The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1886-02-04
THE HORSE OF THE MOUNTAINS.
The Wild Steed Of the West and His Hab-
its-"Isoss of the Herd"


When ] speak of wild horse, you
will understand that the word wild"
implies its full meaning, for certainly no
animal in existence is so thoroughly un-
approachabe. Their superior intellect
to other animals when partly bred to
good stock, their faculties of hearing,
seeing and smelling, coupled with their
Aeetness and courage and their ability to
stand days and weeks of running, make
them the most difficult of animals to
capture. Con6ning themselves almost
entirely to the inaccessible mountains,
only coming down to water once day,
makes it almost impossible to follow,
much less capture them, and when a
band or portion of band goes wild it
is rarely in these days that the owner
ever tries to recapture them, knowing
full we'll that it nearly takes horse for
horse in the business, and the wild horse
once captured has been so run down and
abused to bring him into subsection that
he is hardly worth the success.
THE LEADER OF THE HERD.
With the wild horses a stallion is at
the head, and the leader of every herd,
having such full control over them that
no band of cowboys are able to drive
band of horses so fast or we'll as a STALL
ion can. All in the band are so
thoroughly afraid Of him they keep in a
bunch, and their speed is gauged by his
own, he running behind with his head
low, scarcely above the ground. He ad.
vances quickly on the hindermost ones,
giving them a sharp bite on the rump,
thereby giving them to understand they
must keep up. Should one turn out he
follows him, much after the fashion of
the shepherd dog, and runs him back.
Until his band are out of sight in the
mountains be keeps this up. Here they
seem to understand that he can not fol-
low them all, and they scatter in all di.
rections, in ravines, canyons and inac-
cessible places, so that when the rider
arrives at the place he last saw them
usually around some sharp point or on
some high peak) he is mortified to find
his own horse almost exhausted and his
herd so scattered probably only two or
three in sight) that he gives up the chase
in disgust.
It is surprising how easily and thor
oughly domestic horses go wild under
the influence of these wild stations.
Many is the emigrant or horse.raiser
who has. gone to bed at night full of con-
6dence and often pride at the condition
and numbers of his stock, only to wake
up in the morning to find nothing left
but the ono horse on the picket rope
aud the train of their fleeing animals,
driven or coaxed away by these wild
horses-gone, and forever. / recall to
mind now an ..cquaintance of mine in
Nevada, one Joseph Gilbert, who lived
in Reese River Valley, in Louder Coun-
ty, who took a pride in the quality and
quantity of his horses His herd num-
bered about 500 head, and was generally
conceded to be the best in that section.
Joe was in fine circumstances, and bore
the reputation Of being we'll off and an
excellent man, but somehow band of
wild horses began to prey upon bis herd,
finally securing to themselves beautiful
stallion recently purchased by Joe at an
expense of $1,000. After his capture
Joe's herd was of short duration, as with
the assistance of this stallion they nearly
or quite all went wild, and though re-
wards Of IS, and afterward $40 per head
was offered for the horses in any corral,
with all additionaleofer of $500 for the
stallion, 1 never heard of more than
fifteen or twenty horses being returned.
"A DANGEROUS ENCOUNTER.
Horse-raising, however, on the plains
is very profitable, and horses will live
where cattle will die and never have
diseases that assume the character Of an
endemic barring the continued danger
of their going wild, there is no such
profitable business in stock raising on
the plains or mountains.
Wild stations often become aggressive
and even dangerous. Mr.. Blossom, q
friend of mine, was going on a trip with
his family partly hunting and partly TO
look over the range to see the condition
of his stock. One night while in camp
at Antelope Valley his team Of horses
two fine mares) disappeared. Awaking
the next morning he found himself
without his horses, and starting his two
boys to follow some tracks in one direc.
ton, he and his wife started in another.
Presently he came in sight of his lost
horses in company with several wild
ones, aud, to his horror, he sew coming
toward him the stallion "Boss of the
Herd" and although he had his double
barreled shot gun, he knew it was loaded
with fine shot, and these two loads we're
the only things standing between him
and destruction. Had he been "ten.
der foot" undoubtedly he would have
been injured. Being, however, m old.
timer, he stood his ground, telling his
wife to keep continually behind him.
On came the infuriated beast, head down,
ears back and mouth open, to within
few PAGES of Blossom, who, at this criti.
cal moment, began to swing his arms in
the manner done when throwing lasso.
This recalled to his horseship the un.
merciful and uncomfortable character of
these ropes when once in their fold, and
fearing his own captivity, he stopped on
his charge, but continually circling
around just out of reach of rope, he
endeavored to scare bis enemies away.
Blossom kept swinging his arm and