Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1878-01-31

I'm give two hundred dollars to the mn
who captures that horse for me! said tie
commander. as he noted every fine poitt
about the majestic animal.
''You might just As we'll offer ten thouS
and" replied the scout. THAT ere hos
can pace. trot. and gallop, and thai isn't /.
wolf in the hull Sierra range which ca,
smell OF his heels. I'D ~ quick take tn.
job of cleaning out all the reds in Arixon,
as of -cstchin' the White Devil. See that
| fore foot 60 upi See them ears lay back
| Hon chaig- the hull crowd iu ieas'n = min.
| ute,''
Before a word OF warning could be spok-
en- Othe horse made dash upon the men
screaming out as troop horse does when
badly wounded In battle. The soldiers
rushed for the gate. One Of the hindermos,
was q private named OMcsry. scarcely up
to the regulation height. and run down by
sickness until his weight did not exceed a
hundred pounds. The White Devil seized
him by the back, lifted him OF his feet by
toss. and when the soldiers next looked
O'Meary was being borne away with the
swiitpess OF the wind. The horse had a
| firm grip Of clothing and nesh. and keeping
his head well up he swept over the prairie
with the soldier held almost perpendcu.
larly before him. He WAS out of range be-
fore anybody could pick up a gun. There
were q dozen or fifteen horses at the post
and In five minutes N many men had
mounted them and were galloplng away In
pursuit.
White Devil and his victim had disap-
peared over . swell about a mile fromlthe
fort. As the horsemen reached the crest
they found the dead body Of their compan-
ion on the grass. bitten and stamped and
knesded To bloody mass. The horse
stood facing them, forty rods away. as II
be hsd waited for them 70 come up. As
the remains were being conveyed TO the
fort several hunters came in. and In a short
time force OF tweniy mounted men lef,
the gates to try aud e6ec, the capture of
the vicious animal. The men had Iassoes,
hobbies land ropes, and the instruct ions
were To drive the horse from the neighbor-
hood IL he could not be captured. He
stood on the ridge aud looked down upon
the band as II lett the fort. The four lasso-
throwers rode directly at him, while the
rest of the men separated and rode to cut
OF retreat BY way OF the mountain.
When the first horseman was within a
hundred feet OF White Devil, who had been
standing like a block of stone. lac threw up
his head and started off at sharp trot.
Ten rods beyond the first ridge was a sec
ond, with a little green valley between
the west for twenty miles. and a. the horse
beaded that way one of the hunter. said
The beast Is In for 4 long race. He will
go down 10 the end OF this valley. turn 10
the LETT, and before noon he will be back
here, returning on the fort side OF this nrst
ridge. Three Of us will push him along a.
fast As we can 10 the en1 of the valley The
rest OF you drop out in squad. here aud
there and race hiuD as he comes back. Let
three or four men halt righ, here 10 give
hin a last push
The wild horse cnnrfed nnrsuit. HaIfa
throwing his heels into the air. snorting,
and paving the sod in his impatlence TO
be of With a whoop and a yell, three
lasso ibrowers started In pursuit. They
were almost near enough for a throw when
the horse headed away at q trot. They
could not gain an inch, though they had
three OF the best mustangs In the territory.
and the animals were pushed 10 the top OF
their speed. Head up, name rolling back
over his shoulders like . wave Of foam. and
his massive tail streaming out like . flag.
the White Devel lifted his fsei and put them
down As steadily as clock-work. While
they were doing their best. they could see
that he WAS not using all his power. They
kept up continual yelling tor the ars, i've
miles. hoping to break his pace. but neither
bot NlC iCPoiis VI iioss AoSe haul
step.
10 twenty minutes the White Devil was
at the end Of the valley, fresh as . daisy.
while the mustangs, half mile behind,
were reekiug and blown. He waited for
them to come up. and then turned to the
left, struck pace, and swept away at such
gait that he WAS soon out Of sight. Ten
miles 10 the east WAS the frst squad OF
men. They sighted him mile away. and
were already for pursuit. Coming straight
ahead, with the grass almost smoking
under his ieet, the wild charger passed
them not more than . hundred feet away.
lie laid back his ears at their yell, but went
straight ahead at his laundering pace. In
ten minutes the men could hardly see him.
A second and n third squad were treated ia
the same manner. and as the las: one was
reached White Devil changed his pace to a
gallOp. threw up his heels, and headed for
the range. He was soon out OF sight. and
the chase was abandoned.
At daylight next morning the strange
horse looked down from the ridge again.
and soon walked down to within pistol shot
Of the fort. A band Of sixty friendly In
dams. out on = hunt. had halted At the fort
tbe night previous, and they were anxious
TO organize . new chase. More than eighty
weil.mounted pursuers were ready soon
after breakfast. Some rode to cut Oh re-
treat TO the range. and others galloped
down the valley. An hour after they were
out OF sight the main body made dash for
last half hour. lie took to the valley rs be-
fore. and men dropped out at every mile to
push him as he returned.
White Devil was pushed faster than be-
fore. but he would neither break his trot
nor let horsemen get within hundred
feet OF him. The Indians who had gone on
ahesd were expecting him to turn to the
lett. As before, but the wild horse kept
straight ahead rs he reached the mouth Of
the valley. He ran out on the prairie tor
twenty miles, firing out very horse in pur-
suit, and then wheeled and returned over
bis route Of the previous day. Men were
waiting for him, but be scarcely appeared
before he was out Of sight. He was pacing
and trOtting by turns. and not until he
reached the end Of that eighty-mile chase
did he break into . run. When near the
fort he crossed the ridge. shook o6 the last
pursuer. and entered dark cannon in the
mountains. The Indians traced him until
the cannon split into three or four rocky
denles, and then they caDped down with
the determination to wait till hunger and
thirst should drive the fugitive out. Dark
ness came. midnight came, and the watch
ers had heard nothing.
With the soft tread OF wolf, almost. a
| foe stole upon the Indians sleeping under
the walls Of the fort. Step! step! step! !!
and white object stood within ten feet Of
the first sleeper and peered this way and
that. 1t was White Devil! The red men
were still waiting In the dark canon, but
the horse had emerged from the range BY
some deflle known and used before.
The sentinel at the gate heard shrill
neigh, saw the smOuldsring brands OF the
| dying camp-dres noag high In the sir, and
next moment the Indians we're yelling and
screaming In alright. Back and forth
charged the horse, striking, kicking. and
uttering Wild neighs. and he did not disap-
pear until the roll Of the drum called the
| soldiers to arms.
The LAdians had suffered such damages
that they ~ere determined to kill the
strange tOrment0r - soon as daylig ht
came. though his life bad heretofore been
held sacred. He wss heard racing up and
down while night lasted. and when morn.
Ing broke he was in plaia sight The In.
dian heart almost relented at sight Of the