The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-07-15

! The hardy little NcZ Pcrce horse some
! times plcd or calico in color some times
! blue, and sometimes back as coal, and
! always beautiful, IS quite well known IN
| Il way, out few people, i fancy, know
! what remarkable courage and sagacity
/ lie has. In lo61 ana 1~,-} / was engaged
! IN carrying gOld dust ont OF the Idaho
/ mountains. one day when descending ID
| steep tran on al dcu,ely wooded mountain
| side, / found tlc trail blocked by "a tree
| that seemed 10 uaGe been suddenly blown
! down 10y the wind and Ii newly opened
! tran leading of 10 the left. My NeH
! Perce pony stopped. threw back ms ears
! ana almost sat down ou his launches ass
! melcueSsly drove my spurs into his
! TANKS. We We're often cruel in those
! hard swift rides. for time was precious
! ana peril waited Ou every moment spent
| between stations. " a. always dashed ON
! at hdlQ GdIIul, The load or gold dust i'm
| the "catenas' hanging down on either
side OF the saddle bOW, the reins in the
rlSht hand and cooked pistol in the left.
1 spurred until the great Spanish spurs
were streaming with blood from the pO-
nys hanks, but stil he would not bulge
an incn IN the newly cleared trail. AT
last, gathering up all his strength, he
poised in the afr and then plunged head
long on down the nil over the fallen
tree. i'm The leap my pistol was shaken
from my hand, and while ] was draw
ing another from my "catenas' there
came rain OF lead from 4 company Of
robbers lying ln ambush. But the poor
pony kept me ia my seat. faced about for
a. second. as If TO give me a chance 10
d fend myself, and then plunged on down
the mountain two miles to the ferry.
There on the edse of the river he fell
dead from bullet wound that must have
meant death from the first, for his nos
trils We're streaming with blood "a the
way down the mountain.
When the Indian war swept the Nez
Perez country the Indians gathered about
1000 horses into a valley that frOntcl on
the steep bluffs Of the Columbia river:
ll rt.f
tdlns at their back, prepared 10 make
their last desperate stand. I'm the bait
t!e that followed they We're defeated and
the small fraction of them that remained
unkilled put 10 flight. The horses. shut
ln by the steep mountains on one side.
and the steep river bluffs on the ether,
had 10 be left behind
When the battle had closed the soldiers
OF the volunteers G0r only q part We're
regulars made a rush for The horses.
But they could not lay hands on one OF
them or approach them. Their splendid
heads. with great names, tossed and
tumbled, We're in the air, and they went
round ana round i'm circle I'm the pref
~, pent-in valley, and along the edge Of
the sheer bluff Of the river
And now for the first time IL was n0tic-
ed that they were under boy hcrIor.
The boy was unarmed, entirely naked.
ana as red as copper. he rode q black
stallion with neck Ike a bulls. ana
literally mantled and clothed with name
The boy had no bride. but WOve his
hands into the name, and thus guided
the horse at Will. at the head OF the herd
Sometimes he laid mis- face down on The
proud neck and buried IL i'm the mass OF
hair, which matched his own in its clos
sy blackness. Hundreds of mon tried IN
stop or stay the herd in fits wild nirht
but tried in vain. The green Grass de-
appeared beneath the strokes OF spurn-
ing feet and dust began 10 rise in clouds
The volunteers dropped on their knees /
here and there around the edge of the
circle and began % fire ar the boy They /
were deadly marksmen and they had no /
care 10 spare either horse or rider. But I
the boy did not seem % want % be spar- /
cd any more than dd the horse. At last T
a bullet struck him IN the face His /
body flew high into the air, then fell and 7.
oiled in the dust.
The horses now divided as they came /
~. Their nOstrils were distcnded at the |
'mell Of blood. and their eyes ablaze AT /
he sight Of their young keeper in the +
lust II seemed as If they truly knew /
and understood all the fearful tragedy Of .
hat day and hour. ON the second rOllnd /
after the boy fell the black leader seemed /
o run sidewise. his eyes fastened 20 /
IFS little dead master until they looked /
rightful from under the black name
ie plunged on around and came 10 the
cry edge Of the beetlng besalt bluff
Then there was the sight as OF a soul
ured image OF a horse poised I'm mid-air /
nd mad. wild cry such as q horse
makes but once, 2 cry indescrhahle. that
He'd the valley. Men looked away, and
'hcn they looked back the black statue
'as gone. Then. faithful 10 the leader.
'ver the bluff into the foamng white
liver went another horse. And then ten
wontY, fifty five hundred the whole
I've thousand. Not one Of all the herd
'as left 10 the invading victors: and the
ire2m was literally choked with the