The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1885-03-14
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.

to Escape.
When | was stationed up in the Wind
River Valley, Wyoming Territory, | had
a most exciting experience with a 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
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. -
as they called him. The Cheyenne In
dians had stolen him in Kansas. where
he had been noted race-horsc, and
the Sioux had in turn stolen him from
the Cheyennes, who sold him to the
Otes, and in great battle near the
Uintah Mountains the Snake Indians
had captured him from the Utes. He
escaped from the Snakes. and for a long
time remained wild on the prares, 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. l 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's 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 for 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 party of ARA
phoe Indians and scouts to capSlre 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
unconquerable His legs were tied
with ropes, and the Indians resorted to
all their known skill in horsemanship 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 him
ard escaped into the mountains. That
was the last seen of him for nearly three
months, when trapper on Big Wind
River said he saw horse with an Indian
saddle on and a rope tied to his under
jaw grazing on the river bottom, and he
attempted to approach him, but he fled
into the hills like the wind. The ARA
phoes no sooner heard of this than they
set out for the Big Wind River, deter
mined to capture and bring him in.
will here say that the Arraphoes did moi
share the superstition of their ncighbors,
the Snakes, in believing the horse had
supernatural powers, or was possessed
of bad spirit. They simply regarded
him as a horse, and were anxious tc
have the honor of being his captors.
In few days heard the ArrapahoC
Chief had succeeded in finding where
the horse watered, and slillfully spread
ing his lariat on some bushes had sue
ceeded in catching him. He was tieC
to a tree, and sent wagon and'somC
soldiers to help bring him in. Chained
to the wagon he was started for camp
but had only gone five miles when he
broke the chain in twain, Hand one,
more fled to the hills, defying all pur
suit.
The wild horse was not again hearC
of for nearly three months, when ont
morning just after breakfast in midsum
mer, sentinel on post reporteda hors
on n bluff overlooking the camp, and OF
a closer inspection with glasses we saw
it was the veritable wild horse with tn
chain still about his neck. He seemed