The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1885-04-09
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.

When / was stationed up in the Wind
River Valley, Wyoming Territory, I had
most exciting experience with wild
horse. had often heard of this horse,
and there was a good deal of romance
attached to his history, much of which,
] suppose, was pure fiction. Such a
horse, however, did exist, and he was
often seen on the plains, in the canons,
and gazing down at the passers-by from
the mountain tops. At midnight often
a horse was seen flying by the lonely
camps on the prairie, and the Indians
declared they had been startled out of
their sleep by the shrill neigh or the
gathering hoofs of the phantom horse,n
as they called him. The Cheyenne In
dians had stolen him in Kansas, where
he had been 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
Ulntah Mountains the Snake Indians
had captured him from the Utes. He
escaped from the Snakes. and for a long
time remained wild on the prairies, but
finally Mr.. Gallagher and party of
hunters had succeeded m capturing him
and took him to the Salt Lake settle
ments, but he had escaped, took to the
mountains and finally drifted back to
ms 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. Gallagher 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
ne 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
ont for the wild horse. and if they saw
MN to let me know. Once word came
mat he was at Buffalo Bull Lake, sixty
miles away. and sent party of ARA
P.oe 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
unGonquerable. His legs we're tied
WIN ropes, and the Indians resorted to
aii tneir known skill in horsemanship to
oreak and conquer him. At last one
an1i.loos indian youth announced he
oe.i9 @ ", rloe MN, and the ropes were taken
oh. me indian mounted the wild horse
a anu ootn disappeared into the hills In
the evening the Indian returned - +ha
camp loot sore and bruised and on
no9nced that the horse had thrown him
ara escaped into the mountains Tbat
was the last seen of him for nearly tb,.ao
N nmontns, when trapper on Rio WIND
hiver said he saw horse with an rna;an
saudle on and rope tied to his under
Jaw grazing ON the river bottom, and he
;as.einpeed to approach him, but he fed
,ahe ,I'o the nils ike the wind. The ARA
paoes no sooner heard OF this than thew
go ses OUT Tor the Big Wind River. deter.
.naneo TO capture and bring him insl RI
VII. VII mere say that the Arraphoes did not
~ snare the superstition of their neighbors
s,e SNAKES, in believing the horse had
80 osspeihatnral powers, or was possessed
~ Dad spirit. They simply regarded
= nm as horse, and were anxio,,s W
naEe the honor of being his captors.
ch;as - . !, Iew days Iheard the Arrapahoe
,h liner mad succeeded in finding where
;ns s.ie morse watered, and skillfully spread
nus iarlat on some bushes had suc-
.eeaed - IN catching him. He was tied
so,s; ~ : sree. aud 1 sent wagon and some
so'a,efs - ne 70 help bring him in. Chained
bn. he wagon ne was started for camp'
h. bns aaa only gone FIVE miles when he
Ae the chain in twain, ,Hand once