A COWBOY FEAT.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VIII, Issue 2196, 16 January 1886, Page 2

A COWBOY FEAT.

A gentleman who came in on the Northern Pacific Road (said the St. Paul Pioneer) adds another to the list of startling " cowboy stories of the wild west." When the train stopped at Mcdora, the headquarters of the Marquis de Mores and Theodore Rouzevelt, some ten or a. dozen cowboys, mounted on their typical horses of the plains, were cutting all kinds of capers and giving a sort of fieo show for the edification and amusement of the citizens and passengers, The boys had eome in from a round-up, and were flush with money, and considerably flushed with Dakota'tanglefoot" The railroad bridge, which spans the Little Missouri river at this point, is at least 100 ft above the surface of the water. To allow footmen to cross, a narrow plank walk—not more than 2ft wide-is laid along oil the ties, from shore to shore, in the centre of the bridge. It requires steady nerve for a man to make tho trip successfully, without losing his balance and falling through between the ties into the river far below, which, of course, would be certain death. Two of tho cowboys, more reckless tlmn-their companions, rode their horses upon'tho track at a rapid gait, and then, in single file; dashed on to the bridge and made for the other side, flying along the plank-walk just as.if they were racing across the: prairie after '■' obstreperous bovines. The spectators were thrilled with'horror, and expected to see the two daring men dashed to death at every jump the horses made. The riders yelled vociferously and rode with tho same easy confidence they always display when at home on the .-plains.. One ,of them was somewhat in advance of the other," and the passengers wore astonished, and their suspenso greatly relieved, when he reached the other side safely and gave vent.to a regular, yell of, triumph. But his companion was not so lucky. He was within thirty yards of the end of the bridge, going jij; full speed, when his horse: stumbled. The-rider was seen l to sway tq and. fra fpr a/.few.-.seqonds, I'and' to-'make a!'desperate effort to pull the on. its feet again, and then both in a heap. The crowd of lookers-on, with one'impulse, gave vent to, a cry of.terror; arid a number of peo'plo started put on.:, the -bridge to .render assistance 'to ' the' unfortunate :fefiw T .-.-But:. almost-immediately the fallen, cowboy .arose,; helped the horse upprvitsfesir-iinsbme miraculousway~r

,with a rush, yelling like a demon - as ho flew down tho. track on tlio other side, in hot pursuit: of his companion, who was "almost outof-sight, and running as if he .were trying.toget put''of tlie way. of a cyclone. If horse or, rider was injured} ;neithershowed;signsof it 1 from thedis•tance that intervened. ■■ Evidently the horse fell over, on its side on the broad | walk, and managed to keep its legs free from the spaces between the ties, thus saving itself from serious injury. It was one of the most foolhardy feats on record.