Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1896-05-01
pE UNEVEN RACE:
HE Desperate Run Of 9 Brave
80 ~ California Bronco.
kS Keeps Ahead of . Thoroughbred Race
~ ,horse Until He Falls from Exhaus-
Il. 'n% ton - A Thrilling Nara
tive.

: An exciting story is told by Crom-
rgell sGalpin, in St. Nicholas, of a race
Between a bronco and a big thorough
Bed horse. The former was ridden
~ mere boy, q Californian, who had
Is fle' 3 certain paper in court before
Aooh u order to retain possession OF q
farm. The writer says:
There was still wanting the one
thing that stirs a racer to his utmost
endeayojfl:.s ' Felipe had almost forgot
tel. the horse behind him. Two-eyes
had n6t. He had been on the alert,
horse fashion, with one ear now and
again turned, and increased his speed
as the thoroughbred drew near. Felipe
turned his head with a sick feeling
that in a minute more he would not be
obliged to turn his head to see. One
sidelong glance showed him a bay
horse with his head in the air, his
dainty ears upright and his frothing
mouth wide open. The rider stood in
his stirrnps, leaning over his horses
neck with the reins wound around his
hands. White foam had gathered at
the saddle girth, and sweat dropped
from the horses body as he ran.
Felipe shut his teeth, and turned his
face toward Los Angeles. He did not
need to look long nor to know very
much about horses to see that this one
was true race horse, and the man a
steady and q skillful rider.
And Two-eyes? TWo-eyes heard the
quick hoof-beats, and the "huh-huh,
huh-huh" of horse at speed, and felt
hot breath on his tanks as the thor
pughbred drew alongside.
Not the unmusical cry of Tomas, not
the fierce shrek of the savage who in
the old days rode him-neither beating
with knotted rope, nor cruel stroke Of
sharpest spur-could have gained from
the bronco horse the response he gave
to the challenge Of the thoroughbred.
The big head came down closer to the
ground, the hairy ears were laid back
till the name concealed them, and the
deep lungs labored as, through blazing
nostrils, the horse sucked in the strong
salt breeze.
So far the race had been run over level
ground; but as the riders approached
the city, the country became hilly and
the road rougher.
It was not for nothing that Two-eyes
had spent five wild years in the Sierra
Madres, where the gray wolf and the
mountain lion are always swift and al
ways hungry; nor was it without adj
vantage that Felipe's tomboy sister,
lgnacia, had raced the pinto horse over
this road till it was as familiar to him
as the stableyard at home. TO the
bronco horse, used to the mountains
from colthood, the hilly road appeared
70 be rather relief. He galloped la
boriously up the little hills and rushed
down the opposite sides with speed
that took away his riders breath; he
jumped from hillock to hollow, and
across the little gulches; he lodged the
spots where reedlike grass showed that
the ground was wet and soft; and
whether running or trotting or pro-
crossing by irregular jumps, he went on
his way with scarcely lessened speed.
The thoroughbred had never been al
lowed to run except on a smooth and
level track. He refused to leap the
first gully which crossed the road.
though it was scarcely foot wide.
When Harry made him face it again, he
jumped ten feet farther than was nee
essary, and stopped stock-still upon the
opposite side. Then he bolted side
wise, and ran in the wrong direction;
and Harry felt as if his arms were be-
ing pulled off as he forced his horse to
return to the road.
As for Two-eves, he did what he
could. He was old, as horses years are
counted. He had run many races for
Apache masters who jerked his head
from side to side, and threw him out of
his stride, In their ignorant and fero-
cious efforts to make him go faster. In
all his life there had been but one year
in which his feed was regular and good;
of all the masters he had ever known
this was the only one who had called
upon him for speed, riding with steady
hand and watchful eye and inspiring
voice, sparing him needless pain.
It is bronco nature to respond
heartily to these things, and Two-eyes
tried desperately to keep away from
the Gathering hoofs behind him. His
breath came in gasps; his mouth was
dry, and his sight was dim; his trem-
bling legs grew weak as side by side the
horses raced down the street leading to
the courthouse, now hardly mile
away.
AS in nightmare, Felipe saw the
thoroughbred forge ahead, the bony
head outstretched and down to the
level Of the withers, the dainty ears
laid fat, the crimson nostrlls widely
spread, and the eyes glazing with fierce
The bronco ran on, but unsteadily,
Felipe drew his legs out from under the
rope, and as he did so the bronco's feet
sank in the soft earth where little
ItEeam crossed the street. The horses
courage was greater than his strength.
de plunged forward half a dozen
strides, and fell just at the
)dge of the little stream.
Felipe slid over his horses head into
J patch of tules, and lay, half stunned
mt not hurt, while the thoroughbred
'orD passed out of sight and hearing,
nd the dust his flying feet had raised
Dttlad down upon the quiet street.