Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1894-12-07

life they were participants in, would fill
a volume of thrilling tales.
The best band of bionchos in the sos
was found in Northern New Mexico and
Colorado. In 1856 there were cap
tured in one season over 100 head of
fine wild horses in Colorado. About
400 more were caught here the same
year, but were either killed or turned
loose because they were not good
enough for training.
In the COS nearly all the wild horses
had been captured or driven out of Colo
RADIO, and the scene of operations was
transferred to New Mexico and the pan
handle of Texas. During the first two
years of the war the value of bronchos
went to so high figure that hundreds of
young men in the territories made reg
uar business of hunting wild horses,
and the remnants of the former larger
bands were soon practically wiped out
Thousands of horses were sold to the
Confederate government from Texas and
Arizona. A son of Gen. Albert Sidney
Johnson was, in 1862 and 1863, the chief
purchasing agent of wild horses for the
confederacy, and there are still held by
many men in the territories unpaid or
ders given by him on the Confederate
war department for many thousands of
dollars for horseflesh on the plains.
There is probably no regular pursuit
so arduous as that of catching wild hors-
es. The occupation was generally fol-
lowed by three men, who worked togeth
err for season. Sometimes man with
capital and enterprise would employ as
many as ten gangs of three men each.
securing the plains in search of untaned
steeds suitable for capture and training.
A party of three horse hunters would
use five or six fleet and thoroughly train
ed horses, using one horse while the 9TH
ers rested from the severe runs to which
they were subjected.
When the section of the country the
bronchos frequented was reached, the
first thing was 20 select suitable loca-
ton, at the entrance of ravine, general
", for corral. This the catcherS knew
how to construct, using great quantities
of rope, very speedily. Then near this
corral, on the most slightly emneuce,
one man stationed himself. \ distance
beyond it, on the apparently most natur-
al runway, another man with one of the
flee test of the saddle horses takes his sta
ton. The work of the most skilled man
of the three then begins. Mounted upon
the picked horse of the lot, with pair
of field glasses, "A water bag and a sup
ply of food, he swings away in the earli-
est dawn on an easy lope. 1t may be
ten or twenty miles before his keen eyes,
aided by the glasses with which he
sweeps the rolling PLAIN, detect "A graz
ing band of horses. He approaches
them by the easiest course which will
permit conceaiment as long as possible,
and then, within Il few hundred yards,
he da,hes into sight and the sport is be-
gun.
The aflrghted animals stand for an
instant, the morning breeze tanning
their luXuriant names and tails. They
snort in alarm, turn and trot of, at fist,
and then, as it is apparent this strange
creature is pursuing, break into rum.
1t is now that the race is both TO the
swift and enduring. The trained horse
a. iah hn il ri
part of the work, and he does it intelli-
gently. With head we'll down, swing
Ing out ON a long, swift lope, he follows
the fleeing band. They run madly, be
coming more and more atlrighted rs they
perceive that they are indeed pursued.
The first wild burst carries them far in
advance, but not out of sight. BY dcX-
ferrous engineering the rider and horse
behind shorten the distance as much as
possible. The band ahead are to be kept
on the move.
Mile after mile is rapidly covered.
The sun comes up hot and scorching in
the clOudess sky. But there no stop for
"A restful Craze. no opportunity for Il
drink from a chance stream. The fright
of the wild horse has grown into veri
table terror. They throw bits of foam
from their mouths. They are worried
half crazed by this merciless, unrelent-
ing pursuit. But the man behind ha 5
rested his horse at every opportunl-
ty. Whenever there was chance he
has let his faithful animal nibble at the
succulent grass, and drink from any Int
tie spring or stream that appears on the
way. Ridden though he is, the tough
and experienced plains pony is fresier
than the fleeting equnes ahead. They
now show signs of the greatest pertur-
baton. Their stomachs are empty,
their wind Is blown, their tongues are
dry. But fear makes them half con-
scious of those sutlerings, although they
are gradually wearing under them. At
length. when they have been gone forty