Accidents of less degree are common. Men break their collar-bones, arms,
or legs by falling when riding at speed over dangerous ground, when
cutting cattle or trying to control a stampeded herd, or by being thrown
or rolled on by bucking or rearing horses; or their horses, and on rare
occasion even they themselves, are gored by fighting steers. Death by
storm or in flood, death in striving to master a wild and vicious horse,
or in handling maddened cattle, and too often death in brutal conflict
with one of his own fellows--any one of these is the not unnatural end
of the life of the dweller on the plains or in the mountains.
But a few years ago other risks had to be run from savage beasts, and
from the Indians. Since I have been ranching on the Little Missouri, two
men have been killed by bears in the neighborhood of my range; and in
the early years of my residence there, several men living or travelling
in the country were slain by small war-parties of young braves. All
the old-time trappers and hunters could tell stirring tales of their
encounters with Indians.
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