Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1890-12-05
WILD PONIES.
ELUSIVE MUSTANGS RUN DOWN BY
FLEETFOOTED INDIANS.
Whole Herds Are Captured by walk
ing"-The Solitary Hunter Secures His
by S~hooting-Thc Indian by Chasing.
Details of the Best Method.

. CNhlI VI Nv AEt1AoN
There are still a few bands of mustangs
or wild ponies roaming the Texas staked
plains. They are now and then made prize
and captured by men who covet them.
There are several methods in vogue for
capturing wild ponies. If the hunters are
ambitious and looking toward taking in
the whole band they go at it with prepare
ton and in a business way. These bands
of ponies are not wanderers, going up and
down the western earth, but possess a resi-
dence and cling to a locality, so that, their
whereabouts once known, the hunter is
certain of finding them at n time there
after. This gives the mustangers ample
chance for preparation.
The necessities of Il mustang hunt con-
Quoted on wholesale lines include a corral,
a grub wagon n team, and three hunt
ers. When all is ready the hunters arrange
themselves in as many watches of eight
hours each; one drives the wagon, the Sec
Dnd sleeps in the wagon, and the third
"walks" the mustangs. "Walking" mus
tangs is simple. The theory of the hunt is
to keep the wild ponies on the walk night
and day, without food or water, until they
are exhausted. AS far as may be they are
walked in a circle so as to be near the cor
fal intended as the final goal of this go-as-
Eou-please match against nature. The pro-
cess is this: The hunters with their wagon
drive in sight of the mustangs and the
first man takes their trail on foot. For
eight hours he walks after them, keeping
them constantly on the move, and us much
as possible from feeding and from water.
This last is not so difficult in a land where
watering places are exceptional. In the
hauinnirr tho foo1;sh muStanp EipES III,
his joyous heels and curvetis about, tossing
his name in contempt of this solitary, slow
pursuit; but as the hours wear on and the
dusty plodder, sticking like Il bad habit, is
not to be shaken off. the fugitivcs become
less gay. They sober down to Il walk and
are not so prone to light and frivolous ex-
e~rcises.
CAPTURED RY "WALKING."
At the end of eight hours the wagon
drives up and number two of the hunters
begins his eight hour walk. At it's close
number three assumes the pursuit and so,
changing every eight hours, the weary
march keeps on. All that day and night
the ponies are kept moving. All the next
day and night sees the programme repeaS
ed, and the work continues until, with
out having had food or water, without
having closed their eyes or rested their
tired legs since the hunt began, the starved
and sleepy mustangs totter along, almost
as lame as house dogs, and fairly dead on
their feet. When reduced to this condi-
tion, Slapped of that gay, brisk nature
which distinguished them at first, the
hunters turn their dropping, drowsy heads
to the corral and drive them in as unre-
sisting as sheep.
When some solitary hunter is looking to
capture a wild horse and has no aid to as
bist him, a ~favorite method is "creasing."
The mustanger, finding the watering place
of the band, puts himself i'll ambush.
With his rifle ready, he sprawls in his COW
ert, awaiting the coming down of the po-
MES. Along toward the close of the hot
afternoon the trampling of the eager hoofs
of the thirsty band is heard. Led on by
some wise stallion, whose name and tail
sweep the grass, and whose sagacious eye,
while soft and deep. is full of Il cautious
suspicion, born of the responsibilities of
leadership, they come tumbling down aud
bend their free, wild necks to the element.
This is the hunters opportunity. Has
lilly selecting some young and well mus
cled mare, his rifle comes to his shoulder;
for the part of Il second his practiced eye
ranges the sights and then a puff of smoke,
UiuS! dilu u L11uSULLS l. Spld" llIS ulu
kicking convulsively in the mud and wa
ter. Before it can recover the hunter runs
forward and buckles a pair of hobbies on
its fore legs and nooses a lariat to its neck.
In two minutes the pony regains ons ,us-
ness and it's feet, but the hobbies and lIe
lariat make the hunters title sure.
CREASING AM COURSING.
"Creasing" requires skill with the rife
and an accurate knowledge of horse anat-
omy. The bullet is made to Craze the
spinal column well up IN the neck. The
lead must be placed just so or loss results.
If it strikes too low the spine is broken
and the pom: is a thing of the past, if too
high it results in nothing but u wounded
pony flying with frightened feet, but if
placed Alright the shot simply stuns for a
few minutes. The pony drops as if struck
in the head with a maui, and will remain
unconscious about two minutes - time
enough to secure it.
Indians, Afoot and DESTROYS of a mount,
have been known to literally and actually
run a wild pony down. They take one by
sheer endurance. There is, of course, as
great a difference in stamina and staying
powers among Indians as among the
whites, but almost any village or camp
will furnish one or two, or even three
bronze athletes who are good and game at
Ia days running, to run a hundred miles
from their last repast. A wild pony can
not do this.
Impractical, grass fed and soft, he shows
no u strength or bottom. Should neces-
sity point and occasion offer, one of these
Savage Mercurys will undertake a mus
tang's capture on foot, coursing him by
sight as yrayhounds course hares. The
time selected is after a light snow-this on
account Of the plain, open trail it shows in
the event of the pony getting out of sight
at any time during the chase. Then, again,
the running Indian can scoop up a handful
of snow as he hys and make it take the
place Of water.
When such a chase is arranged for the
Indian or Indians who are to do the cours-
ling, camping the night before near the
band Of mustangs, arise in the earliest gray
of morning and, stripped of everything
but their moccasins, begin the hunt. They
select their victim, "cutting it out' of the
"bunch,'' and pursue it straight away.
They never circle it, as that would make
the Indians run a greater distance than
the pony's. Away across the country goes
the astonished pony, with the runners
square on in it's trail, pushing forward in
silence. Sullenly they cling to the trial,