The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1888-03-08

j
camp = horse came charging out He
was a "rOEue. and bent on mischief
The soldiers horse was grazing. and
the soldier had his eyes on the ground.
and was so astonishel By the sudden
charge Of the rogue that I made no
move to stop him or 20 warn the
trooper Indeed. q warning could
have hardly reached him in time His
back was to the approaching horse,
and the rogue seized him in his teeth
by hold between the shoulders aud
/ dragged him twenty rods before fling
ing him 70 one side. Then he started
for the cavalry horse, which stood
with head up facing him. and l got my
revolver out and spurred forward
was yet a quarter of mile away
when the rogue reached his second
victim. He ran al full speed.
with ears back and lips parted 10
show his teeth. and the sight was too
much for the domestic animal He
was on the point Of turning to hy
when the other collided with him.
It was as if = locomotive had struck
him. He went down IN a heap and
rolled over and over four or five times
before he brought up. while the rogue
took half circle 10 bear down upon
the trooper again. The man was on
his feet and limping oil but he would
have been a gOuer had been farther
away. rode acrOss the rogue path
aud opened fire on him. aud after
shaking his heal in an ugly way he
galloped into the grove and disap-
peared. The troopers horse dill not
seem to have suffered any by the
shock. but soon after noon laid down
and died. The man was actually cry
ing when | rode up to him. although
he had taken hand in several ludian
fights aud was reputed a brave fel-
low. The danger had come upon him
so suddenly as TO overcome his nerves.
The horses teeth had not broken the
skin through his thick clothing, AMI
he did not have 4 bruise to show but
such was the ~ idsn shock that he
was on the sick list for two weeks
We were within two days ride Of
the BOnita. and had been in camp two
or three days. when one Of the hunters
rode in just before dark with some |
game and announced d a herd Of AZ /
least fifteen hundred wild horses were /
grazing about three miles east o. as. |
This was on the opposite side Of the
PecOs, which Just here spreal OF,
over rocky ledge and was two
hundred feet wide and about a foe
deep Below our camp was an o.
grove wlth many dead trees in il !.
was here wr -.. oar wool. IN ~
other q rec,..u- re .r1url was opel.
We hai nboI, twelve tents IN ea4I.
aside from ,he wagons and ambu-
lauccs TIE b.>t feeding ground wa
west Of tie r-mp. and al. the animal,
were stakei out there. Outside Of tho
bunch Of animals WIS a guard Of tive
soldiers. and two more were between
the animals and the WAGONS. There
was no danger apprchended from the
Indians, and the guard was set &c
Keep proving wolves out Of camr
and to assist any horse which might
get tangled in his lariat. Il had been
q hot day with "thunder heads"
showing in the sky, but when the sun
went down the sky was perfectly clelr
and all signs pointed to q quiet night
1t was midnight, when the sharpesi
lash Of lightning ever saw, followed
b. such a crash Of thunder as made the
Earth groan. tumblsd every sleeper in
amp out Of his blankets. ] say the
harpest flash / ever saw. for was
wake in time 10 see the most Of it II
vas so fierce that il seemed 10 burn
'ur eyelids. ] was hardly on nv fe
'efore there came another, followed By
mother roar knew it was going 70
ain great guns, and jumped into nv !.
rousers and boots and grabbed up !
he rest Of my clothes and made for . :,
wagon only few feet away. The tive =
Taguns were close to each other, but Z
he forward ends pulled away 80 that
he vehicles formed a V. While the
pace between the on hind wheel y
one and the nigh hind wheel Of the I,
Their was not over a foot, the space !.
stween the Tongues was six or eight
he sky WAS black as I rushed out of
lie ielt, and all the camp fires hal d,
lrned low. / flung my clothes into 4
ne Of thn wagons. and then hurried m
lck and got weapons and some other ar
'ticles, and during this time the IN
'avens seemed aaame aud the earth m
irly rocked. NJ
Men we're shouting. horses neighIng. M
ID the din was awful. but a. reached m,
e wagon the second time there came ~,
sound 70 drown all others. Il was q IA,
lady roar like the rush Of great ,ri
ives, and L grew louder all the time. -
.ould not understand Il for two or N
rec minutes. The noise came from
, vest and I stood upon the wagon 81
that | could overlook the tents A EoI
sh OF lightning was followed By q al
'msnt Of pitch darkness and then pro
ne long, tremui0us fash, lasting Anl
'es or four secondG b. It's light ] 'uo
ight sight Of the herd Of wi d horses va
lring down upon "a In a mad mob. =
! just as the Lightning ceased they III,
cred the stream 40
The splash Of the waters hsd the ths
nd Of breakers aud though ] Scr
uted = warning At tie top Of my auc
&c no one could have heard II,
twenty feet away. Next moment ure
{ tsrT0r-sirieken herd was in camp. II
lie the clouds opened and the rain
le down In tOrrents ! scrambled
K into the wagon, and what I saw leei
ing the next ten minutes can never yer
orgottsn- The frightsned horses -
ed over the tents. or ran against easJ
n, fell over guy ropes. bumped Time
Inst the wagons. and made clean soft
. over The ambulancss and ell the on.
each one kept up a Wild neighing. she
ard our OWE animals plunging and not
ing and nelghing, but knew that our
we're helpless 70 prevent the STAN thsil
the first Of the herd got through -
camp 70 the wagons. two Of them ~.
red the V-shaptd space, and 9th :.
Iept them crowded II thsra. The -.
ning was flashing and the thun- rs s
'Oaring sgain. and the poor beasts -. -
appalled, e tee situation. Thar