The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-03-23
CHASING THE WILD HORSES.
now MUSINGS WERE HUNTED IN INN
EIRLI DITS or JEX.IS
The Vnat Herds TINT Ro"mrd over her rInin,
Finy Yen's Ago Mustnngcrs- Houue ,,a
Romano ennInE-Frouticr norcmnp,bIn

Texna in 1927, seeing thousands and tens ~
thousands OF wild horses. called "mu.lnnrs"
running in immcnsn herds all over tn wrst,rn
country. us far ns the eye or telescope cnulI
eweep the horizon. The whole country srrm'd
to be runBingl And have had my gentle led
pack muirs cut off from my pgr'y. waile
travelling. by MUSINGS circlng around u.s. npi
gradually closing In until. by n rush th"y gu, on
NY led animnls and dirted AWAY with thrm'
Even wOari,d ami SLOW gated pack nuics
limbs " on such occasions. in their struggle Ior
liberty. aud have lost thrm,and my cOmmissnrv
stores on their backs. moro than once, and huvl
had time TO reflect sadly ovnr the uncrrtninty oi
this life and its good things until the riffs III
my party got n chance nj II deer, antelope. wild
turkey or wild hog Time and ngnIn in trur,J
ling | haze had to send out my best niounie1
men to gallop off aud alt M vedettcs and flank.
crs IN sctring away tho immense masses OF
MUSTANGS charging around and threatening 10
rush over usl. by yelling and firing ut them:
when they would wheel ana 20 Numbering away
At that time nnny MrNrnns, whose ihmilios
tonic and also at thc towns along the lower Rio
Grnnde. from Laredo down, on one side. tho
eastern side, Of the river supported themselves
chiefly by running" TINT Is, catcnng wild
cattle and by mustanging or hunting wild
horses. 1he suppies o. Wild cat ie am h9tsrs
then seemed SO abundant as To lbs ineXhnust-
iblc. Tho horned cattle were never found IN
droves. but the horses almost universally ran
iogethrr IN lnrg l herds IN She course OF few
were to be- met. AMI almost no wild cattle, 80
perssienty and extensively had they been
hunted down and cnu.ht or Killed. The grown
cattiO were hunted for their hides. which were
then sold at a hnlf dollar piece 10y McXicans-
or the young, cattle were can1ght To pe Ernti:t
towns before named and from the settlements
formed themselves into regularly Organized
companies. with u captain Mt their head. who
directed all their movements. rs concert of plan
and action insured success. Tho companies Of
horse hunters were called mustangrrs." and
numbered rs many M from one to two hundred
men. Each man had one or moro gentle run
ming horses. generally kept IN the brst c9nlition
he could afford MS upon his horses flccincss
md Shaving qualities depended nupn OF la
success IN running mustangs.
Alter having agreed upon a rendezvous. the
mustangcrs provided themselves with u few
necrssaries. such as some coffee. II they could
afford 1t (the greatest OF luXurirs in the neidli
sugar.; a bag OF pinole ipnrched corn. ground
ON IA Dietdie or Mexican mortar with pestic-
the metGte Is n curved or AN inclined plnnrl;a
little SHIELDED corn or wheaton Hour Tor tOiWcS
Tor grddle cukesl. the substitute. In most parts
OF Mexico. for bread; some lariats. or ropes
made Of rawh de. carefully twisted and grcasnd.
50 as TO bc very pliab,c and strong enough to
hold any animal when thrown as lnS-O soma
tin CUPS butcher knives. blankets tMcxican,
hand made, of brilliant colors. good to shed
rain but not for WARMTH. ana arms and nmnu-
milton. for in those days Indians were very
numerous rs well a. dangerous ana had not
been beaten back hundreds vi miles. They
were particularly fond of paying delicate atten-
tons to mustqngers ana nag an ainlnDie dis;
position 70 relieve them OF their animals and
scalps. II was Il great matter with the mus:
hangers TO go in strong parties and TO DO VOL
The greatest mustangcr in the whole country
was Laredo Mexican, nnmed Rogue. who mad
been many years tiut cdHirOl a captive among
the Comanchc Indians. lie WINS not only II deX-
ferrous horscmun. roper. aud shot. using almost
invariably u bow and arrows while his com
panions used firearms, but also remarkably
brave and able leader full Of darnE tempered
by Judgment. Rogue has, Mt my request to
show me what execution he could DO with his
bow. shot through one SIDE OF hour bnrrri
and nearly through the other sdel He could
shoot with wonderful precision ana rapidly
seemingly taking no aim. but nevertheless
riking the marx with great accuracy. the hand.
