The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1877-11-15
From the New York Sun.
WHITE DEVIL.

One night IN June, ten years ago, the
sentinel pacing up and down before the
gates of Fort Defiance, up in the north
eastern part of Arizona, suddenly heard
the hoof- beat of horse.
Halt Who comes there" rang out
the challenge, but there was no answer.
1t was a starlight night. Two or three
hundred feet away the sentinel caught
sight of white horse approaching him
at brisk walk. When he could see the
horse he could also see that it had no
rider. DrOves of wild horses and still
wilder mustangs were frequently seen
from the fort, and the sentinel was rath-
er pleased that one of them was being
led by curiosity to approach the gate.
The horse grew whittier and larger as he
came nearer, and when he halted he was
not over ten feet from the guard. He
was tall and powerfully built, name
hanging almost to his knees. and tail
sweeping the ground, and he was as
white as SNOW. Head up, ears pointed
forward, and eyes opened to their widest
extent, the wild horse stood for long
minute and looked into the soldier, face.
His nostrils dilated, his tail moved this
way and that, and the muscles in his
powerful chest and legs stood out in bold
relief. The soldiers surprise and admi-
ration were SO great that he stood like
statue, musket on his shoulder, and his
mind almost doubling what his eyes saw.
Suddenly and without an instant's
warning, the horse sprang forward To the
attack. Catching the sentinel by the
shoulder with his teeth, he raised him
clear off the ground, and shook him
right and left as if he was an empty
grain bag, and then hurled him with ter
rible force. The yell of pain and alarm
uttered by the sentinel had scarcely died
away before the relief came hurrying
out. They found him lying in a heap
beside the stockade, unconscious, and his
uniform in tatters. There was no enemy
in sight-not even a wolf skulked away
through the darkness. A general alarm
was sounded, the drum beat to arms, and
for quarter of an hour the excitement
was intense, every one believing that a
large force of Indians was on the point of
making an assault.
When the sentinel recovered hi, senses
and related hi, adventure, no one would
believe his story until sergeant had ex-
amined the earth and discovered the hoof-
/,
such a singular adventure that no one
felt easy until morning came. Then the
trail of the white horse could be followed
Tar out on the prairie; and soon after
sunrise the horse himself was discovered
bearing down on the fort from the direc-
ton OF the mountain range three miles
away. As the word went round, every
man turned out to catch sight of the
animal about which 50 much had been
said. He came forward at a sweeping
trot, head up, tail streaming far behind,
and his knee-action perfect, a. though he
had been trained on the course for wears.
He swerved neither to the right nor left,
and never halted until he was within
pistol shot of the crowd at the stockade.
The sentinel had not exaggerated in
his statements. The color was snow
white, and such strength and symmetry
no one had ever before seen in horse.
The ears were pointed, the eyes as bright
as stars, and the sun glistened on his hide
as If 1t had been vanished. For two or
three minutes not word was spoken by
any man, and the horse did not move a
foot. Then a scout and hunter, who had
come into the fort about half an hour
Why, that's the hoss known among
us and the Iniuns rs White Devil,
I've seen him four or five times, and Eve
heard of him at least once week for the
last five years. He's the ugliest. slyest,
and most treacherous beast standing on
four legs"
The scout related that the horse before
them came to his notice about five wears
before, when the Indians made several
attempts to capture him. He was sin
gled out from the drove and pursued for
several days, and in despair of securing
him, one of the red men sought to kill
him, so that no one else should secure the
prize. The horse was only wounded by
the bullet that was meant to take his
life. He at once separated himself from
the drove and followed his former pur-
suers like Il shadow. He dashed into
their camps at night. attacked their
ponies when he found them grazing. and
had on several occasions attacked lone
Indians and quickly killed or disabled
them.
I'll give two hundred dollars TO the
man who captures that horse for me.''
said the commander, Is he noted every
Tine point about the majestic animal
You might Just as we'll offer ten
thousand, replied the scout. That
ere horse can pace, trot, and GALLON. and
thar isn't wolf in the hull Sierra range
which can smell of his heels. I'd as
quick take the job of clearing out all the
reds IN Arizona rs of catchin' the White
Devil. See that fore foot go up! See
them ears lay back. He'll charge the
hull crowd in lesS'n a minute"
Before word of warning could he
spoken the horse made dash upon the
men, screaming out is 4 troop horse does
when badly wounded in battle. The
soldiers rushed for the gate. One of the
hlndermost wasa private named O'Mearv
was being borne away with the ~wiftnesS
of the wind. rhe horse had a firm grin
of clothing and flesh, and keeping his
head we'll up he swept over the prairie
with the soldier held almost perpendicu-
larly before him. He WAS out of rance
before anybody could pick up a gun.
There was a dozen or fifteen horses Al
the post, and in five minutes a. MANY
men had mounted them and were gallon
ing away in pursuit.
White Devil and his victim had di>ap-
peared over a swell about a mile from
the fort. As the horsemen reached the
crest they found the dead body of their
companion ON the grass, bitten and
stamped and kneaded 10 q bloody mass.
The horse stood facing them, forty rods
away, as If he had waited for them TO
come up As the remains were being
conveyed 10 the fort several hunters
came II, and in short time a force of
twenty mounted men left the gates 10
Try and effect the capture Of the vicious
animal. The men had lassoes, hobbies
and ropes, and the instructions were 10
drive the horse from the neigh bornood if
he could not be captured. He stood ON
the ridge ana looked down upon the band
as 1t left the fort The four lasso- throw
ers rode directly at him. while the rest
OF the men separated and rode TO cut off
retreat by way Of the mountain.
When the first horseman was within a
hundred feet Whit. Dar;I al IL