The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1876-06-15
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A correspondent Of the Chicago Inter
Ocean, with Gen. Crooks expedition,
gives his experience with that most ex-
a%sperating animal, the California bron-
cho. He says: Every morning we take
an hours exercise before starting on
our journey. 1t seems a matter Of fun
to the pony, this hour of exercise. He
usually rises with the sun, and, II you
want to 60 west that day, he is kind to
take you the other way. We shuttle off
blankets at 4 O'Clock every morning.
This is one of the Injuries of the march.
From 5 to Q O'Clock the pony and my
self have gymnastics together, that is,
he is the performer, and l am-some-
times another. We are ready to mount.
There is a plunge. You think it is fun.
The reins are frightened and your feet
dive into the stirrups as II you were
looking in your boots for the latest coin
age Of the ''three silver pieces in a dol
lar" As your feet touch the fiery I'M
tanned, the pony remembers what you
have forgotten. The spurs you wear
are sharp and wonderfully ticklish.
He da'hes away at top speed to cometo
. sudden standstill. This is to try your
powers of playing leap-frog over his
ears. When he finds that putting on
brakes doesn't make you bite the dust,
he changes his cavalry tactics. He
stands on his head. Then it grows ex-
citing. Tooth, name, and narrative are
subsidized to retain position. What
makes it worse is that every body is
looking at you and enjoying the
joke. Some camp-follower (the
miserable fellow!) cries out, "This
way to the hippodrome, ladies and gen.
tlemen, and see the marvellous feats of
the champion bareback rider Of the
wor-r-rld!" This decides you. If il
move heaven and earth you will break
in that b~roncho-or yourself. The pony
rights himself again, and you think that
he is tanned. Alas! he will only be
quiet in the form Of Spalding's glue.
Never, while he has a leg at each cor
ner and a head at the end. You arc
just seated when he rears and is paving
the air. His neck is wide enough for
your arms, and the plan succeeds. Once
more he assumes his natural attitude,
and now, surely, you can believe that
you have neither lived nor labored in
vain and for nothing. He tries to rub
you off his back by trying the Lord.
bless-the-D uke-of-Argyle argument, but
even that doesn't succeed. This will
not content him, and SO he enters into
a foul horse-conspiracy with a vicious,
kicking mule of the wagon-train. One
takes you neal enough, and the other
tries to keel you off. A twist of the
bride gives your broncho the blow in.
tended for yourself, and now, indeed,
you feel that broncho-brain has eX.
hausted itself in its efforts to shuttle of
its mortal coil. Every thing has
been tried, and you begin to
think that your Bucephalus has been
conquered. He will now certainly
see that you are master, and act with
good horse sense. We reckon he is
trained and converted into a respecta.
BILE American steed. Your hopes are
blasted. Your religious views about
profanity are overruled by the broncho's
tricks. You grow angry, and even
wish you could hire some one to swear
roundly for you. The pony drops like
shot from a tower top. You naturally
follow suit, though you know you have
played your last trump, and you feal
the next one will be Gabriel's. BY
sheer cussedness the pony brushes you
off. You are forced to get your feet
out of the stirrups or be crushed by the
diminutive bit of horseflesh which you
bought because they had "bottom" to
them, and would wear out any Ameri.
can mule Cor MANI in the outfit. You
want to find the man you hate most,
and give him the broncho. If he runs
away you would be u happy man. To
keep him is not to be thought of for O
moment. No one can tame or break
him. No one will take him rs a gift
and in luckless humor you purchase q
brace of pistols and carry them day and
night to shoot the mar who sold you
the gentle, easy-riding, strong, perfect,
grass-fed broncho that has scarcely
ever boen ridden much. but Is inst thu
animal for such a trip among the noun
tains.