ns il were. acting in instantaneous volition
with the eye. Koque's brother. Romano was
also a famous cdp,tdf among tho mustaugers
but he was hy means the equal OF Rogue. though
he came next TO him rs "A leader Of men. Tha
ncuteness and skill OF these men in striking
trail" or following trail" was marvellous. II
appcaredto be almost animal instinct. Others
find "a scarcely perceptihle trail ana follow all
kinds OF difficult ground and concealments re-
sorted 10 by willy Indians. during the daytime
but Rogue and Romano could strike trail and
follow II by deceptive moonlight or starlight
With such simple and slight field equipments
rs l have mentioned. parties OF mustangers
were wont to 40 forth and remain In the field
for months, winter as well ms summer. Some-
times they erected little shelters for themselves
generally limited TO n few branches Of trees,
with probably strip OF blanket overhead and
ter. They had fresh meat in the greatest abund-
nnce on all sides TO be had merely for the Kill
ing, as the country was in those days literally
running over with wild cattle, and deer. and
anteopes. and wild hogs. and turkeys aud
other game. such as hares, prairie fowl, quail.
ana emu sfS NuflttlfE OF DUCKS. geese. SWANS,
&c. g.; The quantity Of deer lying around
loose all over ths country anybody property
that chose 20 XIII them, may be inferred from
one fact within my certain knowledge. IL oc-
CURED rs late MS 1857 ten years after | first mr.
rived in Texas. A Mexican OF my acquaintance,
Il very good man. made n contract with me To
furnish me with u considerable number OF deer
skins at forget the exact price-in return Tor
some supplies and the nccessares he stood in
need OF. In siN months time he Killed between
six hundred and seven hundred deer with his
own rlne, IN u distance 81 less than twenty
miles, on the road leading from Corpus Christi
10 laredo, between the places known as tho
falo Alto and the Laguna Trinidad.
. SumGtimes the mustangers made strong
pens or enclosures OF mesquite or other
durable timber. cat INTO posts and set on end.
fastened upright into the ground solidy some
two and a hall feet. and rising some SIX to eight
feet above the suriucc of the earth. each post
standing MS near ~ possible next another. and
sometimes held most firmly in place by long
ppl. dashed horizontally in n continuous line,
md fastened TO the upright posts by rawhide
binding all about the pen. about two-thirds OF
pen or enclosure had the form OF u horseshoe.
but q little more oval. From each side at right
height. and fastened To the pen. Each OF these
Wings or walls, extending sometimes as FAR as
hali mile was Intended 20 stop the mustangs
or wild horses IN their hight. and 10 turn them.
with the assistance OF the musiHngers. when
they chased them ut full speed in the direction
OF the pen. right toward its opening; upon
which tho running parties from the different
sides skllfully convorgcd. taking care TO close
in gradually with concerted action SO as 10
catch the whole herd they had in chase in the
cul de sac OF the pen.
In preparing for the chase or run. the mus
hangers frequently Invested themselves Of their
hais and short Jackets and skirts. and either
fastened the girths of their horses very tightly
ana shortened their stlrrups, SO as 10 give
themselves good grin with the knees or else
they rode barehacked, with their long lussos or
rawhlde lhrl9ts, ready io ba whlrcd ia circles
nboNe their heads TO catch nny particular ami
mai they might cut of from the running herd
OF mustangs. To sec these mustangers in full
clInse Of their prey was To- brhold one of th1