The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-11-02
GAME TO Thu LAST.
Wild Horses Run Sixty Hours as
Ranehmen Bide Their Time.
How Herds Are Surrounded-Cowboys
Ponies Are Swift, But the Wild Horse
Is Swifter-Trickery Alone Can
Capture the Noble Animal.
roopYR1GHr, 1927

any O. you stoveup steer stabbers want
t. make up for tn good horses you've
run t. death on tn roundup jump into
yer saddles livelyl Thurs es fine a
bunch of wild horses seven miles up tn
draw as ever jumped the range" This
was the electrifying wayin which Bust
ed Billy, of the Xxx" cattle outfit
announced his arrival at our camp on
Smoky Hill Fork the other morning, as
we were at our simple breakfast of sal
eratus bread, 'jerked".- beef and coffee,
preparatory to breaking camp at the
close of the stock roundup for
the Big Sandy district in east
ern Colorado. For several days
we had been seeing wild-horse
signs, while riding the range to bring
in the cattle for cutting out, and only
the day before had been wishing we
might run across one of the bands
known to range in the locality before
nv return to Denver. Every man in
our outfit, that early summers morn
ing. knew his business, and had only to
be told by Bob Graham, the boss of the
roundup, what would be expected of
him, to go to the exact place in the
formation of the great circle intended
to be drawn around the band of wild
horses as the first move in their capture.
Joe Sommers, one of the best rough
riders I ever saw, and l pulled out of
camp together on fine ponies. Making
a wide swing of dozen miles to the
northwest, and then gradually drifting
toward the sand hill near which the
band had been sighted, we saw one and
then another of the boys who were do
ing the same.
Then commenced the work of what
the author of the fifth school reader"
would call ringing the wild horse"
but which the predetermined vaquero
of the plains terms ''a piece O. blamed
tiresome ridin'." When the great circle,
embracing several miles, is closely
watched and guarded at every point by
trusty riders, the boss of the roundup
gives the signal to start. The horse
hunter is not so foolish as to rush in
and try to make an immediate capture.
He takes things easily. Capturing a
band of wild horses is not matter of
speed SO much as of endurance. The
circle being made all secure, the next
move in the game is when the band of
wild horses, the advance stallion guards
of which for some time have been sus-,
piciously shifting the air, see a little
cow pony and rider leisurely coming
toward them over the hills.
This is enough.
The beautiful black stallion, king of
the band by reason of victory in many
fierce battles for supremacy of kind,
gives warning snort and stands an in
slant motionless-a magnificent piece
of animate statuary against the sky-as
he sweeps the plain for a second view
of the intruder. 1t takes only second,
but in that instant every sub chief of
the band has marshaled his members,
every mare has sprung to the side of her,
colt and as the equine commander in
chief gives neigh of command and
turns for the fight, the whole band of
800 horses follows in his wake, and
sweeps across the sandy reaches like a
whirlwind, and they swiftly leave the
pony and it's rider, still leisurely pacing
along, out of sight in the rear The cow
quietly-grazing pony. But far in front of
the advancing equine band its alert
leader soon sees second human form.
Swallowed by a spreading sombrero-
With another commanding neigh the
general stops, and with almost military
precision the entire band obediently
comes to rest in his rear. A second only
is lost in. hesitation and the troop is
laundering over the sage brush at right
angles to its former course. In about
three minutes another cowboy is
sighted in front by the keen-visioned
leader, and now, after another wheel,
the course of the band is almost
parallel with the one taken in starting.
At every turn now as the horses ap-
,roach the limits of the great circle
there starts up a cowboy, and as the
band in swinging around at last passes
it's starting point a wild CLEAN of def
ance flashes in the eye of the leader.
The frenzied animals tear madly on in
their course, are turned at every point
as before and make another lap of the
imprisoning human corral Clear
around again they go. Once on ap-
preaching the limit Of the circle the
bold leader p,unges straight ahead to
lead his band to liberty, and one OF the
COWBOYS, with perfect cannonade OF
shots from his brace of six-shooters and
wild wavings of his big hat. turns them
back.
Soon a bronzed rider on fieet-footed
mustang breaks out from behind them
and gives pursuit. Now begins the
work which we are all determined shall
know no pause until we shall lead these
creatures of the plain captive for the
use of mxn. The business-like little
pony in the dust of the rear has been
there before and knows his business
now. He has caught the spirit of the
sport, and while whoop bursts forth
from his rider he is laying of the fur
longs over the homes of the little prai-
rie dogs in joyous bounds as he gives
wild chase to the fugitives. For mile
after mile the startled jack rabbits and
coyotes scatter on either side as the
living cyclone sweeps down the stretch.
| 1t is turned at the quarter by two riders
or, cr,1 ri at fl.c 1,pipt Rl1t