The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1886-01-14
THE HORSE OF THE MOUNTAINS.
The Wild Steed of the West and Hia
Habits-'Boss Of the Herd.''

The Wild Steed Of the West and Hla
Habits--"Boss of the Herd.'
When I speak of a wild horse, you will
understand that the word wild" implies
its full meaning, for certainly no animal
in existence is so thoroughly unapproach-
able. Their superior intellect to other
animals when partly bred to good stock,
their faculties Of airing, seeing
and smelling, coup'9- with their
f1eetness and courage and their ability
to stand days and weeks of running,
make them the most difficult of animals
to capture. Confning 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 band
or portion of a.. band goes, wild 1t IS
rarely in these days that the owner ever ir
tries to recapture them, knowing tull
well that it nearly takes horse for horse
in the business, and the wild horse once
captured has been so RUN down ana
abused to bring him into subJectlon 1na1
he is. hardly worth the success. ys.t
THE LEADER OF THE HERD. ...s
With the Wild horses astsllion IS OF Inc
head, and the leader. Of every nerd, nav
ing such full control over them the5' 10
band Of cowboys are able to drive oana
of horses so fast or well as o stallion can;
An In the band are go thoroughly atraio
OF him they keep In q bunch, and their
speed is gauged by his own, he run"tng
behind with his head low, scarcely aooYe
the ground. He advances quickly on Ine
hindcrmost ones, giving them sharp pise
on the, rump,. thereby giving them
to understand they must Keep
mn, Should one turn out he tol-
lows him, much after the fashion OF the
shepherd dog, and runs him back. Until
his band are out of sight in the mount
aims he keeps this up. Here they seem 10
understand that he can not follow them
all. and they scatter in all directions, Id
rayines, canyons and inaccessible places
so that when the rider arrives at the place
he last saw them Casually around some
sharp point or on SOME high peak) ne Is
mortified to find his own horse almost eA-
haustcd and his herd so scattered prop
ably only two or three in sight) that ne
gives up the chase in disgust.
It is surprising how easily ana tnor-
ourhly domestic horses 60 wild under 1ne
Influence of these wild stations. Many IS
the cmigrant or horse-raiser who has gone
to bed at night full of confidence ana
often pride at the condition and numbers
of his stock, only to wake up IN the morn
ing to find nothing left but the one morse
on the picket rope and the train OF tnelr
fleeing animals driven or coaxed away by
these wild horses-gone, and forever. !
or
mine in Nevada, one Joseph uh-
bert, who lived In Reese hlfeL
valley, in Louder county, who Vook
o. pride in the quality and quantey
of his horses. His herd numbered about aoo
head. and was generally conceded TO De
the best in that section. Joe was IN tne
circumstances, and bore the reputation OF
being we'll of and an excellent man, pue
somehow band Of wild horses began 70
nrcy upon his herd, finally securing 20
thamseIyes d beautiful stallion recently
purchased by Joe at an expense OF p, ,uov
i fter his capture Joe's herd was OF shor1
duration. as with the assistance OF this
stallion they nearly or quite al went
wild and though rewards Of S., and
eftsywnrd f,x s10 per head was offered for the
ii,cSses In any:ecorrG1, with sam add itional
offer Of 800 Tor the stallion, never heard
Of more than, fifteen CT twenty horses
DANGEROUS ENCOUNTER. ''h,' 49, ".
Horse-raising, however, on the plans Is
very profitable, and horses will i've where i0
cattle will die and. never have diseases
that assume lin the character Of an epidemlci
barring the continued danger Of their 60
,ineg wild, there is no such profitable busl-
ness in stock raisitlg ,t; On the plans plans or
wi Wild stallions. often become aggressive
and even dangerous, Mr.. Blossom, q
friend or mine, was going on q 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 ut
Antelope E valley his team Of horses Two
fine mareJ Disappeared, Awaking the
next rlatorlning. Fl Ing he. found himself without
his horses md Starting his. two. boys to
follow some tracks in one dtrectlon, nc
and his, wife started in aI1other: Pres-
entity lie came m sight OF his los5
in company with several Wllo
ones, and, to, his horror. he saw coming
toward. him the stallion Boss OF the
Herd,H and although ne mao hls ooupie,
barrelcd shotgun, he knew it was Loaded
with fine shot, and. these two loads were yt:
the; only things standing between him
and destruction. Had he been a tender
FOOT undoubtedly he would have been
injured. Being, however, an old-tlmer'
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 lew
PAGES of Blossom, who, at this critical
moment, began to swing his arms in the
manner done when throwing lasso. Ihls
recalled to his horseship the unmercitul
and uncomfortable character OF these
ropes when once in their fold, and fearing
his own captivity, he stopped on MS
charge, but continually circling around
just out of reach of rope, he endeaVored
to scare his enemies away.
Blossom kept swinging his arm and
yelling constantly, working toward his
own horses, until finally he reached them
Fortunately they were the gentlest pos.
sible, and not yet under the influence OF
their wild companions.