The Benton record. [volume] (Benton, M.T. [Mont.]) 1875-1879, 1877-12-14

left the gates to try and effect the
capture Of the vicious animal. The
men had lassoes, hobbies and ropes,
and the instructions were to drive
he horse from the neighboraood if
he could not be captured. He stood
on the ridge and looked down
upon the band as It left the fort.
The four lasso.throwers 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 horsenlan was
within a hundred feet, White
Devil, who had been standing like
a block Of stone, threw up his head
and started off at a sharp trot. Ten
rods beyond the first ridge was a
second with a little green valley be-
tween. Ridges and valleys ran
straightaWay to the west for twenty
miles, and as the horse headed
that way one Of the hunters said !:
The beast is in for 8 long race,
He will 60 down to the end Of this
valley, turn to the left, and before
noon he will be back here, return
ing on the fort side Of this first
ridge. Three of US will push him
along as fast as we can to the end
Of the valley. The rest Of you drop
out in squads here and there, and
race him as ho comes back, Let
three or four men halt right here
to give him . last push.
The wild horse courted pursuit.
Half a mile away he was racing up
and down, throwing his heels into
the air, snorting, and paving the
sod in his impatiehce to be off.
With a whoop and a yell, three
lasso-throWers started in pursuit.
They were almost near enough for
a throw when the horse headed
away at a trot. They could not
oain an nch. 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
his shoulders like a wave Of foam,
and his massive tail streaming oQt
like . flag, the White Devil lifted
bis feet and put them down as
steadily as cIockwork. While they
were doing their best, they could
see that he was not using all his
power. They kept up a continued
yelling for the first five miles, hop
ing to break his pace, but neither
shouts nor the reports Of rifles lost
him step.
In seventy minutes the White
Devil was at the end Of the valley,
fresh asa daisy, while the mustangs,
half mile behind, were reeking
and blown. He waited for them to
come up, and then turned to the
left, struck q pace, and swept away
at such a gait that be was soon out
Of sight. Ten miles to the east was
the frstsquad ofmen. They sight
ed him mile away, and were all
ready for pursuit. Coming straight
ahead, with the grass almost smok-
ing under his feet, the wild charger
passed them not more than 9 hun
dred feet away. Ho laid back his
ears at their yell, but went straight
ahead at his laundering pace. In
ten minutes the men could hardly
see him. 4 Second and a third
squad wore treated in the same
manner, and as the last one vas
reached White Devil changed his
pace to agalop, threw up bis heels,
and headed for the range. He was
soon out of sight, and the chase
was abandoned.
I At daylight next morning the
fstrange horse looked down from
the ridge again, and by-and-by
walked down to within pistolshot
Iof the fort. A band Of sixty friend
Iy Indians, outon q hunt, had halt
ed at the fort the night previous,
and tbav were anxious to organize