The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1888-12-06

OoaioC "liCH Will permit COncealment
as long as possible, and then, within a
few hundred yards, he dashes into sight
and the sport is begun.
The affrighted animals stand for an
instant, the morning breeze tanning
their luxuriant names and tails. They
snort in alarm, turn and trot off, at
flrst, and then, as it is apparent this
strange creature is pursuing, break in
to.a run. It is now that the race is to
both the swift and the enduring. The
trained horse, on which the man is
astride, knows his part of the work,
and he does it intelligently. With head
well down, swinging out on a long,
swift lope, he follows the fleeing band.
They run madly, become more and
more affrighted as they perceive that
they are indeed pursued. The first
wild burst of speed carries them far in
advance, but not out of sight By dex-
ferrous engineering the rider and horse
behind shorten the distance as much as
possible. The band ahead are to be
kept on the move. That is the trick.
Not halt are they to get for bite OF
grass or sup of water. They have set
the course in a generally straightaway
direction. That course they must be
kept upon.
Mile after mile is rapidly covered.
The sun comes up hot and scorching In
the cloudless sky. But there is no stop
for restful Craze. nor opportunity for
drink from chance stream. If the
band ahead, with tails streaming and
nostrils dilated, divert from the gener-
al direction to sweep around the base
of a low ridge, the wary horseman and
his equally wise animal take the short
er and easier way, cutting the sequent.
as 1t were, but always ever in sight and
always coming, coming. The fright of
the wild horses has grown into verita-
BILE terror. They throw bits of foam
from their mouths. They are worried.
half crazed by this merciless, continu-
GUS, unrelenting pursuit But the man
behind knows that they will soon do
something that is, perhaps, as strange sa
their peculiar habits of community re-
lation. He has rested his horse at
every opportunity. Whenever there
was chance, his faithful animal has
been given a nibble at the succulent
grass and had sup from spring or
little stream. Ridden though he is, the
tough and experienced plains pony Is
fresher than the fleeing equines ahead.
They now show signs of the greatest
perturbation. Their stomachs are
empty, their wind is s.blown," their
tongues are dry. But fear makes them
half unconscious of these sufferings,
although they are gradually wearing
under them. At length, when they
have gone forty or fifty or perhaps six
ty miles. the patriarch begins to run in
an eccentric way. He is. not as sure
of his course as he was. He wheels and
turns and then goes ahead again, but
with uncertainty.
It is this the shrewd man and shrewd
pony knew would happen. They drop
out of sight for a moment behind the
ridge. The stallion, his nostrils di-
lated and quivering and his eyes flash
ing, makes a sudden run, and in
another moment, with his band of
faithful spouses. he is galloping back
over the track he has come.
Now is the race in earnest and to
the bitter end. The nervy, gamy,
swift horse behind knows that his
energies have been saved for the task
that is yet before him. As he feels the
spur he springs ahead with the racing
blood aflame in his veins. 1t is a ter
rife chase. New terror at this extra
ordinary, this unlocked for denoue-
ment of what the fleeing animals ahead
had thought In their brute instinct
was successful ruse to throw the pur-
suer off the track, gives them desper-
ate strength, too; but they are worn
and fretted and starved and burning
with thist. They run for their lives.
Nearer, mile after mile they approach
the starting place. The sun is ablaze
aften MONDAY, but still the hot race
goes on. Now faithful, plucky, speedy
pony, bearing a saddle-worn but
grimly determined man, do your best.
Your strong legs will fail, sinewy as
they are. The faster you run the
quicker your days terrible effort is
over.
The man left behind on the eminence
is sweeping the plains with his power
full glasses. He has watched an hour,
perhaps two, or even three. At last
his range of vision becomes centered
upon something away in the distance.
It may be bunch of antelope. Hmay
be band of wild horses that are run
ming for play. But as he watches
closer he discerns it is not sport that
causes that moving group of specks.
He trains the glasses intently until at
last he can see behind the running ami
mails solitary horse, and that horse
has rider. He is in the saddle with
a bound, calls to another horse grazing
near. and away they fly towards this
approaching cayaIcade. He runs the