The Delta independent., 1889-08-13
An Indian Horse Racs.

An Indian Horse Racs.
From an article, written and illus
trated by Frederic Remington in the
July Century. we quote tho following:
can elderly Indian OF great dignity OF
presence steps into the ring, and with
graceful movement throws his long
red blanket to the ground and drops
on his knees before it, to receive the
wagcrs OF such as desire to make them.
Men walk up and throw in silver dol
lars and every sort of personal prop
erty imaginable. A Winchester rifle
and large nickel-plated Colts revol-
YER are laid on the grass near me by a
cowboy and an Indian, and then each
goes away. 1t was wager, and l
thought they might we'll have conf
dence in their takeholder-mother
earth. Two ponies, tied head and
head were led aside and left, horse
against horse. No excitement seemed
to prevail. Near me little half
Mexican Comanche boy began to dis
robe until he stood clad only in shirt
and breech-cloth. His father address,
ed some whispered admonition and
then led up roam pony, prancirg with
impatience and evidently fully con-
scious of the work cut out for him that
day. With bound the little fellow
landed on the neck of the pony only
halfway up; but his toes caught on the
upper muscles of the pony's leg, and
like monkey he clambered up and
was in his, seat The pony was as
bare as wild horse. except for bri-
die, and lopcd away with his graceful
little rider sitting like rock. No,
not like rock, but limp and uncon-
cerned. and as. full of the motion of the
horse as the horsc's tail Or any other
part OF him.
"a Kiowa, with loose hair and great
coarse, face broke away from the
group and galloped up the prairie un-
til he stopped at what was to he the
starting-point, at the distance of two
arrow flights and a pitch' He was
followed by half a dozen ponies at an
easy lope, bearing their half-naked
jockeys. The Indian spectators sat
about on their ponies as unmovcd in
countenance as oysters, being natural
gamblers, and stoical as such should
be, while tho cowboys whispered
among themselves.
That's the bay stallion there
said one man to me, as he pointed to
racer, and he's never boon beaten.
It's his walk-ovcr, and I've got my gun
up on him with an Iniun.'
ut was to be a flying start, and they
Jockeyed good deal and could not
seem to get off But presently puff
OF smoke came from the rifle hold aloft
by the Kiowa starter, and his horse
reared. The report reached us, and
with scurry the five ponies came
AWAY from the scratch, followed by a
cloud of dust. The quirts few through
the air at every jump. The ponies
punched and pattered away at name
loss rate, for the quarter race pony is
quick OF stride Nearer and nearer
they came. the riders lying low on
their horses nccks, whipping and XII
yi-yi-ing. The dust in their wake
swept backward and upward and with
a rush they came over the scratch,
with the roam pony ahead, and my
little Mexican fellow holding his quirt
aloft, and his little eyes snapping with
the nervous excitement of the great
event He had beaten the invincible
bay stallion. the pride OF this Comache
tribe. and as he rode back to his father
his face had the settled calm which
nothing could penetrate. and which
bcfitted his dignity as young runner"