St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-02-13
A TROOP OF WILD HORSES.
One of the Grandest Sights Ever
Witnessed in the West.


Detroit Free Press.
had camped near the forks Of the Platte,
and was aroused just at daylight by foot
steps around me. After listening for mo-
ment felt sure that they were the foot
steps of horses. They seemed to be cir
cling around me-not at a canter, not at a
trot, but at moderate walk. 1t was well
that had secured my horse in a thorough
manner, for never saw him so excited.
He tugged and pulled at his lariat, stood up
on his hind legs, neighed and snorted,
paved and pranced, and it was his actions
that gave me clew 10 the Identity of my
visitors.
They were wild horsesl
Had they been Indian ponies my trained
horse would have remained as dumb and ST.
lent as post. Indeed. Indians would not
have approached me in that manner.
L remained very quiet. hoping the horses
would remain in sight until daylight should
give me good view of them. / had to
wait for full hour. but when the daylight
grew strong the spectacle was one to make
a mans blood tingle. The circle had been
enlarged until ii was half mile across and
my little camp was the center. Every horse,
and there were 100 OF them, stood with his
head TO the center, and soldiers could not
have taken positions on the skirmish line in
a more precise order.
/ pitied my own animal. He stood with
the lariat drawn taut, and trembled in every
limb, and he was as wet with sweat as if /
had galloped with him twenty miles. l rea-
lied how he must long to break away and
join the wild rovers and forever end his
drudgery.
i dared not rise to my feet for fear Of
alarming the drove. but nevertheless L 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 eolOrs, and they
ranged in age from the yearling colt up to
the veterans 20 years old. The bays pre-
dominated, but every color was present
We had been observing each other about
ten minutes, when a jet-black stallion, who
was the leader of the herd, gave snort.
threw up his heels into the air. and broke
OFF at gallop, followed by the drove in
single file. They ran in a true circle and
made the circuit five times before stopping.
Then at another signal from the leader, the
circle broke and the horses wheeled into
single line, or company front"
Troop horses could not have done better.
thought at first that the line meant TO
charge me, but at signal it made left
wheel and galloped straight of on the plain
for mile. Then il broke, assumed the
shape of triangle. and returned. When
the leader was within pistol shot he wheeled
about and the horses formed in square,
with the four yearlingS in the center. They
galloped of for mile, broke again, and re-
turned in two ranks.
had an almost irresistible desire to kill
the leader with bullet. Indeed, reached
for my rife with that intent, but then came
the reflection that 1t would be little short of
murder. Such another perfect horse had
never seen, His black coat shone like silk,
his limbs and body were perfection, and he
had the speed and bottom of a race-horse.
Not a halt was made for full hour, and
then il was only preparatory to taking a swift
departure. The last maneuyer was circle
at slow trot. and each horse whinnied in
a coaxing manner TO my own steed. Poor
Selimi BE struggled in the most frantic
manner TO break loose, and when finding al
his efforts Of no avail he threw himself
down on the grass and actually groaned his
disappointment
/ rose uD then and waved my blanket.
Instead Of rushing OF in alright. as / ex-
pected, the leader OF the band deliberately
approached me few rods and stood and
snorted and paved as if sending 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 of at
gaHop. and maintained it as long as could
see the waving line.