Wichita eagle., 1886-11-02
9ai1Y eagle
THE WILD HORSE.

49, "oou' INIT years ago, say. The per-
sonages, two tall, sunburned hunters, guides
OF both, who are plotting somewhat long
traln OF enligrants across the plains
They had encamped for the night, and were
smoking their pipes around the camp fire.
Yark, did ye ever see the White Head'!7
No; don't know what YOU mean
did We ever hear of HING
mo; / never did What is it?'
Hes the greatest critter that goes on four
legs, and this is his 'stampin' ground for the
present. l may As well commence at the
beginnin':
1.-THE White Heads horse-an' sach a
horse, that We must see him ter take him in
Thar never was his equal yet. He's faster
than an antelope, stronger than buffler, kin
light like painter, an is IS cunnin es a coon
Thar never was corral that could keep him,
nor lariat strong enough to hold him.
Wei We say, s'pose he is all this, what then.
jest this: To-day l met hunter who he'd
seer him within a very short time. He said
he was sure the Indians he went with he'd
been follerin' on rs for days, an only wanted
good chance ter run off the stock | kinder
feel he amt fur away, an l think Wen see
him tonight Is sure eS shootin'
THE fUst time 1 see the White Head was
about two years ago. This ere is his range
or rather the range of the band of Chevennes
be belongs to, and we war camped right over
on thet cluster Of hills The horses and mules
was al picketed 10y the creek, en- he'd gone
10 look up an antelope see grain off the
north'ard, when down from q gully come a
horse, trottin' along quiet as Il kitten. 50 ter
speak, and maxim for the Others He was
beautiful sorrel all over, 'cept his head. that
were pure white His tail and name streamed
behind him Is lie moved and his round BODY
and taperin' legs looked made fur 20. lie
war q reglar beauty, an no mistake.
Every little while lie stopped ter nose the
ground. and l noticed he he'd SOM thin trail
in behind him, but couldn't make it out.
war so tux up q watchin' the beast himself,
the hull time a:piftin' fur the stock, Finally
he got amonS 'c-n an commenced maxim
friends, PAWN and playin' about.
Everybody ran ont ter sec him, and one
feller tried ter ketch him with Il lasso; but
tibet wouldn't work notor Then when be
got the horses an mules al prancin' about
he gave 4 loud neigh, Ike q trumpet, and
commenced ter bite and kick at the thing
tied ter his tail, an every kick sounded like a
big bass drum, an scared the stock so that in
five minutes they ali stampeded, with him a
follerin', neighin and kiclin the article behind
him at every jump.
"He raced EN- away in cloud OF dust. an
we never got hide nor hair on EN- back; hut
see the feathers Of the Cheyennes risin' be-
hind the ridge, close to EN-, and knew then
that the hull affair was a reg'lar trick. and
they had actillv trained the white-headed
horse ter help 'ein Is he did What DIVER think
now, pardner!
"Another tine we laid for him on purpose,
an hid a Mexican whar he could use his lasso.
Then, b. an by. long come the horse, an
mixed with the stock The Mexican let him
come up till he had dead sure thing, AID
then let 90. The lasso flew straight es an
arrow, an settled on bis withers
The minute he felt it he gave a jump, and
then looked about ter see whar it come from |
Then. when he spied the Mexican, lie went
for him, ketched him by the small of the back |
in his teeth, raised him clear off the ground, /
shook him. an then threw him down
with two ribs broken. lie seemed ter think |
n minute then, fer he Jest laid bacl, his ears.
stretched lis neck and started Is II he war
shot out OF a gun.
1.-THE raw hide snapped across his chest |
with tyvang like n harp string, the loose end !
went flying like old cotton rope il the wind, /
IN away he sailed in Il cloud OF dust till the /
distance swallered him. But that Mexican /
swore he would rather meet the devil than I
the White Head
About three-quarters OF an hour before sun |
down the hunters, seeing that all was quiet in /
camp started upon their horses TO reconuoiter
the plains near them. t
Finally, having Travelled in nearly all dircc-
tons, they resolved TO water horses in the
kiowa creek, close at hand, and 50 turned
the animals. heads thither. A heavy cotton
Il,
and mingled its foliage with that of the WA
plum and box elder
A little sandbar ran out into the stream,
and upon its wet surface Bill noticed the
fresh hoofmarks of a horse They were re-
markedly small and round seemingly pos
seSsed of character Of their own that Showed
that their owner must hare stepped ike q
deer.
Both men were so busiIy engaged noting
the strange trail they never thought Of look
ing upward; 50, when one of their own horses
threw Up his head and sent forth q shrill
neigh each man looked instantly. and there,
right before their eyes, was sight that made
them speeches. with wonder.
On the opposite bank, not sixty yards away.
stood the maker of the footmGrkS-the far
famed White Head
The sunlight came playing through the
trees. and burned on his sorrel coat like
molten gold The graceful body, round and
smooth. expanded where tie vast haunchas
and s,oping shoulders set into it in welded
masses of binding muscle that stretched TO
the deer-like limbs, with their clean knees
and hooks. each leg strung Ike harp. with
cords of steel 10 the ivory bone. His flowing
.2l1ne and tail seemed alive with motion. Us
if impatient to be waving backward in the
strong wind q his racing gallon. Though lie
stood Ike a bronze. with only the trumpet
nostrils working - catch the air. the small
head, white even to the eyes. turned over his
shoulder to survey the intrudeys who ha5I dis
turbed his watering place.
Thus he stood. grand in his heauty-a peer
less horse
Awhile they S;lzsd, and then tie hunters
hand stole slowly to his waist The deadly
revolver came forth. rose to the level and,
rnotionlcsS. covered the tIrobbinc heart
One touch and lis life would be gone. Yet
no report broke upon the cir. There stood
the horse. keenly alive TO his danger-nav,
even challenging it: for the ears laid them
selves slowly back, the eyes began to shine
Slowly as II had risen, the weapon dropped,
while its owners voice broke the silence.
No use Tobc; l can't Kill him
At tie white mans voice the White Head
moved away without taking his eyes from
the men. lie never looked u his steps, yet
hey fouHd their way uneTTinSly among the
stones and DRIFT Of the creek bottom, till the
frontage OF The cottonwood shut him OF from
heir view
4 single wild neigh came back from him,
ma i'll answer something - like a ~whoop7
hat the two hunters gaze up al thought Of