The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1895-12-26
DkTfLE or THE HORSES.

-I ~ -; -. - a :. IN
BATTLE or THE HORSES. ~ "
A Dand 81 the villa Ani.alss enlarged 3
: sqs.droa Of Ariitay stssds. ss..5,
Just at shutdown, and while we were
ut supper, drove Of wild horses NUM-
bering So suddenly emerged from
Thatcher's pass and deployed on the
level ground of the valley. They had
made use of the pass to cross from Gil
max valley, where grass and water
might have failed them, or horse hunt
ers had appeared to give them q fright.
They emerged from the pass in single
file, led by q spotted stallion whose
name reached almost to his knees, and
whose tail touched the ground when
he was at rest. He wasn't as handsome
us some of the drove leaders to be met
with in the days of wild horses, but he
was yet king among horses. OF the
remainder of the herd about 30 were
fine animals: The others would hard
~ be worth the catching Three or
four were recognized as cavalry horses
abandoned on the march, and twice that
number had collar marks to prove that
they had stampeded from some immi-
grant train. ...,.
When clear of the pass they formed
in line and advanced upon us to within
a quarter of mile. We had Is horses
at the lariat pins, and for half an hour
we had all we could do to prevent a
stampede. The wild horses were final
ly driven down the valley by two
mounted men, but they did not seem
to have much fear of us. On the con-
trary, the leader of the drove exhibit
ed such temper that the men feared
they would have to shoot him. 1t was
on hour before our cavalry horses
Gained down in the slightest. Every
animal seemed enraged at the sight of
the free herd, and the captains Ken
lucky stallion acted as if possessed by
Il fiend. He had been doubly fastened
at the beginning of the excitement, and
later on this proved fortunate thing.
He made the most tremendous effort
to get free, and when ut length he rea-
lized the futility of further efforts in
that direction he uttered shrill screams
of rage and dashed out with his heels
till no one dared approach him. All
night long he stood on his feet paving
ind snorting, and the camp ssntinels
reported the wild horses as Ringing
about within half a mile of us.
Daylight had come, and the sentirels
of the night were coming into camp,
when the wild horses rushed into view
mile below, us. On the: instant we
discovered them, and while four.fifths
Of the men were still under their
blankets, the captains horse uttered q
scream which must have been taken as
u signal. He reared up, shook his
head like an angry lion, and freed him
self of his halter. In the same instant
every other horse in the command Sc
cured his liberty; some pulled up the
pins, some worked their heads clear of
the straps, and away went the whole
drove down the valley. It was not q
stampede, as we naturally feared.
Even had our animals desired to Join
the ranks of the free they would have
been rebuffed. Our horses were
punched, and in solid bunch they
drove right through the lines of the
wild horses and left four of them ~
ing crippled ON. the grass as they
passed. The prairie drove retreated up
the valley half mile and then wheeled
about in a single line. When our
drove halted and turned there was q
distance of three-quarters of mile
between the combatants. We were or
dered to fall in, with view o.. ad-
vancing upon the wild horses and driv-
Jug them off. But before we had got
ten into line it was too late.
The sight was q wonderful one. The
two leaders advanced as if they meant
to decide the Issue by a fight between
them, but when within 40 yards Of
each other they wheeled and returned
to their respective lines. Then we
witnessed something which only
cavalryman will credit. Our horses
fell into double line and dressed to the
right as perfectly as if a trooper had oc-
cupied each saddle, and while we looked
the lines suddenly moved forward on
a charge. When they swept past us
the alignment was absolutely perfect,
with the captains horse on the right
and leading by about 20 feet. The line
of wild horses bent and wavered, but
did not break until struck. 1t was like
striking drumhead with sledge-ham-
mer. believe that fully 40 horses
went down under the shock, but all
except four were speedily on their feet
again. From this on it was a melee.
the whole drove circling around, and
each horse biting and kicking and dis
playing such ferocity as to astonish us.
The mob fought past us down the val
ley and back, and right in front of the
camp the climax came. The battle
had been raging half an hour, when the
spotted stallion hobbled out of it ON
three legs and bleeding from half
dozen wounds, ard that seemed to take
the pluck out of his followers. Some
ran up the valley and some down, but
of the SO only 81 got away. When the
hottest IF II was over, xyo 1.,eho r1 -, nu1