Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1877-08-11
4 Ride for Llfe-A Reminiscence d
Border Life.

Durgn lSte9Tdph gives tno IOuOWlng
"Reminiscences Of life on the frontier and
the value of good horse:
Some four or five years ago-and even
now, for that matter-hOrses could be
had in Southern California for mere
song. Spanish brOncos sold for from
$40 to $50, half-breeds for about $50,
and good three-quarter Americans for
$75 or 800. Your correspondent visit
ed a Spanish horse-raiser one day for
the purpose of purchasing one of the
half-breed quality, and on arriving at
his ranch a band of horses grazing Oh
the plains were pointed out to me, with
the remark that $50 would give me a
selection from the lot. When they had
been corralled the object of my choice
was a superb, cOal-black animal, three
quarters blood, who by some means
had become mixed with the inferior
stock. The Spaniard at first demurred,
but would not alter his original agree
ment, and finally said that as the
horse was with the half-breed, ii could
go for the price first named, though
worth double that. The morse was
perfectly wild, never had been either
saddled or bridled, but did not appear
at all vicious, and my mind was then
make up to break " him myself, rath-
er than having him injured by vac
quero, who, as a rule, either ruins the
horses spirit or its constitution. 1t is
unnecessary to enter into details as to
how my end was accomplished, but
suffice it to say that in two weeks time
he was manageable. e., became quite
used to the saddle-but was nervous
and easily frightened, thus compelling
the rider to be constantly on the qut
rire to prevent being thrown. About
this time an invitation was extended
to me to become one of a party bound
on a camping expedition to the noun
tains, some 80 or 40 miles from Los
Angeles, and, having nothing else to
do, of course my acceptance of it was
prompt. We had very delightful To-
cation for sport, as trout and game
were plentiful, and enjoyed ourselves
hugely; but we had been negligent in
not procuring enough of that indis-
pensable article of eamp-life, coffee, and
about the end of the first week our sup
ply gave out. p ewes
, Now, Billy" for such was my
horses classical name-though dubbed
by the Spaniards IL dia5ol0 ssegro-was
getting very uneasy from lack of ex-
ercise, there being no place for it on the
mountains, and thinking the ride to and
from Los Angeles would be beneficial to
him, volunteered to go in quest of the
coveted article. Daylight Of beaut;-
full morning found me in the saddle pre-
pared for the journey, but just before
cantering away, an old hunter, one of
the party, said to me: s. Keep in the
regular trail, an don't go in any side
canyons, for there's lots o. greasers
about, n they'll gobble yer up, if yer
don't look sharp, cause yer got mighty
fine horse an saddle there" Being
well armed, however, his fears did not
trouble me. The regular trail, after
emerging from the foothills, ran for the
greater part of the way over hot, des-
Olate and uninteresting plain, verita-
BILE desert. But few rods to one side,
and running parallel with the trail, was
a cool, shady canyon, and the thought
naturally arose, why not get into it and
avoid this heat? The caution of the old
hunter coming suddenly to mind, caus-
ed me to hesitate, but only for mo-
ment. and in a short time Billy had car
ried me in safety to it. No thoughts of
danger troubled ne, as, slowly riding
through this pretty spot, my senses were
feasting on the beautiful things round
about, but quite suddenly my horse
commenced pricking up his ears, and
began to get unruly.
This so annoyed me, at last, that turn
ing in the saddle and looking back to
ascertain the cause Of his, iineasiness,
my eye rested upon three Mexicans-
riding some 800 yards behind me-ap-
parpntly enoaoed in earnest copvorsa-