The Arkansaw traveler., 1886-01-09
THE oRANDEsr SIGHT ON THE
 PLAINS.
IN. Quad, in Detroi, Free Press. l

had camped near the forks of the Platte, and was aroused just at daylight by footsteps around me. Alter listening for a moment felt sure that they were the footsteps of horses. They seemed to be circling around me-not at a canter- not at a trot, but at a moderate walk. It was we'll 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 and paved and pranced, and 1t was his action that gave mo clue to the identity of my visitors.
 They were wild horses.
 Had they been Indian ponies my trained horse would have remained as dumb and silent as post. indeed, In- dians would not have approached me in that manner.
 remained very quiet, hoping the horses would remain in sight until day light should give me good view of them. had to wait for full hour, but when the light grew strong the spectacle was one to make mans blood jingle. The circle had been enlarged until it was half mile across, and my little camp was the center. Every horse, and there were i2o of them, stood with his head to this center, and soldiers could not have taken positions on the skirnish line in 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 it had galloped him twenty miles. realized how he must lsng to 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, 1 had 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 yearling colt up to the veterans probably twenty years old. The bays predominated, but every color was present.
 We had been observing each other about ten minutes, when a jet black stal. lion, who was the leader of the herd, gave snort, threw up his heels into the air and broke of at 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 long, sim gle line, or company front"
 Troop horses could not have done bet ter. thought at first the line meant to charge me, but at a signal it made left wheel and galloped straight oa on the lain for mile. Then it broke, assumed the shape of a triangle and returned. When the leader was within pistol-sho ot he wheeled out and the horses formed in a square, with the four yearlings in the center. They galloped off for mile or so, broke again and returned 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 it would be little short of murder. Such another per- feet horse l 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 halt was made for full hour, and then it was only preparatory to taking a swift depart ure- The last maneuver was a circle at a slow trot, and each horse whinnied in a coaxing manner to my own steed. Poor Selim :! He struggled in the most frantic manner to break loose, and when finding all his efforts of no avail he threw him. self down on the grass and actually groaned his disappointment.
 rose up then and waved my blanket. Instead of rushing of in alright as ex- pected, the leader of the band deliberate ly approached me few rods and stood and snorted and paved as if sending forth a challenge. Then set up a shouting, waved the blanket some more, and he | took hix rlare at the head formed ths bsnd a. company ,ir iroa, ns and ,hsS ,ens as of at a gallop and maintained it as long as could sec the waving line.