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


but was by no means defeated. Indeed
- he had run away for the moment
adopt new tactics. When he moved Il
again he was the picture of fero 'ity
He came at full speed, reared, and struc
right and left, and the second bio
knocked our horse fiat on the grOunC
1t was knock out blow. The victo
stood over him for a moment, watchin
for a movement, but as none was mad
he joined the herd, and all went off at
gallop. It was five minutes before on
horse staggered to his feet, and Ii
wanted no more fighting He had thre
bad bites on the shoulders, and his leg
were skinned in dozen places, and j
was week before he got his spiri
back.
Two or three times during the mex
ten days / saw lone wild horses, and on
of the old hunters with us was asked TO
an explanation. He said they wer
''rogues' - stations which had beef
driven from the herd in disgrace-anC
that they were always considered ugl,
and dangerous. BE had known of thei
attacking single horseman, but tn,
presence of large party like ours would
of course frighten them off. Two day!
after this explanation we were strung
out for three miles along the river, OF
the march and survey. Something wa.
lost by an officer, and one of the troop
ers was sent back to recover it. Ter
minutes later the article supposed to be
lost was found in one of the ambulances,
and | was sent back to notify the troop
er. He had galloped back to camp, a
distance of two miles, and was searching
around on foot when arrived in sight.
l was about to fire shot to attract his
attention, when from the cottonwood
grove beyond the camp a horse came
| charging out. He was "rogue," and
bent on mischief. The soldiers horse
was grazing, and the soldier had his
eyes on the ground, and was so aston
ished by the sudden charge OF the rogue
that L made no move to stop him or to
warn the trooper. Indeed, warming
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 and
dragged him twenty rods before finging
him to one side. Then he started for
the cavalry horse, which stood with
head up facing him, and I got out my
IeNolNer anu Spurfeu IOrWafQ.
l was yet o quarter mile away
when the rogue reached his second vic
tim. He ran at full speed, with his ears
back and lips parted to show his teeth,
and the sight was too much for the do
mestlc animal. He was on the point of
turning to fly when the other collided
with him. 1t was as if a 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 to bear down
upon the trooper again. The man was
on his feet and limping off; but he
would have been a goner had / been
further away. rode across the rool1e's
path and opened fire on him, and after
shaking his head in an ugly way he
galloped into the grove and disappeared.
The troopers horse did not seem to have
suffered any by the shock, but soon
after noon lay down and died. The man
was actually crying when 1 rode up to
him, although he had taken hand in
several Indian fights and was reputed a
brave fellow. The danger had come up
on him so suddenly as to overcome his
nerves. The horses teeth had not bro
ken the skin through his thick clothing,
and he d d not have bruise to show,
but such was the sudden shock that he
was on the sick list for two weeks.
We were within two days ride on 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
that herd of at least ], 800 |
wild horses were grazing about three |
miles to the east of US. This was on the
opposite side of the Pecos, which just |
here spread ont over rocky ledge, and |
was 200 feet wide and about foot deep. |
Below our camp was an old grove with |
many dead trees in it. 1t was there we
got our wood. In all other directions
5he ground was open. We had about |
,welve tents in camp, aside from the wag-
)ns and ambulances. The best feeding |
ground was on the west of the camp,
md all the animals were staked out |
here. Outside of the bunch of animals
vas guard of two soldiers, and two
more were between the animals and the
wagons. There was no danger appre-
lended from the Indians, and the guard
vas set to keep prowling wolves out of
amp and to assist any horse which
night get tangled in his lariat 1t had
,een q hot day, with "thunder heads
howing in the sky, but when the sun
vent down the sky was perfectly clear
md all signs pointed to quiet night.
,st fash of lightning ever saw, followed
,arth groan, tumbled every sleeper in
amp out of his blankets. I say the
harpest flash ever saw, for was awake
70 &c |
ierce that it seemed to burn our eyelids.
anne another flash, followed by another
oar. l knew it was going to rain great
,uns, and l jumped into trousers and
,oots, and grabbed up the rest of my
lothes and made for a wagon only few
eet away. The two wagons were close
o each other, but the forward ends
'ulled away from each other so that the
ehicles formed V. While the space
'etween the off hind wheel of one and
he nigh hind wheel of the other was not
ver foot, the space between the
ongues was six or eight feet. The sky
vas black as l rushed out of the tent,
nd all the camp fires had burned low.
flung my clothes into one of the wag-
ms, and then hurried back and got my
7eapons and some other articles, and
Turing this time the heavens seemed
flame and the earth fairly rocked.
Men were shouting, horses neighing,
nd the din was awful, but as reached
he wagon the second time there came a
ound to drown all others. 1t was a
teady roar like the rush of great waves,
nd it grew louder all the time. could
OF understand it for two or three min
tes. The noise came from the west,
nd l stood upon the wagon so that 1
ould overlook the tents. A flash of
ghtnlng was followed by moment of
Itch darkness, and then came q long,
'emulous flash, lasting three or four
econds. BY its light l caught sight of
le herd of wild horses bearing down
pom us in mad mob, and Just as the
ghtning ceased they entered the
,ream.
The splash of the waters had the
'und of breakers, and thought shouted $
warning at the top of my voice no one /
Duld have heard me twenty feet away. ]
ext moment that terror stricken herd ,
as IN camp, while the clouds opened I
le rain came down in torrents, [
,rambled back into the wagon, and
hat saw during the next ten minutes
IN never be forgotten. The frightened {
orses leaped over the tents, or ran |
CT I,nr, fo1