Wanderings of French EdRené, J. Adelard (Joseph Adelard)
History
Wanderings of French Ed
René, J. Adelard (Joseph Adelard)
French Canadians -- Fiction; United States -- History -- 19th century -- Fiction
dash themselves to death from some high precipice, where the first
ones to reach are pushed over by the oncoming, until thousands have
been sent to destruction. Edward knew this and he also knew that the
stampede was now heading toward a dangerous marsh where thousands
would perish, unless something was done to prevent them from going in
the direction they were then taking. It is a fact that the best way
to stop a stampede is to get the animals circling round, and this is
often done by the cowboys, who ride with the leaders of the stampede,
and lash them on the head until they gradually keep turning; but it
is one of the most dangerous actions that a cowboy can be called to
do. A stumble of the horse and both rider and horse are sure to be
trampled upon by the frenzied herd, and of course, that means
destruction.
Edward could soon distinguish some of the other cowboys, riding
furiously by the side of the running herd, but apparently unable to
reach the leaders, and in a moment he made up his mind to do it
himself, and immediately starting his mare at a rather slow canter,
he let the stampede come nearer and nearer until he could hear their
hard breathing; then, taking his long lasso in his right band, he
half turned himself on his saddle, and while at a very rapid gait, he
kept striking the furious beasts in the face, until they began to
alter their course, and turn to the right, which was exactly what he
wanted. By this time the other cowboys had joined him, and the great
moving mass was now beginning to circle around; but just then
Edward's mare missed her footing and fell forward, turning a complete
somersault and breaking Edward's right arm above the elbow. It was
almost miraculous that he never let go of the reins, which he held
with his left hand, but was again on the saddle as soon as his mare
was on her feet, his right arm banging limp by his side, and causing
the most excruciating pain as it moved with every motion of the mare.
His face was also badly bruised, blood flowed freely from his mouth
and nose, and when some of the cowboys came to his rescue he was
riding on his saddle like a drunken man. They made a sling with a
piece of lasso, and after bathing his face in the water of a near-by
spring, they decided that two of them would go back to the village
with Edward, while the rest would remain and watch the still excited
herd. They started very slowly, knowing that the motion caused by
cantering or galloping would make Edward's arm pain him much more;
but Edward, after inquiring if his mare was badly hurt, and being
told that except for some blood running from her nose, she seemed to
be all right, they were surprised to hear him say: "Boys, let's go a
little faster or we will never reach home."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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