News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1888-04-12

7 I'm. ENHN lHVer lieIe Wei
MES on the western plains, but in th
days of which l write there were herd
OF good, big horses, some of them stand
ing seventeen hands high and weighin,
1,3OO or !, 400 pounds. 1 went into Ne7
Mexico with a Government surveyin
party, which was of semi military cha1
acter. A survey of that portion of tn
Rio Pecos lying in New Mexico was t.
be made, and there was to be militar,
post located between Pope's Wells ant
the Bonita River. The country between
was plain 100 miles long by 200 broad
with many small streams and rich feed
ing spots. The herds of horses had beer
seldom disturbed by white hunters, anC
whenever the Indians wanted a supply
they selected the ponies in preference
believing that they We're the soonest
broken and would stand the hardest rid
ing.
We,were well into the plains before we
saw any horses, and the first herd we saw
came very near bringing about calami-
y. We were encamped in bend of the
Pecos, and the surveyors and guards
had Just come in for dinner. There was
a truce between the whites and the
Indians of that date, but our party was
a strong one, and the surveyors never
went out without protection, A truce
meant that the redskins would not kill
if the other party was the stronger. We
had two ambulances, three or four
wagons, and from seventy to eighty
horses. These last were staked out on
the rich feeding ground. With no more
4lo,, 4IoE Fo1 1f
the earth and heard great clatter, a
drove of wild horses numbering at
least five hundred came charging
around heavily wooded point directly
at our camp. The stream in front Of
our camp was about was two feet deep
and ran over bed of gravel, and the
horses we're probably in the habit of
coming here to drink. The herd was led
by sorrel stallion of magnificent look
and limb, and was going at such a pace
that the leaders were among our animals
before a man of us moved. Nothing
will rattle domestic horse like the near
presence of his wild brother. A stampede
of buffalos simply terrifes him, and in
his terror he will act like a fool. The
wild horse excites and makes him forget
for the moment that he is mans slave,
and he will do his very best to throw off
the yoke of servitude and join the herd.
1t was well we were all together. Every
man rushed for the horses, yelling and
shouting to drive the intruders away,
but when they went two of our mules
and horse went with them. The horse
was a five-year- old stallion, worth at
least $500, and his flight created in
slant dismay in the camp. The mules
would not be allowed to "chum" with
the herd anyhow, and could be picked
up after they had tried their legs
1 little, but the horse might never
be seen again. A score of us mounted
N hot haste and set off torecapture him.
The herd had gone due west, in which
direction rise of ground hid them after
l short run AS we reached this rise
every man of us checked his horse. Be-
low us was an almost circular valley
about half q mile across, and in this val
ley the herd had come to halt. 1t
seemed that the presence of our horse
had aroused the ire of the sorrel leader
Of the herd, and that the question of
had come up to be settled
ut once. The two stations were between
is and the herd, and were already skir-
Every one of the horses had
lis head toward the pair, and was an in
crested spectator. At any other time
,ur presence would have put them to
light, but under the circumstances they
gave us no attention.
Now occurred a combat the like of
which few men have ever witnessed.
The horses were pretty evenly matched
or size. Our champion had an advan-
age in being shod, but to offset this
he sorrel was quicker. Their move
nents showed the broad disparity be-
ween wild and domestic life. Our
lorse was agile and smart, as the terms
20, but the sorrel had the suppleness
# panther. AS boxers feint for an
pening, SO these horses skirmished for
n advantage. They approached until
heir noses almost met, and then reared
Ip with shrill neighs, struck Mt each
ther, and came down to wheel and
ick The iron shoes of our horse hit
othing but air, but we heard the
louble thud of the sorrePs hind feet as
le sent them home. They ran off to
yheel and come together again and re-
eat the same tactics, and again our
OlSC BOJ bIlC NOIoU VI 4us AAC Wtho ~
high strung beast, and his
emper was now up. When he wheeled
he third time he came back with rush,
creaming out in his anger. The sorrel |
urned end for end like flash to use his |
eels, but our champion lodged the |
icks and seized him by the shonlder
18th his teeth. There was a terrific
truggle before the hold was broken,
nd then they backed into each other,
nd kicked with all fury for n few sec
nds. Every hoof hit something solid,
ut the iron shoes OF our horse scored |
point in his favor. When they separ-
ted we could see that the sorrel had !
cen badly used. especially about the
,gs.
When the horses wheeled for the third |
me both were bent on mischief. AS
ley came together ;hcy reared up like
ogs and struck at each other, and for
We minutes they were scarcely off
leir hind feet. Some hard blows were
and our horse had the best