Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-11-08
THE WHITE DEVIL OF THE
PLAINS.

One night in June, ten years ago,
the sentinel pacing up and down
before the gates Of Fort Defiance,
up in the northeastern part of Ari-
zona, suddenly heard the hoof. f.beat
Of a horse.
''Halt! Who comes there?" rang
out the challenge, but there was no
answer.
1t was starlight night. Two or
three hundred feet away the senti-
mel canght sight of a white horse
approaching him at a brisk walk.
When he could see the horse he
could also see that 1t 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 ap.
proach 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 al
most to his knees, and tail sweeping
the ground; and he was as white as
snow. Head up, ears pointed for
ward, and eyes opened to their
widest extent, the wild horse stood
for long minute and looked into
the soldiers face. His nostrils di-
lated, his tail moved this way and
that, and the muscles in his power
full 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 in
stant'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 against
the heavy gate with terrible force.
The yell of pain and alarm uttered
by the sentinel had scarcely died
away before the relief came hurry
ing out. They found him lying in
a heap beside the stockade, uncon-
scious, and his uniform torn in tat
ters. There was no enemy in sight
not even a wolf skulked away
through the darkness. A general
alarm was sounded; the drums beat
to arms, and for a 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 his
senses and related his adventure,
no one could believe his story until
sergeant had examined the ground
and discovered the hoof 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 out to catch sight
Of the animal about which so
much had been said. He came
forward at a sweeping trot, head
up, tail streaming far behind, and
his knee-action as perfect as if he
had been trained on the course for
years. He sweryed 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
Symetry 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 it had been vanished. For
two or three minutes not a word
was spoken by any man, and the
horse did not move q foot. Then a