The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1893-10-13
cREAsING A MUSTANG.
A FEARFULLY RISKY EXPERIMENT AT
CLOSE RANGE IF 1T FAILS.

How an Old and Courageous Hunter with
Nerves of Steel Utterly Collapsed After
One of the Closest Calls For Life He Had
Ever Experienced.
During the summer of 1859 was occu-
pied in gathering stock in the frontier set
Elements of west Texas and was located
near the headwaters of the Atascosa, a small
stream about 80 miles west of the San An
tonic river. 1t was so extremely dry in
that section for the greater part of the
spring and summer that the deer near the
settlement became very thin, and the old
Texans said that it was on account of bad
water, causing them TO contract disease
known as "liver rot" This of course cut
our supply of venison short, and when the
season arrived to lay in the usual allowance
of fat, juicy venison sirloin and round
steaks we were compelled to seek for it at a
considerable distance, where water was
known to be pure and the mesquite bean
thoroughly ripe and in the greatest album
dance, frequently extending Gar excursions
far into the mustang ranges.
1t was not an unusual thing for the mus
tang, especially the stallion, to be seen near
the settlement, haunting the ranges of the
domesticated horses in order to entice them
away, and when the stations of both races
met the fight was on hip and thigh, Gre
ating CONSERVATION in the herd and bring.
ing pallor to the cheek of the tender. No
sound l ever heard can bear comparison to
the squall of an Infatuated mustang stallion
in deadly combat with an American stall
lion. 1t never failed to inspire me with a
feeling of the deepest awe, such as would
terrorize the inhabitants of pandemonium.
Having been without supply of fresh
venison all summer, and in fact up to
about the middle of October, my compan-
ion of the chase, Gus Durand, proposed
trip into San Miguel county, n. NJ, 60miles
from the settlements, where the deer were
plentiful and in prime condtion-their coat
having assumed reddish hue an unfail-
ing sign of being fat and healthy.
readily assented, and we soon made up
our party of three-third party only needed
to attend to the camp and prepare the meat
and hides. We had an early start in the
morning, and after riding rapidly until
about O'Clock in the evening without a
notable incident we perceived what we at
first supposed to be a fine mustang mare
standing in the shadow of a spreading
live oak tree some 200 yards ahead, and in
such position as not to observe our APP
proach until very near her.
My companion Immediately dismounted
and threw me the rein, requesting me to
be very quiet until he could approach her on
foot near enough to be sure of his game
and by careful maneuvering could get with
int - har wit hpnt Hotacfipr, ba
was then to the windward of her. His OBJ
ject was to "crease" her, breaking the tip
end of one of the corrugations of the neck
bone, about central between the head and
shoulder, stunning her so that she would
suddenly fall to the ground and lay as if
dead long enough for him to reach her and
plant himself firmly upon her PROSTATE neck
and head, from which position it was next to
impossible for her to rise. 1t proved to be
two animals standing side by side, close
enough to be taken for one large one, the
smaller one a trim, fleet young filly, stand
ing close to and hidden by stallion of
near the same size.
At the crack of Durand's never failing
rifle the stallion dropped to the ground as
if killed outright, while the filly disap-
peared ON the wings of electricity, and cast
ing aside his rife he was soon at the head
of his, or what he supposed his, fine mus
tang mare, and just as he was about to at
tempt to spring upon his head the stallion
regained his forefeet, and before it was pos
sible for the man to retreat the horse, with
a mouth wide open like hungry alligator
and squall similar to dozen differently
keyed calliopes in full blast in a street
parade, sprang to his feet so close to Durand
that his breath blew Durand's sombrero
into the top Of mesquite bush six feet
high, he retreating backward with all pos
sible speed, while making the most desper-
ate effort to disengage his navy six shooter
from the scabbard.
When at last he did succeed in bringing
his pistol into effective use against his fero-
cious antagonist, he was near enough to
scorch the hair in a circle inches in diam
eter in the center of the horses forehead.
As the horse fell another shot from Du-
rand's pistol crushed the brain of the al
ready dead animal to make assurance dou-
bly, sure.
BY that time had reached the scene Of
the tragedy, and as the excitement of the
moment died away the reversion of feeling
was so sudden that Durand's nerves COM
pletely collapsed, leaving HIM as helpless
as babe and his stomach perturbed as if
he had suddenly developed a violent case
of seasickness.
With a nerve like lion and confidence
in his courage and accurate craftsmanship
that almost amounted TO egotism, he was
not easy to be turned away from any enter
prise he undertook, and to see him in that
helpless condition after he had driven away
all danger was problem that was indeed
hard for me to solve. Neither could he ex-
plain, only remarking when strong enough
to speak, 1--WE been in a heap of tight
places, AL, but I'll be gosh dalled If that
Want about as close a nip as / ever keer to
bee again. "-Philadelphia Times.