St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1885-04-18
CATCHING A WILD HORSE.
A Lively Experience in Northern
Wyoming.
The Phantom Horse OF the Prairies-Pur-
suit OF . Wild Racer That Was
Many Times Taken, Only
to Escape.


a most exciting experience with wild
horse. had often heard Of this horse
and there was good deal of romano.
attached to his history, much of which
1 suppose, was pure fiction. Such {
horse. however, did exist, and he wa:
often seen on the plains, in the canons
and gazing down at the passers-by from
the mountain tops. At midnight Otter
q horse was seen flying by the lonely
camps on the prairie, and the Indians
declared they had been startled out ol
their sleep by the shriil neigh or the
Gathering hoofs of the phantom horse, -
as they called him. The Cheyenne In.
dians had stolen him in Kansas. where
he had been a noted race-horse, and
the Sioux had in turn stolen him from
the Cheyennes, who sold him to the
Utes, and in great battle near the
Uintah Mountains the Snake Indians
had captured him from the Utes. He
escaped from the Snakes. and for long
time remained wild on the prairies, but
finally Mr.. Gallagher and party OF
hunters had succeeded in capturing him
and took him to the Salt Lake settle
ments, but he had escaped. took to the
mountains and finally drifted back to
his old pastures on the Wind River.
All efforts to recapture him were in
vain, and when arrived on the Wind
River he had been at large some four
years. knew Mr.. Gallagher well and
wrote him about the horse. He re-
piled there was such horse, and for
. time be had been in his possession.
Mr.. Gallaghers letter revived all inter-
est in the mysterious horse, and de-
termined, If possible, to capture him at
the earliest opportunity. The Snake
Indians, who inhabited that region. did
not like to talk about him and believed
he was possessed of an evil spirit. They
freely admitted often seeing him but
would not help to catch him or have
anything to do with him.
Thus ran the legend of the wild horse
or the phantom steed of the Wind River
Mountains, as he was frequently called.
/ gave strict instructions to all hunt
ing parties, scouts and trappers to look
out Tor the wild horse, and if they saw
him to let me know. Once word came
that he was At Buffalo Bull Lake, sixty
miles away, and sent a party of ARA
phoe Indians and scouts to capture him.
After days of watching they finally
lassooed him and brought him to their
camp. For days they beat. choked and
starved him, but his brave spirit seemed
unconouerable. His legs were tied
with ropes, and the Indians resorted to
all their known skill in horsemanshipt to
break and conquer him. AT last one
Ambitious Indian youth announced he
could ride him, and the ropes were taken
off The Indian mounted the wild horse
and both disappeared into the hills. In
the evening the Indian returned to the
camp foot sore and bruised and an
nounced that the horse had thrown nim
and escaped into the mountains: ihat
was the last seen of him for nearly three
months, when trapper ON big Mino
R;ver said he saw horse with an Indian
saddle on and . rope tied to his under
law Grazing ON the river bottom, and ne
stte6,nted to approach him, but ne Ned
;ntn TIE hills ike the wind. The ARA
r,hoes NO sooner heard of this than they
set ont for the Big Wind River, deter,
mi mined cd to capture and bring him in.
win here say that the AnaPnoes old nos
share the superstition OF their nelgnools; DS
the Snakes, in believing the morse na1
powers. or was Possssse4
Of a bad spirit. They simply regarded 20
him .s ! horse, and were ANXIOUS 20
have the honor Of being his c.ptors.
II TOW days heard the ArrapahOe
Chief had eucceeded in finding wnefe
the horse watered, and skillfully spread
mo- mo- h;s l.r;at On some bushes had sue.
ceeded IN catching him He WAS tied
to a tree. and I sent . wagon and some
soldiers to help bring him ai.1.ad N 70. ress cs%p
to the wagon he Was s's1:1u ~. -. ,rhsn r.
bnt had only gone five miles woen y
broke The chain h twain. ma oooe