The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1886-03-02
A TROOP OF WILD HORSES.
One of the 0randcst Sights Ever Wit
messed.

Oho Oh the 0Drandcst Sights Ever Wit.
messed.
| had camped near the forks II tho
Platte, and was aroused just at daylight
by footsteps around me. After listening
tor Il moment, l felt sure that they were
the footsteps of horses. They seemed
to be clrcling around me = not at Il can
ter nor at Il trot. but Mt "a moderate
walk. 1t vas we'll that l had secured
my horse in II thorough manner for I
never saw him so excited. He tuggcd
and pulled at his lariat, stood ND on his
hind legs, neighcd and snortcd, paved
and pranccd, and it was his actions that
gave me a clue to the identity of my
visitors.
They were wild horses.
Had they been Indian ponies. my
trained horse would have remained rs
dumb and silent rs Il post. Indeed, In
dams would not have approached me in
that manner.
l remained very quiet, hoping the
horses would remain in sight until day.
light should give me a good view of
them. l had to wait for a full! hour;
but. when the light grew strong, the
spectacle was one to- make a
mans blood tingle. The circle had
1 oSSh ShlalSCb ulGll IL '"IS uulI II nllG
across, and my little camp was the cen
ter. Every horse, and there were 1919
of them, TODD with his head to this
center, and soldiers could not have
taken positions on the skirmish line i'm a
more precise order.
i piticd my own animal. He stood
with the lariat drawn taut, and trem-
blcd in every limb, and he was as wet
with sweat as if l had gallopcd him
twenty miles. I realized how he must
long to break away and join the wild
rovcrs, and forever end his drudgcry.
1 dared not rise to my feet for fear of
alarming he drove, but nevertheless,
had II clear view of each horse. Most
of them were magnificent animals.
Names down on their shoulders and tails
! on the grass. They were of various
colors, and they ranged in age from the
ycarling colt to the veterans twenty
! years old. The bays prcdominatcd, but
every color was present.
We had been observing each other
about ten minutes, when a iet-black
stall ion, who was the leader Of the herd.
gave a snort. threw up his heels into the
mir, and broke off Mt 4 gallop. followed
by the drove in single file. They ran in
a true circle, and they made the circuit
five times before stopping. Then, Mt
another signal from the leader. the circle
broke and the horses wheeled into n
long single line, or company 'front.'"
Troop horses could not have done
better. 1 thought at first that the line
meant to charge me. but mt a signal it
made q left wheel and galloped straight
oil on the plain for Il mile. Then it
broke, assumed the shape Of a triangle.
and returned. When the leader was
within pistol shot he wheeled about and
the horses formed in a square, with the
four ycarlings in the center. They gal
lopcd off for IL mile, broke again, and
returned in two ranks.
l had an almost irresistible desire to
kill the leader with a bullet. Indeed. 7
reached for my rifle with that intent,
but then came the reflection that it
would be little short of murder. Such
another perfect horse / mad never seen.
His black coat shone like silk, his limbs
and body were perfection, and he had
the speed and bottom of n race horse.
Not n halt was made for a full hour, and
then it was only preparatory to taking a
swift departure. The last manuuvre
was a circle at a slow trot, and each
horse whinnicd in Il c%oaxing manner to
my own stccd. Poor Selim! He strug-
glcd in the most frantic manner to break
loose, and when finding all his efforts of
no avail, he threw himself down on the
grass and actually groaned his disap-
pointmcnt.
rose up then and waved my blanket.
instead of rushing off in alright, as g.!
7 expected, the leader of the band DELHI
eratcly approached ME a few rods and
stood and snorted and paved as if send
ing forth a challenge. Then set up a
shouting, waved the blanket some more,
and he took his place at the head,
lormca the band ut company front"
and they went off at a gallop, and main
tanned it as Icing as 1 could see the way
ing line.-Detr0it Free Press.