The St. Johns herald., 1886-06-17
WILD HORSES.
The Crandest Sight on the Plains. 6

4Ac OAanoCcS VII ~AO A~~@--7E
 had camped near tho forks of the
 .tte. and was aroused just at day
 -ht by footsteps around me. After
 stening for a moment I felt sure that lsiey were tho footsteps of horses. -They seemed to toe circling around me--nOt at canter-not at trot, but at mod crate walk.
 It was we'll that I had secured my horse in Q thorough manner, for l 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 a 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, Indians would not have approached me in that manner.
 I remained very quiet, hoping the horses would remain i'll sight until day light should give me good view of them. had to wait for full hour, but whom the light grew strong the spectacle was one to make a mans blood jingle,
 The circle had been enlarged until it was half mile across, and my little camp was the center. Every horse,
 
 his head to this center and soldiers could not have taken positions on the Skirmish line in more precise order,
 pitied my OVID animal, He stood with the lariat drawn taut and trembled in every limb, and he was as wet with sweat as if had galloped him twenty miles. l realized how he must long 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, neverthe- less, 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 the yearling colt up to the veterans probably 70 years old. The bays predominated, but every color was present.
 We had been observing each other about ten minutes. when a jet-biack stallion, who was the leader of the herd, gave snort, threw up his heels into the air and broke off at a gallop, fol- lowed 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 q long, single line, or company front
 Troop horses could not have done better. thought at first the line meant to charge me, but at signal it made a left wheel and galloped straight off on the plain for a mile. Then it broke, assumed the shape of triangle and returned.
 When the leader was within pistol-shot 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, 1 reached for my rife with that intent, but then came the reflection that it 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 race horse.
 Not a halt was made for full hour. and it was only preparatory to taking a swift departure. The last maneuver was q tircle at slow trot, and each horse whinnied in coaxing manner to my own steed.
 Poor Scliml He struggled in tho most frantic manner to break loose, md when finding all his efforts of no avail he threw himself down on the ;rass and actually .;roaned his disap- pontment
 rose up then and waved my blanket. Instead of rushing of in alright, as had expected, the leader of the band de- liberately approached me few rods and stood and snortcd and paved as if sending forth a challenge.
 Then l set up a shouting, waved the blanket some mora, and he took his place at the head. formed the band at |" company front" and they went off at gallop and maintained it as long as could see the waving line.-[ Detroit Free Press.