Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1877-12-13
FAYETTEVILLE, TBNNESSRE

L Hty were dlIIlOet near euUuSu
for throw when the horse head.
ed away at trot. They could
not gain an inch, though they
had three of the best mustangs in
the Territory, and the animals
were pushed to the top of their
speed. Head up, name rolling
back over hisshoulders like wave
Of foam, and his massive tail
streaming out like a flag, the
White Devil lifted his feet and
put them down as steadily as
clock work. While they were do
ing their best, they could see that
be was not doing all in his power.
They kept up continual yelling
for the first five miles, hoping to
break his pace, but neither shouts
nor the reports of rifles lost him a
step,
In seventy minutes the White
Devil was at the end of the val.
ley, fresh as daisy, while the
mustangs, half mile behind,
were reeking and blown. He
waited for them TO come up, and
struck pace, and swept away at
such gait that he was soon out
of sight. Ten miles to the east
was the first squad of men. They
sighted him a mile away ,and were
all ready for pursuit. Coming
straight ahead, with the grass al.
most smoking beneath his feet,
the wild charger passed them not
more than hundred feet away.
He laid back his ears at their yell,
but went straight ahead at his
laundering pace. In ten minutes
the men could hardly see him. A
second and a third squad were
treated in the same manner, and
as the last one was reached White
Devil changed his pace to gall
Dp. threw up his heels, and head
ed for the range. He was soon out
of sight, and the chase was aban-
doned.
At daylight next morning the
strange horse looked down from
the ridge again, and by and by
walked down to within pistol shot
Of the fort. A band of sixty
friendly Indians, hunt, had halt.
ed at the fort the night previous,
and were anxious to organize
new chase. More than eighty we'll
mounted pursuers were ready af
ter breakfast. Some rode to cut
eff retreat to the range, and others
galloped down the valley. An
hour after they were out of sight
the main Lody made dash for
the horse, which had been grazing
for the last half hour. He
took the valley as before, and men
dropped out at every mile TO push
him as he returned.
White Devil was pushed faster
than before, but he would neither
break his trot nor let horseman
get within 100 feet of him. The In
dians who had gone on ahead were
expecting him to turn to the left,
as before, but the wild horse kept
straight ahead as be reached the
mouth oi The valley. He ran out
on the prairie for twenty miles,
firing out every horse in pursuit,
and then wheeled and returned o.
YER bis route OF the previous day.
Men were waiting for him, but he
scarcely appeared before he was out
Of sight. lie was pacing and trot-
ling by turns, and notuntll he had
reached the end t that eighty mile
chase did he break into a run.
When near the fort he crossed the
ridge, shook of the last pursuer,
aud entered dark canon in the
The Indians traced
hi N until the canon split into three
or Jour rocky defles, and then
hey camped down with the deter
to walt till hunger and
thirst should drive the fugitive
1ut. Darkness came, midnight
came, and the watchers had heard
nothing.
With the sult tread Of wolf
almost, a foe stole upon the Indians
under the walls OF the tort.
Step! step step-l and a white OBJ.
iect stood within ten feet of the |
first sleeper and peered this way
and that. 1t was White Devil!
The red men we're still waiting in |
he dark canon, but the horse had |
emerged from the range by some
iefile known and used before.
The sentinel at the gate heard a
,hrill neigh. saw the smoldering |
cf the dying camp6res flung
nigh in the cir, and next moment /
the Indians were yelling and
screaming in alright. Back and
Iorth charged the horse, striking,
Z. -. |