set off early in the morning, Gyp and I, and it seemed as if I had
traveled at least seven miles before I came upon any signs of the wild
hogs.
When I knew that a large number were close at hand, I began stalking
them as I would a herd of deer. If I had known a little more about
those vicious animals, I would have understood that at any show of
enmity on my part I would bring them down upon me.
In fact, this was what I really did, although unwittingly. I supposed
that such game, like others, would take to their heels at the first
report of the rifle, and all I might succeed in getting would be at the
first shot. Therefore I stole up toward the herd with the greatest
caution, spending no less than an hour crawling through the mesquite
bushes toward where I heard the little fellows grunting and squealing
as they rooted among the decaying leaves for food.
No hunter could have asked for a better shot than I had. With a single
ball I killed one of the peccaries, and wounded two others in such a
manner that I had no doubt but that I could quickly bring them down.
I began to reload the rifle, ordering Gyp to remain at my heels so he
might not unduly alarm the drove. Hardly had I poured in the powder and
rammed it home, when like a whirlwind all that drove of hogs charged
through the mesquite bushes, and in the instant I was fleeing for my
life.
Now it may seem odd that a fellow nearly thirteen years old should
run away from a drove of hogs: but let me tell you that these were no
ordinary animals, as my experience taught me. They were about half the
size of a full-grown hog with very sharp snouts, wicked-looking tusks
protruding from either side of the mouth, and long, slim legs, which
told that they were fitted for a race.
TREED BY PECCARIES
It is not to be supposed I gave particular heed to those
characteristics while the peccaries were charging upon me, it was
afterward, when I had an opportunity of seeing the dead animals at my
leisure, that I noted their size and shape.
[Illustration]
When they came at full speed toward me, with gnashing of teeth and
grunts of anger, I said to myself that I would sooner be confronted by
two cougars than by such a drove, and, realizing on the instant that
there was little chance for me to escape by flight, I sought refuge in
a small pecan tree which stood near at hand.
[Illustration]
It was well I moved quickly, for the foremost of the drove thrust at me
viciously with his tusks, tearing off the bottom of my moccasin as I
climbed up the tree and strove to take my rifle with me.
In an instant the hair on Gyp's back stood straight up, and he braced
himself as if for a battle. Now despite the fact that I had had no
acquaintance with peccaries, I understood at a single glance that he
would have little show against their tusks, and therefore I shouted for
him to go home.
The last of the hogs were charging down upon us when I repeated the
order, and it was fortunate indeed for Gyp that he had learned to obey
instantly any command I gave, although it was plain to be seen that he
did not do so willingly.
GYP'S OBEDIENCE
Despite my sharp words Gyp stood irresolute half a minute perhaps,
and I thought he was about to spring upon the foe. I shouted yet more
sternly, and the good dog wheeled about in a manner which told that he
highly disapproved of my forcing him to turn his back upon an enemy,
and trotted away.
The peccaries turned to follow him, whereupon I broke one of the
stoutest branches within my reach and flung it among the drove as a
challenge for them to turn their attention upon me and to give Gyp an
opportunity to escape.
It seemed to me then that you need no more than a tone of defiance to
provoke a row with peccaries, for when the branch hit the leader of the
drove, he turned, with an angry grunt and snort, to face me. Following
his example, the remainder of the drove saw me plainly as I leaned over
in full view.
[Illustration]
If, before we left Bolivar County, any one had told me I would flee
for my life before a drove of hogs, and then allow myself to be held
prisoner by them, I would have laughed heartily, and yet such was the
case now.
The vicious little animals crowded against the trunk of the tree,
leaping up as if hoping to get a hold upon me, and tearing off huge
pieces of the bark in their efforts.
At first I was not inclined to believe the situation very serious, and
said to myself that it was an opportunity to lay in as much fresh pork
as we could use during the winter season. I therefore loaded my rifle
leisurely and prepared to slaughter the entire drove.
MY CARELESSNESS
I fired two shots, bringing down a hog with each bullet. Then, through
clumsiness or the difficulty of holding myself securely upon the small
limb of the tree, the powder horn slipped from my fingers, and in an
instant they had ground it to fragments.
It was useless to blame myself for such a blunder, and for the moment
it did not seem to be very serious, since I expected that my enemies
would soon go away after learning that it was impossible to get at me.
I had killed three outright, and wounded two so severely that they were
lying on the ground; but of these the remainder of the drove appeared
to take no notice whatsoever. Their only object was to get hold of me,
and before ten minutes had passed I began to understand that I was not
only regularly treed, but likely to remain a prisoner until they were
forced to leave me in order to seek food.
[Illustration]
They leaped, and grunted, and snarled, at the foot of the tree until,
as time wore on, I became absolutely afraid that, growing exhausted, I
might fall among them and be torn to pieces.
After a time I lost all desire to look at that ring of sharp tusks
protruding from the red mouths which rose and swayed before me like
some unearthly thing made up of many parts, and was actually grown so
cowardly that I closed my eyes to shut out the sight.
VICIOUS LITTLE ANIMALS
[Illustration]
Hour after hour passed, yet those vicious little brutes at the foot of
the tree seemed as excited as when they first saw me, and I made up my
mind that I was in for many hours of this odd imprisonment, because it
was not reasonable to suppose the hogs would soon grow so hungry as to
leave me free.
But for the fact that Gyp was a dog who obeyed my every command, and
had the good sense to understand that something serious had happened, I
might have come to the end of my days there among the mesquite bushes,
murdered by the peccaries I had counted on for pork.
Fortunately father was about two miles down the river when he saw Gyp
coming toward him apparently in great fright. At once he understood the
situation to be extremely grave, else the dog would never have returned
home without me. Seizing his rifle, for we on the banks of the Trinity
took good care to go well armed even while working on the ranch, father
ordered Gyp to lead the way to where he had left me.
Half an hour before sunset he came so near that it was possible to hear
the angry grunting of the peccaries, and understood in a twinkling what
had happened.
FATHER COMES TO THE RESCUE
His first care was to lift Gyp into a pecan twenty or thirty yards away
from where I was roosting, and there the dog struggled to hold himself
in the crotch of a limb while father clambered up beside him.
All this while the hogs which were holding me prisoner gave no heed to
the noise made by father and Gyp, but continued their efforts to reach
me by leaping up against the trunk of the tree until father opened
fire, shouting to me as he sent a bullet among them:--
"Are you safe, lad? Have you been hurt?"
"I am all right; but I have dropped my powder horn."
Then father began firing as rapidly as the rifle could be reloaded.
There were seventeen in the drove I came upon; three I had killed and
two I had wounded, leaving twelve very much alive and very active.
Father killed nine before the survivors decided that the time had come
for them to beat a retreat, and when the last of the three trotted off,
grunting and gnashing his teeth, I literally dropped from my perch in
the pecan, as limp as though I had been ill for some time.
So far as getting a supply of pork was concerned, to say nothing of the
saving of my life, it was well father took a hand in the fight, for
I, who knew nothing of the peculiarity of these wild hogs, would have
allowed the meat to spoil.
There is a gland on the back, filled with a certain disagreeable
substance which will make its way through all the meat of the wild hog
unless it is removed within a short time after the killing. Father's
first act, even before waiting to congratulate me upon my escape, or to
ask how I had happened to fall into such a predicament, was to remove
these glands, and not until this work had been performed did he give
any attention to me.