Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1889-07-19
AN INDIAN HORSE RACE.
Mother Earth n Stakeholder for the specu-
lating Kiowas and Half Breeds.

1ating Kiowas and Half Breeds.
An 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 wagers of such as desire to make
silver dollars and every sort of per-
sonal property imaginable. A Win
chester rifle and large nickel plated
Colts revolver are laid on the grass
near me by cowboy and an Indian,
and then each goes away 1t was
wager, and thought they might well
have confidence in their stakeholder
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 Co
manche boy began to disrobe until he
stood clad only in shirt and breech
cloth. His father addressed some
whispered admonition and then led up
roam pony, prancing with impotence
and evidently fully conscious of the
work cut out for him that day. With
bound the little fellow landed on the
neck of the pony only half way up {;
but his toes caught on the upper mus
cles of the pony's leg, and like mon
key he clambered up and was in his
seat The pony was as bare as wild
horse, except for the bride. and loped
away with his graceful little rider sit
ting like rock. No, not like rock,
but limp and unconcerned, and as full
of the motion of the horse as the
horses 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
until he stopped at what was to be the
starting point, at the usual distance Of
two arrow flights and 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 unmoved in
countenance as oysters, being natural
gamblers, and stoical as such should
be, while the cowboys whispered
among themselves.
'That's the bay stallion there" said
one man to me, as he pointed TO a
racer, land he's never been beaten.
It's his walk over, and I've got my gun
up on him with an Injun. "
It was to be flying start and they
jockeyed a good deal and could not
seem to get off. But presently puff
of smoke came from the rifle held 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 flew through
the air at every jump. The ponies
punched and battered away at name
less rate, for the quarter race pony is
quick of stride. Nearer and nearer
they came, the riders lying low on
their horses necks, whipping and ky
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 swapping with
the nervous excitement of the great
event. He had beaten t he invincible
bay stallion, the pride of this Co.
manche tribe, and as he rode back to
his father his face had the settled calm
which nothing could penetrate, and
which befitted his dignity as young
runner.-Frederic Remington in Cen