The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1892-12-15

sIself, were in the shaao3 of tie forest s.3;
And it wac at this point that the; ipci-
dent which led up "a. my adventu &c begun:
Acting under the Jus trucaions of tho lead
ing guide, ! took my position. withinstle
forest about 800 yards from the edge OF
the plain. Sir Joseph, / noticed, was LED
AWAY to the east, while Capt. HaliMell
was led still farther from where 4 was $
stationed. The scheme, as explained, was
| to wait there till the loopards came Creep
ling out on their way 70 the river to lie
and wait for anselopss and other four
footed game which passed OF the wayito
| drink.
] I was left absolutely alone in the silence
tof tho forest, and despite my surround
lings, ! soon grew deadly tired. Ny horse,
bay mare, small, but with slender legs,
clean cut head and good shoulders, was
tied little distance away, for evon our
poor brutes were to DO used as dcc0y for
the willy leopards.
! Three hours or more must have passed
when through tho trees to my right, too
far away for shot, saw o splendid This
botan stag 60 sailing past like a meteor.
In an instant forgot the caution OF the
guido and loaping into the saddle, l broke
through tho covor and out into the plain
with the wild hope Of getting eehot at the
flying beauty. The stag made directly for
the river, and with my knees pressing
tightly the sides of my mare, rushed
headlons and heedlessly after, With
| wonderful rapidity he drew awayfrou, me,
although pounded along hoping for
something TO occur to stop his flight long
enough for me to get shot.
had gone half the distance toward tho
river, good two miles at least, whcn see-
! ing that it was useless to maintain the
chase savc it up, rsined in my mare and
turned her heud toward the distant forest
line Al that instant detected some
moving figures between mo and -fhc bor-
der 9th trees. Iwas surprised ut their
number, dozen or more perhaps, but
throw nv bride rain on tina neck of the
bay and let her walk to recover her wind.
1t was fortunate that did 80; it saved
my life. - ~
at tho eud Of fifteen minutes my mare,
which had been walking slowly with her
nose toward the ground, raised her head
md gave quick snort Of alarm, at the
same time pitching her. small ears for
ward and planting her forofeet firmly on
the ground. The moving spots were much
nearer now and made thom out to l,o
troop of horses.
ooh, for a lasso," was my weutnl conf
mont. Suddenly,a kind OF SILVER seized
my mare; she trombled iii every limb, but
stood rs still as rock. Tho troop Of
horses paused abruptly almost ut the
same instant, with their heads hold high
in the mir and looking IN my direction.
There were Tow impatIont tossinss Of
the head ard name, and the whole herd,
spreading out like q fam, came toward
mo. ~. a.
had heard often of the Wild horses of
1'hibct, the sturdy little brutos, which va
rious zcologists have tried to Identity as
the progenitors OF tho modern domestic
hurse. 49, ~,
l was intensely Interested In their ma
ncuvors, not dreaming that they were at
all harmful or dangerous. On they came,
though, in gallop, the lesder,a gray stall
lion larger than his companions, hating
every few minutes 10 toss his head and
snir tho air.
They had approached withinn quarter OF
u
who, trembling in evory limb, had stood
like bronze casting with eyes and ears
pointed toward Tho herd, when, before
could check her, Tho mare with % snort OF
terror whcued with = violence that near-
" unseatcd me, aud set off nt.n fronziesl.
breakncck pace toward the river. In vain
did SAW al tho hide limos oftthc rnds
kasmir bit, but might just Ms we'll have
tried TO check II locomotive with, u clothes
line. a,E
On, on, with the freo, frnah. air, whist
lag past me, She mure bounded US il The
ficnd incarnato was st l.Ur heels. At''er,;i'
while lot her have hoI way ard settled
down fora long yare. or until she. tired
herself completely Vu,. Then thought
of looking behind mo. II took my hroatI,
for there. loss than An eighth OF mile
way, waa the hord Of Wild ho,sos d.si,is
along with NAMES and tailsg stree ming.
For the first. time ] recalled some stories
had heard Of adventures with wild
horses, and it flashes orer mo with almost
sickcniEg force that ! Was being hunted
hy tho fcrco, unframed 'fhibetan horses,
and that to he oycrtakcn. meant dcat for
me and my mare Ivy being lrampcd To .
pnlp on tho plain.
I never thought aid schc'nsd 80 hard
aud iast an | did in tha. naIs ten minutes.
gave my mars ny iur LOST iAsianiy; lie
question: was how to save m,fen.
~, plan w.s formed with almost MIR
,c!ons rnl;ilitv. About 'u;lc s|leadants.'
AZ Judge, a quarter OF a mills this g'i.icsi'
the tree borderod river. stood ;, a white
beech tree with low branches, If could
rcncl, that tree wassavcd. | seized tire
bride rcius and by dih Of great exer!ip'i
l swung my frcnzird Iuarc's ahesi toward
it. But as l did so the tilundcrons beat Of
the hoois Of The 0r;ns herd came u NJ
for the frat time | turned and saw Tint
they were not nta; rnrds distant
Almost mechanically. hy the pure in
riiuct OF sclf-p,cscryatior. ] raised ny
Parker rifle and, aiming as best could, |
fired three shots into tho mass"f tfpSin9
maiic. md streaming 3iaiIs. There VS.
Wild con fuS ion. IiaIia dozen horses scsm
cd 10 be tangled III, On tlic ground. sna
then tie gray stallion. followed by Fi'.ur
others, broke from ahv i.,ass and c4i,ie
tearing after me. sss
| HALF. mileio ilps.ree now. Again did
the thunder rf tiic fpot OF fhc enrascd
stations sound With awful ,ifsfinctncss 10,
my ear. AL turned to afci again I saw
| thu, two horses wutc sirugsIins in The dis.
lance ~ rise from tlfra gruiibd while the
| res, at the herd were struit. out iu tile
.wah.. III the gray !cadar AID biz fnur III :
teu.lants. Again did Ere fnar tiMes.
lining every time ril,c gra.iiend whicll
lctl..he rursuit: three horses ssumllclsnd
Tell, nnitro Others ISN'T pitching nthvii'
HUT the gray Ma nx.m't.