The Wainwright Star WAINWRIGHT, ALBERTA   FRIDAY, JULY 16th, 1909.

Mad Buffalo Charged Cowboy

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A Thrilling Experience In the Loading of the Canadian Buffalo Into Trains at Ravalli Montana.

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The work of loading the buffalo in cars at Ravailli, Mont., for shipment to the Canadian parks is expected to arrive in Alberta in a few days. The work has been full of exciting incidents, and many narrow escapes from death to the cowboys engaged in the round-up have taken place. One of the most thrilling of these occurred last week at Ronan, where the animals are crated for hauling in wagons over 36 miles of rough mountain road to Ravailli where they were loaded in the cars.

Johnny Decker, one of the most expert riders of the camp was the hero of the adventure, and his exciting experience is given by the Missoulian as follows:—

"Decker and his brother are employed as expert riders to corral the bison and aid in heading them to the cages in which they were being hauled from Ronan to the railroad at Ravailli, were endeavoring to drive the unruly bison from the corral at Ronan into the waiting cages, when the herd goaded to madness by the efforts of the drivers to force them into the wagons, rebelled and stampeded.

"One shaggy monarch of the herd, which Decker had been trying to force through the loading chute, wheeled suddenly, lowered his massive head and in blind fury, charged toward the rider. Traveling with the speed of the wind almost, the beast charged Decker's horse. The rider was unable to swing his steed clear of the beast’s path and in an instant the horse was impaled upon the buffalo’s horns. With an exhibition of strength almost beyond belief the buffalo, raising the horse and rider from the ground and half carrying, half pushing them, bore them across the corral for a distance of 300 yards or more.

"With almost certain death staring him in the face, Decker attempted to draw his revolver from the holster and kill the beast, but the weapon caught and his efforts to release it were futile. While the other rider, unable to lend their comrade any assistance, watched to see him go beneath the hoofs of the buffalo. Just then the buffalo stumbled and the gored horse and his rider were hurled from the horns of the beast into the dust. The horse never moved from where he fell, but Decker fortunately, was thrown beyond the animal, and aside from a few bruises and a severe shaking up, escaped unhurt.

"Undaunted by his narrow escape, Decker mounted another horse and assisted his brother and other drivers to force the unruly beast into a wagon cage in which he was safely transported from Ronan to cars at Ravailli. Decker’s horse, which was the property of Michael Pablo, former owner of the buffalo herd, and one of his finest animals, was the second horse to fall a victim of the horns of a buffalo since the round-up has commenced. Only two days before Decker’s experience another animal belonging to Pablo was charged by a buffalo and so badly injured that it died, but in this case there was no rider."