, 1865-06-04
How Wild Horses Fight.


had dften heard from r<on authority, au-
sometimes from vlitc men. whom account
cd somewhat better authority, uf the uses to
which the horses Of tho t1onos aud panpls
sometimes ar1ly their heels; and, upon nu-
NITROUS Cccaeltns since We caMe down iutH
the Grtat Basin, We haEc been furnished with
ccuiar dt lux ustratIons af the Ifocigities Of
tteEt feet, beautiful animals for using rs
wtupcns, both offensive ard def nstyt, not
only tlcir heels, but turc feet aud tseth.
II Wss not however, until after we had
crossed lhe htad waters Of the racaarF, en-.
ttr,d upcn The county Of the Cayopas, aud
wtlc stlrting along the northwestern base of
thu 1ucu1a,u Kan!sc, that We had an nrp'r-
tunity vi Nltne ebiu:- a hatlle raytl between
The s.euder, cleAn.limbed, Suuth.A'ncEican
horse aud tie most ftFuci0u6 and powerful
OF all the brute rargeis If the Brazilian for
csle.
The six months that nc had betd In the
G1tat Uusin Ia1 occupied Us chi. ty aIon.
the eosrsc. Of the Purana, Parnah} ia, nud
1tcir t,itu'asils, whc1c there was little
Wos ttd country, and consequently. very few
of 1hr larger snd nltte formidable animals
with which nl1 tie forest regions uf tbs in
tr1itr atoUnd-
But wr had got fairly into the wild-bcast
r.. junt ut last and, 1or week OF SO, lad bsen
f.yuted with 20 d deal uose Of their com-
ship tEan WAS agi.cab!c. Pumas. lto-
Im,tls, 1gv,s, atd cougars were quite " uu.
u,erous as VT had touut the smaller aEimlls
out IN thu yInirs, and ten times more Annoy.
inr-rnr ticularly tue puma, the only one ol
ali cur new neiclhors 1aht haa no fear 4 fire
and very little OF our rln.s, compel NJ Us By
lis audacous brayado, generally t. settle our
d. tlc1tncts with the lus.o and lance.
Ttt northwestern eloFE Of III. Tucutayo
Rsr%e ls, perhaps, one u the most singular
sierra iol nations in tho wo:ld. From Us e-n-
e, al base wA.sh Is density wooued, jut ont
into the grassy plain long. narrow spdrs OF
.i,r N H1St}t-ftltH N}t ANtiuu OF iTft4zui3F
l.bGths and distances from each other, aud
all heavily 1imper.d to th.lr very ex!1ems-
ties. From fird'seye rosn! OF view the
u ountain would probably appear something
like vnst cont, witt, teeth ir1egularly set or
some OF them breken out.
| AS rule, we kept to the level ground,
| EASING nrIound .hcse spurs; but cisiona!iy
| y hen we came to barrier Of tsia:ns 'e1eva-
| siun ard had fu,,cs 10 rcplenish our st3ck Of
game, We crossed one Of the sitsyas either d.
rect Of dIa.onu1ly, as suited our purpose.
! Cre afternoon We wtrr crossing one Of
! tlese ridges, we'll In toward It's base, aud
Lad just rtacned the SUNNI, when Mtndozo,
our wild Farsguayaa outrlder, came dr.v1n-
back. all e1citeGent shouting IN hts 7iagnd
.fscn.d cftle border.
"Ol1! senoss--Famos yer. Ten hamos
dos 10 erande taeer cfsn mus1to con ei
What's that, Mendoza two lions haying
6ea' blight with the horses: -
"Si. Stnor, Bon coubato! .Vamos yer''
So VT vent down - ser, but Mtndoza'6
Gag. rnets had slightly outran the facts. The
battle was nos set yet, but It was inevitable,
and u Ut at hand.
There would be right royal sport worth
witnessing. So h,y.ng gone down the slope
| Of the sierra al = rafting dash, We draw seiu
ir.t WITHIN the fringe Of timber, where We
| had an admirable lookout; sud laying Clear
/ The I9kts Of on! llssns, lostnirE tht listen.
| irss Of lsnces, sud unslip.lns cur rifles, We
I r., -t,asn I}<y17i
a1ise.
The level, grassy plain, between the twe
epu, f. vas less than hu!f mile In width, anl
about cne-thIld Of the distance across it
counting fr9m one side, and directly In front
ortur position was gazing quietly beau
! tiful mo1lse.coloIed mare, having pats Q
q = twin colts, three mouths o'd peihsps, risk
ipe about her. on to cur right, and down to
/ ward the bottom Of tue grassy c,ve, YER
, Iwo immense pumas-male and female
! stealing cautiously out towards the unsus
rfcieus mare; ahd away to the left, out in tn
cent.r of the meadow, Was small herd o
thr finest-lookng horses I had eSes stem Oh
The animals had disco7erea the pumls
! end were preparing for battle; while tae Ion
msrc, her attention diverted probably By III
can46ols OF her fouls, 1emuined uucpnscious {
dancer.
The mare was abont midway between he
friends and enemies. and tht Pal. Ct !e1oci ,u
: hrutts aPpeaFsd 10 &c calculating lu"'
: thances Of pauncfnr upon aud hclrinT o
tne two foaIs before t.: Lolsc bsisad. coul
SWEEP down upon them.
There was something like reason in THE s.
ea:itx manifested by the hcrses. The her
: iuula r. perhaps hundr.d an!snal., amor
G thtm some twtnly mafes, ~i.h foals ~ the
= s,des. After l=k sr>.;tlDg 10 aud lto 1,
e lvo OF tuttc MINUTES y hal aczsn Of Il
G,est-l. ck.bg wild siatli-ns ever saw,
IT rn.ny st:i! tnstrio,ls mares drc* GU! :r'
J. fhr I'm. y, t,'l'ow-l hs .y"rc Ut smooE .hc'
r. 1heu, IL p,ac!isluga ! strategy ~ conc