The Penn's Grove record., 1886-04-03
A GRAND SIGHT.
The Intricate E%volutions Performed
by Wild Steeds.

had encamped near the forks Of the
Platte. and was aroused just at daylight
by footsteps around me. After listen.
ing for a moment I felt sure that they
were the footsteps of horses. They
seemed to be c%ircling around me-not
at a canter-not at a trot, but at a moder.
ate walk, 1t was well that | had Sc.
cured my horse in a thorough manner,
for | never saw him so excited. He
tugged and pulled at his lariat, stood ur
on his hind legs, neighed and snorted
and paved and pranced, and 1t was his
actions that gave Inc a clew to the lden.
tity of my visitors.
They were wild horseSl
Had they been Indian ponies my
trained horse would have remained as
dumb and silent as a post. Indeed, In.
dams would not have approached me il
that manne
l remained very quiet, hoping the
horses would remain in sight until day
light should give Ine u good view OF
them. [ had to wait q full hour, but
when the light grew strong the spectacle
was one to make a mans blood Jingle.
The circle had been enlaG%e4 until II
was half q mile across, ala my little
camp was the center. Every horse, and
there were one hundred and twenty-nine
of them, stood with his head to this cen.
ter, and soldiers could not have taken
positions on the skirmish line in more
precise order.
| pitied my own animal. He stood
with the lariat drawn taut and tremDleG
in every limb, and he was as wet with
sweat as if [ had galloped him twenty
miles. / realized how he must long tt
break away and join the wild rovers and
forever end his drudgery.
[ dared not rise to my feet for fear OF
alarming the drove, but, nevertheless, J
had a 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 tie
yearling colt up to the veterans probably
twenty years old. The bays FREEDOM
mated, but every color was present.
We had been observing each othel
about ten minutes when a jet-black stall
lion, who was the leader of the herd,
gave a snort, threw up his heels into the
air and broke off at a gallop, followed
by the drove in single file. They ran in
"a true circle, and they made the circuit
five times before stopping. Then, at
another signal from the leader, the circle
broke and the horses wheeled into 9
long, single line, or company 'front.'
Troop horses could not have dont
better. / thought at first the line meant
to charge me, but at a signal it made .
left wheel and galloped straight off or
the plain for a mile. Then it broke, as
sumed the shape of n triangle and re-
turned. When the leader was within
pistol-shot he wheeled out and the horses
formed in q square, with the four year
lings in the center. They galloped oil
for a mile or so, broke again and re-
turned IN two ranks.
1 had an almost irresistible desire tc
kill the leader with a bullet. Indeed, ]
reached for my rifle with that intent, but
then came the reflection that it would be
little short of murder. Such another
perfect horse l had seen. His
black coat shone like silk, his limbs anc
body were perfection, and he had the
speed and bottom of a r~ace-horse. Not
a halt was made for a full hour, and
then it was only preparatory to taking 6
swift departure. The last maneuveI
was a circle at a slow trot, and eacf
horse whinnied in a coaxing manner t.
my own steed. Poor Selim He strug
sgled IN the most frantic name to breaF
loose, and when finding all his efforts OF
no avail he threw himself down on thu
grass and actually groaned his disap
pointment.
krose up then and waved my blanket
Instead of rushing off in alright, as ]
expected, the leader of the band delib
erately approached me a few rods and
stood and snorted and paved as if send
ing forth a challenge. Then / set up {
shouting, waved the blanket some more.
and he took his place at the head, formed
the band at company front, " and they
went off at a'gallop and maintained ita
long as / could see the waving line.