The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-08-15
A MAD HORSE.
Thrilling and Nearly Fatal Adventure
in Canada
From Frank LesIie's Monthly.

more awe inspiring than a stallion that has
gone mad. Such an animal, bursting all
the letters of his inherited dread of man,
seems inspired with frightful craving to
take vengeance for the imn emorial servi-
tude of his kind. As rule. he has no quar-
rel with any thing but humanity. Often
with other horses he associates amicably,
and toward the cattle and lesser animals
that may be with HIM in the fields he dis
plays the indifference Of disdain. But let
man, woman or coild come within his
vision, and his homicidal mania breaks into
a flame.
l have had several disagreeable encount-
ers with vicious horses, but only once was
so unfortunate as to fall in with one pos
sessed by this homicidal mania. My
escape was so narrow, and the experience
left so deep an impression upon my mind,
that have felt ever since an instructive
distrust for this most noble of domestic ami
mails.
One autumn, when was about IS, was
taking tramp through the eastern town
ships of Quebec preparatory to resuming
work at college. / reached the little village
of Maybury one day at noon, and dropped
into the village inn for lunc con. The viii
lage was in a state of excitement over
tragedy which had taken place that very
morning, and which was speedily detailed
to ne by every one with whom | came in
contact. A boy living on farm near the
village had been killed in the most horrible
ma 1mer by fine stallion that had gone
suddenly mad; A fierce anger stirred in
my veins as | listened to the story, and /
asked the innkeeper, who was my in
formant, what they had done to the brute
"Well, answered Bonifacs, this after
noon there's crowd goin' out to ketch
him an tie him up. II he's too bad fur
that-an' if | know anything about horses,
he's Just gone mad, stark mad-why they'll
have to shoot off-hand to save their own
necks."
II wonder if I'll run any risk of meeting
hims" queried rather anxiously. l had no
weapon but my heavy walking stick, aud
had an almost sentimental regard for the
integrity of my neck.
(which way be you bound" inquired
Bonlface.
"For Blissville" answered.
"Oh," said he, you're all right then.
The horses are teedin' out yonder to the
notheast, AID Blissville laws south"
1t was with few misgivings that l now re-
sumed my journey. Il the tonic autumn
air my spirits rose exultantly, and walked
with brisk step, whistling and knockin G
off the golden tops of the hawk-bit with a
cane. The country about Maybury is a
high rolling plateau, for the most part open
pasture ground, with here and there shall
low wooded ravine, and here and there a
terrace Of loose powders, with brcmble
thickets growing between.
| was soon beyond the cultivated fields,
past the last of the fences. | had climbed
one Of those rocky terraces and made 200
yards across the breezy down, when, behind
a low knoll, caught sight Of group of
horses quietly pasturing, and | remembered
with qualm the mornings tragedy. Could
this, asked myself, be the herd containing
that mad stallion!
| halted and was about to retrace my
steps unobtrusively, in the hope that l had
two or three of the animals raised their
heads and looked at me. One of the group
snorted with a peculiar half whinny, at the
sound Of which my heart sunk.
Then | caught sight of one in the center,
which seemed to be jumping up in the air
on all four feet at once. The next minute
this creature, great black animal. APP
peared outside the group, plunging and
biting at his flank. Two or three times he
sprung into the air, in that strange, spas
modic way l had already observed, and
threw his head backward over his right
shoulder with an indescribable gesture of
menace and defiance. Then with a short
dreadful sound, he darted toward me, open
mouthed
Up to this point had stood my ground,
cycling the brute resolutely, with an appear
ance Of fearlessness that | was very far
from feeling. But now | saw that my only
hope, and that a desperate one, lay in
flight | was accounted in college a first
class sprinter, and now I ran my best. The
200 yards that lay between me and the ter
race had Just left must have been covered
in not much more than tive lty seconds.
But as reached the brow of the slope the
mad brute was close on my heels.
l had no time to check myself, and even
less notion TO do so. In fact, fell and rolled
headlong down, dropping, bruised and be-
wildere1, into crevice between two bowl
ders. The next instant l Jaw black mass
of my pursuer dashing over me in a splen-
did heap. Before he could turn and seize
ne had rolled further into the crevice, aad
found that one of the rocks overhung SO as
TO form little narrow C we, into which
could squeeze myself SO far as to be quite
beyond the animals reach.
Never before or since have l discovered so
unexpected and providential q refuge. TIE
raving stallion came bounding and leaping
up to the very lor of my burrow, but felt
safe. He would roll back his lips, lay mis-
ears fat to his head, spring straight into
the air and Shrek through his vide red
nostrils his fury and his challenge. The
latter | did not think it incumbent upon
iuo " dCCepU. hdlNou ~ III OlS1aAul VI
silence
For a time the brute kept up his bound
ings, and those strange, proud jerkings Of
his head; but at last he actually tried to
stretch his neck into my burrow and reach
me with his frightful naked teeth. This
was a vain attempt, but I resented it, and,
picking up a stone that lay at hand,
struck him heavy blow on the nose. This
brought the blood from those cruel nostrils,
and made him eve, if possible, more furi-
GUS in his rage; but he returned to his
former demonstrations.
1t must have been for nearly an hour that
| watched the mad creatures antics from
my den. The rest of the herl had early
approached, and were feeding indifferently
about the foot of the terrace. From time
t. time my enemv would join them, and
snatch few restless mouthfuls of grass;
but almost Immediately he would return to
his post at my door, and his vigilant watch
was on me all the time
l was beginning to cast about somewhat
anxiously for a way to escape this impris-
olment, when | saw the pasturing herd
suddenly toss up their heads and then go
scurrying cross the down. My adversary
saw this, too. and turned his attention away
from me. peerel forth cautiously, and TO
nv profound relief l observed a party of
men, several carrying ropes and halters, and
others armed with rifles, approaching the
terrace foot. One man walked little ahead
of the Others and held out peck measure,
which presume to have been oats
l. L. e. 800,