The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1886-09-11

like hymns of incense from the waking Garth
The stream whirled along its narrow banks
and fingered among the rushy shadows Wild
ducks checked their Swimming flight and set
tied on its bosom, disturbing the grotesque
bittern in its silent moods. Away off to the
west "A coyote lingered-nocturnal Traveller,
leaving the coming day far behind TO hide
his body In the deep cleft of sornc lone canyon.
The men were just drawing the pickcts of
thchors,s, to harness them and take the road,
when, all at once, whooping rang
from the gulch near by and showed "a throng
Of Indians, with the White Head before them
racing mndly toward the train. That one
moment, just before Harvesting, had been
closely watched for the men, not having had
a night attack, were of their guard at the
fatal instant, and the Chcycnncs, screaming
like demons, were in their midst, with an ar
row flight preceding them. Stung by the mis-
siles and maddened by the shouts, horses and
mules broke away, and with trailing ropes
dashed over the prairie in headlong gnllop.
A few men pursued them. These were they
who, having been saddlcd and ready for tho
first rush, had control of their animals and
now swept off after the stampede, in hopes of
being able to check il.
The Indians were about 800 yards ahead,
straining every nerve to distance their pur-
suers, the stampedcd stock in advance, racing
they knew not whittier, and at their heels the
White Head, more like devil than horse, kick
ing the well known rattlng hide behind him,
which rcsoundcd like the war drum Of some
savage tribe. Dashing from right to left, as
the terrified animals swervcd from the track,
he would whirl on his launches, rush with
terrific springs Mt some animal separated from
the rest and drive it back to the herd
The pursuing hunters had gained since tho
start and could see cach movement of the
wild animal. He had the entire drove under
control, and was driving them with uneIring
instinct to particular part of the broken
plain, from whence lrc expected help from his
red masters. Such was the plan, no doubt,
and the relay Of sIvagcs had bccn already at
their post; but the approach of "a scouting
party of whites forced them 10 abandon it.
So it happened that the white men occupied
the Indians ground and were waiting there.
The leading Indian raised II loud yell, and
abandonin., the drove. turned and ilcI in the
direction of his retrcating brethren Not so
the horse. True TO- mis- trust, he tried to turn
the drove upon tire trail Racing like
an arrow close 70 thcir TANKS striking and
biting rs ne came. he wheeled, and then drove
them forward like frightened sheep, with his
screaming neigh ringing III their ears Lash
ing out like n fury at the trailing rawhidc
he reared and plunged among them, till the
whole herd, with one accord, turned and fed
in the new direction after the rctroatiuT
Indians, while both parties of whites Joined
in the pursuit, though the " hitc Head, even
with this awful ufl'if, seemed moro than "A
match for them ali
But one way r,.ih.;iurd To- Chccl. their flight {.
that was Ia diSiI'l,' rho ficni which drove
them. But how: Clearly not with a IlsSo-
all shrunk from usit,s that. The rjf,, was
left The hunter iiit Spurrgi ahead To- cut
OIL the drove where tIry had tn turn along
side 1, rock wall that rose from the plain
The wild horss. seemed to feel the danger, for
nc rcdoubletl his I'll .rtS and flew from point
10 point like lightning. But the hunter
gained the desired place, where the White
Head would have To pass him, and, iisnount-
ing, waited with ,..'.kcl rifle the moment tn
fire.
On came the her l. with the wild horse Close
behind them. liz seemed To take in the
danger ut E!ancr; for, us If tiisslaining to bo
tamely shot ut, at trying to escape, he tuInrd
To fight, lowering; the white head. and extend
ing his 1.-the boot :. IL hcadlong SaiIop; with
n wild scream lac rushed straight at tho
hunter. The man had intended crc:Sing only
but the fearful danger Irlt no alternative but
to kis him. His riIir iiIu~t not far! him now
or he is lost Slowly i rose, stcadied "a mo
mcnt, and with II flash the bullet sang true to
it, aim. straight on he rushed and then, as
the hunter felt the very ground trrInble
under him, reared upward, paved the air,
and shaking his beautiful head, sent his,
death neigh ringing among Tho rocks Of the
canyon
he did not writhc upon the ground in
agony-no! he died III the air before he fell,
free and courageous to the last. The stock
was easily retaken then; but those hunters,
as they looked at that grand creation, "a mo
ment before 81 full of life and grace, could
not reprcsSs n sigh that the life had passed
away from White Head, the wild horse of
the plains Outing.