The weekly sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1886-1887, 1886-05-20
ATroop of Wild Horses.


I had camped near the forks of the
Platte, and was aroused just at daylight
by footsteps around me. After listening
for moment felt sure that they wero
the footsteps of horses. They seemed to
be circling around me-not at 4 Oantef,
not at a trot, but at moderate walk
1t was well that had secured my horse
in q thorough manner, for l never saw
him SO excited. He tugged and pulled
ct his lariat, stood up on his hind legs,
neighed and snorted, paved and pranc-
ed, 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 AZ a post Indeed. In
dams would not have approached me in
that manner.
remained very quiet. hoping the
horses would remain in sight until day
light, which would give me good view
Of them. had to wait for q full hour.
spectacle was one to make 4 mans blood
Jingle The circle had been enlarged
until it was half mile across, and my
little camp was center. Every horse,
and there were 129 Of them, stood with
bis head to this center, and soldiers
could not have taken position on the
skirmish line ia = more precise order.
pited my own animal He stood
with the lariat drawn taut, and trembled
n every limb, and he was as wet with
sweat rs if had gauoped him twenty
miles. realized how he must long to
break away and join the wild rovers, and
forever end his drudgery.
1 dared not raise to my feet for fear OF
alarming the drove, but, nevertheless,
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 of 20 years old.
The bays predominated. 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 a 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 they made the circle
FIVE times before stopping. Then, at
another signal from the leader, the cir
Gle broke and the horses wheeled into
a long or single line, company
| front"
Troop horses could not have done bet
! ter thought at first that line meant
| to charge me, but at signal it mado a
| left wheel and galloped straight off on
| the plain for mile. Then it broke, as
sumed the shape of triangle. and re-
| turned, when the leader was within pis-
| toll shot he wheeled about and the horses
formed = square, with the four-year-olds
in the center They galloped off for a
mile, broke again, and returned in two
| ranks
1 had an almost irresistible desire to
| kill the leader with bullet Indeed,
| reached for my riho with that intent,
| but then came the reflection that 1t would
| be little short of murder. Such another
perfect 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 q race-horse. Not
| halt was made for 4 full hour, and
then it was only preparatory to taking 8
swift departure The maneuver was 8
circle At slow trot, and each horse
| whinnied In 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 himself down on the
grass and actually groaned his disap
| pointmont
| rose up and then waved my blanket
Instead of rushing off in alright, as
| expected, the leader of the band deliber
ately approached nae few rods and
stood and slorted and paved rs if send
ing forth 4 challenges Then l set up s
shouting, waved the blanket some more
and ~ tsek his place ut the head. form
cd the band At company front" ane
they went of ut Sallop. and maintain
ed it - long as could see the waving
| Nna.-Detrea Fres Press.