The Canton times. (Canton, Miss.) 1893-1906, 1895-09-20
AN INDIAN BOYS PONY.


~~A~ 49, <AsbDhuPb ~ hIuo bn0 VIII AHImAy
NJ . Buffalo Hunt.
Thus led by those dedicated to re-
ligious service, the tribe leaves It's vii.
lage, the people by families dropping
into line--men, we'll mounted, bearing
their weapons ready for use; women.
in gala dress, riding their decorated
ponies, older ones leading the pack
horses; little children in twos and
threes upon the backs of steady nags,
or snugly slowed away in the swing
ing pouch between the tent-poles; and
the dogs trotting complacently every
where Here and there along the line
OF this cavalcade is a lad being initiated
into individual responsibility. He has
been upon the hunt before, as one of
the family, but this is the first step to-
ward going independently uncared for
as child. The father has lassoed a
wild horse, saddled and bridled him,
and now bids his son mount the ami
NAL The boy hangs back; the colt
derry creature, and already FESTIVE
under restraint. The father tells his
SON that the horse shall be his own
when he has conquered it, but the lad
does not move. The lookers-on are
smiling, and the cavalcade does not
wait Get up" says the father.
The boy slowly advances, and the colt
quickly recedes; but the boy, grasping
his name, swings himself into the sad
die. The father let's go, and so does
the colt-rears, jumps, wriggles, humps
his back like an infatuated cat stands
on his fore legs and kicks at his own
tail, paws the air and stamps the
earth, but the boy clings to him until
with sudden jerk the saddle-girth is
broken, and he is landed over the head
of the excited creature, which runs for
dear life and liberty. Brought back,
protesting by twists and shakes of his
head, he is again mounted, and again
frees himself.
After two or three repetitions of this
sort of thing, the boy becomes angry,
and the mother grows anxious. She
runs to her son as he is scrambling up
from the ground, feels him all over
and moves his legs and arms to see If
he is hurt. He is impatient at the de-
lay; he is going. to master that pony
now or die for it. This time he stays
on. In vain the animal lashes himself
into foam and fury; the boy sticks to
him like the shirt of Nessus. and the
father at last leads the indivisible pair
between the tent-poles which trail be-
hind a sophisticated family horse,
and there, fenced in, they journey all
day, trying to get used to each other
The pony does not see his way out OF
the poles, and is forced to keep up
with the procession.
At the first halt strife is renewed.
The pony jumps over nest of chill.
dren slung between tent-poles and
rouses the ire of the dogs. With them
at his heels, and the boy on his back,
he is an object of terror as we'll as of
mirth to the camp. He goes where he
likes. All the boy can do is to hold
on; but hold on he does, until at night
fall he dismounts without the aid OF
the pony. The animal recognizes this
as defeat, and the struggle is over.
An admiring uncle presents the boy
with whip, the handle of which,
decorated in porcupine'quill work, is
terminated by a tassel of elk teeth;
and thenceforth he rides his pony with
the pride of conqueror, while the
pony himself prances along as if he
too were proud of his own part of the
performance. Alice G. Fletcher, in
Century.