Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1882-07-21
Riding Harlequin.

tiHr 0f the a,uuS,.inrnt- of Australian
stock -rai>ers is TO run u mob of
wiki horses. "mDh' being the stock
man name for herd. Some Of these
mob, number among their most active
members tine animal, which have been
broken. but have run away from life
cf scrvitnde. One day. new, spread
through certain district that 4 mol
had been run into the stock wards of a
farmer. MANY who had lost horses
Visited the FARM and among them Il
Young man named Fitzgerald. \, he
wa, looking the mob over. he suddenly
exclaimed
We'll. that's lucky! I've not seen
that -sray horse these two years made
sure ;hat some one had stolen him.
Going into the yard he tried 10 drive
tbs horse into Il corner bv himself and
catch him. But round and round flew
the mob like Wild deer. the gray is wild
rs any of them Getting long. light,
gr''nhidr rope. Fitzgerald made a moose
n one emil. Gathering up the slack N
one hand. ami holding the noo,,. in the
other. he whirlrd ii TWO or three times
round his head AMI sent il circlinr
through the air nj the gray. who kept
flying about the yard. For q moment
ii lowered over the horse, head. and
then settled round his neck. The rope
WIS frightened. and the gray made. a
plunge or two. l;ut his old training re-
suming it, sway, he walked toward, his
master. though ,traininG Slightly on the
rope. With Il long stick Fitzgerald
,I,,lH l,
and body. t'rid'llly approaching. he
slipped on tiI, bride. But not until hi,
forrlrg WAS strapped mp did the horse
suil,,r the saddle and The cruppcr to be
put on.
Alter giving Harlequin ~ the gray
was named few turns around the
yard. i'll order that he might buck if
( disposed Ia. before being mounted. Mr..
Fitzgerald said:
Now. Harlequin. old boy. we'll try
whether You or / Gan hold ont the
! longest.
lie made several attempts 10 mount.
which thu. horse resisted by p!un~ing.
Shortening the rriu> and holding the
near-,idc ear a'ouT with them in 4 grasp
of iron. hr placed his toe in the >tirrup
and in an instant WAS on Harlequin
back. \ furiou, plunge halfway across
the yard. and the horse alghtcd On tho
ground with all four feet close To each
other. hi, heal hriwrrn his forc-irgS.
his tail well in. and his back bent like
! a eat whrE u dog bark> at her. But
! this burhing. though repeated again and
again. failed to In~rat the rider. Round
and round spun the madlrned gray.
bucking and Slualing like 4 pig. but
his rider ,iSr-like legs retained their
grasp. All al once Il strap was seen
| iiy ing loose about the cantle of the sad
die. Hes slipped his crupper: Fitz-
| gerald bound 10 come off now" eN-
/ claimed one of the ,tockmrn. With
each buck the saddle slipped further on
| To the horses witherS. At last \
! furious buck sent the plucky rider To the
/ ground. with the saddle between his
! legs. and the bride. which he had
dragged oil, in hi, hand. Away flew
the horse. smashing the saddle with
! kick which he intended for lis owner
Inspection showed that the gray had
| slipped his tail out of the cruprer. The
horse was again caught and this time
the crupper was tied To the tail with 4
piece of twinc. On mounting the con-
test began again. Whip and spur had
to be used, and an hour passed before
the horse was Suhdueh to canter and
stop nj his riders bidding. But the
subsection was real. for tho master
leaned back on the saddle and patted
the hindquarterS, which Il few hours be-
fore il would have been almost certain
death to approach. - ioath's Conn
pani0H.