The Red Cloud chief., 1888-11-09
CATCHING WILD HORSES
Como Bell, the wild Horse King"
on the Mad Chase.
An EaeuIng Orcmpafi,n :"r Como tsnf
Not yorGott~n-A Long Rare In fsh'eh
Brains Coun: Peculiar Custom
Of Wild Horses

The day o. the wild horse and tn
wild horse catcher is Over. For ncarl.
twenty years a number OF men skilled
in the capture OF the untamcd. arch
necked. mane-Aowing denizen Of th'
great plains have gained n LIVELIHOOD
and even a competence. But this once
profitable calling has constantly grown
more labOriOus and less rcmuncrative
and this year the ~hOrse-catchcrs have
gone reluctantly at other occupations
or have drifted 10 the Panhandle o
Texas or a strip of country in North
western Wyoming and Northwestern
Nebraska. where a few OF the flee
equines OF the desert" still roam II
decimated bands. There are a SINAI
number OF these wild horses still to bt
found. it is true. on tho Republican
river In Eastern Colorado. and on thu
Arickaree river. a tributary. But these
are the sole remnants Of what a score
of years ago were n noticeable and at
tractive feature OF the plains and
ranked for numbers almost with the
buffalo. Though valueless when killed
and difficult of capture except by tn.
most experienced. still the horse has
Outlastcd its shaggy-cOated contcmpo'
rary but a few years. and soon. with
the wild Indian as well as the buffalo,
will have become "a tradition.
At the head Of the men who. by the
extinction Of the wild horse. find i,
necessary to now seek some more pro
sale occupation is Gene Bell of Brush
Station, Colo. MI. Bell has made his
livelihood for ten years capturing
these interesting animals. He was
born in the rcar end of a prairie
schooner in 1857 and claims to be the
first person who can call Colorado his
native State. As he was born on the
great plains he has since lived cOntinu-
Ously upon them. and although but e boy
when he began the difficult calling OF
a horse-catcher he o reached a pre-
cminence by skill and endurance tina,
gave him the title OF the Wild Horse
King"
So much has been written OF the
horse of the plains. which. foaled upon
the dew kissed grass Of the prairie. has
never known a halter or the touch OF a
,nan's hand. that descriptive reference
20 their f~ce'ness. wariacSs. and often
times thcr graceful beauty. particu-
larly among the stations. wouid It
this day lack Interest. But n curious
fac. is known tn but few aside from
those who have followed them for hun
Grcis of miles ana studied their habits
closely. Ii there are enough in "A band.
these animals group bv thirtccns. The
regulations Of the wild horse allow 10
each male twelve ~coGsorts. and. the
remarkable feature i. no more. They
draw the lire a. ~ ever dozcn. Even
when tine bands that roaned these
great plains. then ~tcuaatiess except by
ether wild creatures. numbered in the
hundreds aud more than IA thousand
this peculiar division into families was
plainly noticeable. They kept a little
apart and never voluntarily mingled.
Usually the occupation of capturing
the un:2med stecds was followed by
three men working together. They
used four or five hardy. feet. we'll
trained horses. When the section O!
thecountry the wild animals fr~cluentcd
WAS reached. the first thing waste selec:
a suitable location. at the entrance of a
ravine generally. for a corral. This
the catchers knew how to construct.
using great quantities of rope. very
speedily. Then near this corral. on
the most slightly eminence. one man
stationed himself. A distance beyond
it. on the apparently most natural run
way. another man with one of the fleet.
est Of ssdGle horses takes his station.
The work Of the most skilled mar Of
the three then begins. Mounted upon
the picked horse Of the lot with a pair
Of field glasses. a water.bag. and n sup
ply Of food. he swings away in the ear.
liest dawn on an easy lope. 1t may be
ten ortwenty miles before his keen eyes.
aided by the glasses with which he
sweeps the broad expanse Of rolling
plain. detect a grazing band Of horses.
lie approaches them by the easies,
course which will permit concealment
as long rs possible. and then. within a
few hundred yards. he dashes into sigh,
and the sport is begun.
The aYrighted animals stand for IN
instant. the morning breeze tanning
their luxuriant names and tails. They
snort in alarm. turn and tVt OF. al
first. and then. n it is apparent this
TRANCE creature is pursuing. break in.
to . run. 1t is now that the race is to
both the swift and the enduring. The
trained horse. on which the man l.
astride. knows his part Of the work.
and he does it intelligently. With head
well down. swinging out on q long,
swift lope. he follows the fleeing band.
They run madly. become more and
more afrighted as they perceive tina,
thew are indeed pursued. The hn'
vild burst Of speed carries them far in
ADVANCE. bss not out at sight By dex'
aereus spginseripg the rider and horse