River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1877-11-22
WHITE DEVIL.

New York Sun.
One night in June, ten years ago, the
sentinel pacing up and down before the
gates of Fort Defiance, up the northwest
ern part of Arizona, suddenly heard the
hOof-beat of horse.
.Haltl 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
I 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 rather
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 hang
ing 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 look
ed into the soldiers 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 admiration were so
great that he stood like a 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
I and left as if he was an empty grain bag
I and then hurled him against the heavy
/ gate with terrible force. The yell of
/ pain and alarm uttered by the sentinel
I had scarcely died away before tie relief
came hcrrying out. They found him
/ living in heap beside the stockade, I'M
conscious, and his uniform in tatters
4 There was no enemy in sight-not even
a wolf skulked away through the dark
ness. A general alarm was sounded the
I drums beat to arms, and for a quarter OF
an hour the excitement was intense, ev-
erv one believing that large force of In.
dians was on the point of making an as
sault.
When the sentinel recovered his senses
and related his adventure, no one would
believe his story until Sergeant had ex.
amined the earth and discovered the hooi
prints of the horse, 1t was, however, such
a singular adventure that no one felt easy
until morning came. Then the trail OF
the white horse could be followed far
out on the prairie; and soon after sunrise
the horse himself was discovered bearing
down on the fort from the direction OF
the mountain range three miles away. As
the word went round, every man turned
our to catch sight of the animal about
which so much had been said. He came
forward at a sweeping trot, head up, tai
streaming far behind, and his knee-actior
as perfect as if he had been trained or
the course for wears He sweryed neither
to the right nor left, and never halted un-
til he was within pistol-shot of the crowd
at the stockade.
The sentinel had not exaggerated il
his statements. The color was STOW white
and such strength and symmetry no one
had ever before seen in horse. The
ears were pointed, the eyes as bright a:
stars, and the sun glistened on his hide a:
if il had been vanished. For two 81
three seconds not word was spoken by
any man, and the horse did not move f;
foot. Then a scout and hunter who haC
come into the fort about half an hour be
fore, said to the commander:
"Why, that's the boss known among u
and the Iniuns as white Devilr Nv,
seen him four or five times, and Tvt
heard of him at least once week for tn,
last five years. He's the ugliest, slyest
and most treacherous beast standing Oh
four legs"
The scout related that the hors
before them came to his motto
about five years before, when the Indian
made several attempts TO capture him
He was singled out from the drove ant
pursued for several DAYS, and in aespai
of securing him, one of the red me-
sought to kill him, so that no one els
should secure the prize. The horse wa
| only wounded by the bullet that wa
meant to take his life. He at once SEP
arated himself from the drove and fol
/ lowed his former pursuers like shadow
! He dashed into their camp at night, al
tackled their ponies when he found theI
grazing, and had on several occasions al
tackled lone Indians and quickly kille
, or disabled them.
an give 5000 to the man who car
lures that horse for me-" said the com
, mander, as he noted every fine poin; abou
the majestic animal.
You might just as well offer ten thou'
, and, = replies the scout. "That ere hos
I can pace, trot and gallop, and thar ism
a Welt in the hull Sierra range which ca
smell of his heels. I'd as quick take the 10
J of cleaning out all the reds in the Arizon
/ ascatchin the White Devil. See that foI
: foot 90 up See them ears lay bach
He'll charge the bull crowd in less'n
minuter
Before a word Of warning could b
spoken the horse made A dash upon tn
men, screaming out as a troop horse doe
when badly wounded in battle. TIL
soldiers rushed for the .,ate. One of tn
hindermost was q private named 0'Mear,
| scarcely up,to the regulation height, an
, run down by sickness until his weigh
/ did not exceed hundred pounds. TIL
: White Devil seized him by the bach
lifted him of his feet by toss, and whe