The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-11-17
THE BATTLE OF THE HORSES.
4 Band of the wild Animals Charged
by II squadron of Army Stccds.


From the Detroit Free Press
Just at shutdown, and while we were at
supper, a drove of wild horses number
ing lightweight suddenly emerged from
Thatchers 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 hunters had
appeared to give them a fright They
emerged from the pass in single file, led
by spotted stallion whose name reached
almost to his knees, and whose tail touch
ed the ground when he was at rest. He
wasn't as handsome as some of the drove
leaders to be met with in the days of the
wild horse, but he was yet king among
horses. OF the remainder of the herd
others would hardly be worth the catch
ing. 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 immigrant train.
When clear of the pass they formed in
line and advanced upon us to within
quarter of mile. We had seventy-five
horses at the lariat pins, and for half an
hour We had all we could do to prevent
a stampede. The wild horses We're fin
ally driven down the valley by two
mounted men, but they did not seem to
have much fear of us on the contrary,
the leader of the drove exhibited such
temper that the men feared they would
have 10 shoot him, 1t was an hour be-
fore our cavalry horses calmed down in
the slightest. Every animal seemed en-
ragged at the sight of the free herd, and
the captains Kentucky stallion acted as
T. ssed by a fiend. He had been
t.-. c-tCned at the beginning of the
C.Vi cllt. and later on this proved
l,. ..ua.c thing. He made the most ire
Ht2al,,s efforts to get free, and when
al length he realized the futflity of
further efforts in that direction he utter
ed sllrll screams of rage and dashed out
with his heels till no one dared approach
q fnnf
paving and snorting, and the camp SEN
lnels reported the wild horses as hang
ing about within half mile of us.
Daylight had come, and the sentinels of
the night were coming INTO camp, when
the wild horses rushed into view a mile
below us. on the instant we discovered
them, and while four-fifths of the men
We're yet under their blankets, the cap
tain's horse uttered a scream which must
have been taken as a signal He reared
up, shook his head like an angry lion,
and freed himself of his halter. In the
same instant every other horse in the
command secured his liberty; some pulled
up the pins, some worked their heads
clear of the straps. and away went the
whole drove down the valley. 1t was
not stampede, as we ma turally feared.
Even. had our animals desired to join the
ranks of the free they would have been
rebuned. our horses were punched, and
IN solid bunch they drove right through
the lines of the wild horses and left four
of them lying crippled on the grass as
they passed. The prairie drove retreated
up the valley half a mile and then wheeled
about in a single line. When our drove
balted and turned there was a distance
of three-quarters of a mile between the
combatants. We were ordered to fall in
with a view of advancing upon the wild
horses and driving them off, but before
we had gotten into line it was too late
The sight was a wonderful one. The
two leaders advanced as If they meant
to decide the issue by a fight between
them, but when within forty yards of each
other they wheeled and returned to their
respective lines. Then we witnessed
something which only a cavalryman Will