The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1892-1907, 1893-01-21
A CALIFORNIA MUSTANG,

The other day . Kern county rancher
telegraphed TO the best horse doctor In
San Francisco:
"Take the next train, come out to my
farm, and do what you can for my mus
tang"
The doctor went, found an old saddle
horse, long past usefulness, in fact
dying. and returned. wondering what
made the rancher 20 anxious about the
animal.
Others wondered. too, until the story
was one day told to few friends who
were visiting ut the old ranch house near
the foothills. Therais perhaps nothing
In the affair which marks Il g different
from many occurrences on the frontier,
where homes are far apart. and where
life itself may sometimes depend upon =
saddle horses speed and bottom. But,
told a. the rancher told it at his own Ia
BILE, it was . story that long chung TO the
memory.
at was more than thirty years ago"
be said. II was IS years old, and had
been away from home attending school
When came back to the ranch in Kern.
near the foothills. my mother came cry
ing to the door to meet me.
MY little sister was very i'll. She
was only years old. my pet and de-
light. and my mother was . widow. An
elder sister WAS in Tuolumne teaching
school: my brother. who managed the
ranch, had gone 10 StanislAus TO buy
sheep. and mother and baby were alone.
II was eight miles "a tho nearest village
and stage station. from which place |
had walked. reaching the hnnse ct dark.
| went in and found little Mary uncon-
scioas: my mother could not tell what
was the matter. ran down to the past.
ure and called my colt, Major, the bes,
hors~ ever owned. He came at once.
and ! sA,idied him and rode Of 1t q
gallop-
Il, was early winter. and rain had
made the road heavy: cloudy all day, a
drizxle began before had been five min.
uies in tho sAddle. had neither whip
nor spur. Now and then spoke e
Major. aud he knew there was work be.
fore him. Two miles we went withou,
q pause, the road dead level and &C
slippery that | could feel Major slide
like log on frosted sidewalk; but he
managed 10 keep 10 his feet and resume
his wild pace. He took the bit in hi'
teeth and ran. snorting with excitement
for year he had not been ridden. and
his muscles were steel. his lungs like I
steam engine. ! let him walk for few
moments, then let him have his heat
again and again. until he swept into tn,
village In tearing gailop.
"'Sot here was the answer, n ham
u,cred at the poctor's door. Gone ter
miles into the foothills TO the old b.
mont place
"Tha, was east in direct line. an.
thce miles south was another villag
where perhaps doctor could be found
II not II WAS but a few minutes Lost
for another road could bc taken TO Be-
mont's
Again the wild pace under the CLOUDS
sky and cold rain. thoughts OF my lionel
mother and little sister urging me TO ye
greater haste. The road was hard. wit
. thin coating Of mud that spastered m
from head TO foot. aud the wind BILE,
sharply in my face. lived over In mem
CRY every scene OF our lives. every wor
said TO my sister, every act done In tn
pas;-her arms about my neck in thank
for some simple gift; long days benin
the plow, with her toddiing feet In th
furrow; child asleep In the summs
grass. . bunch Of wild poppies in he
chubby hand. the calico sunbonnet tosse
back from tho curly head. Then l n
memberrd that when went away mott
er wrote me that every day little Mar
asked: Won't brother Tom come hou
tonight l want TO see brother Tom.
well, reached the village and foun
that the doctor. who lived there, vi
sick himself. Nothing to do but to sta
for Bemonts Again the gallop, =
longer on level roads, but through rol
ing hills and under darkness that WI
Egyptian. We were descending into
hollow between high hills. The ros
was narrow. dark. slippery, and the 90
sound Of falling rain drowned the moi
Of wheels. Through a break in the ca.
ern clouds the ssars shone out above u
ni' cts'' Suaaeni., 'a .s VINO
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