Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1896-01-10
W'ashingtpn Staudara
4 BATTLE OF HORSES.
A FIERCE FIGHT BETWEEN ARMY
STEEDS AND WILD ANIMALS.

Equine Passions That Became
Ficndish When Fully Aroused
Riderlc.s Cavalry Stceds That
Showed the Results of Their 1Iili-
tary Training.
Just at shutdown, and while we
were at supper, "a drove of wild
horses numbering SIS suddenly
emerged from Thatchers pass ard
deployed on the level ground of
the valley. Whey had made use
of the pass to cross from Climax
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 a spotted
stallion whose name reached al
most to his knees and whose tail
touched 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 a king
among horses. Of the remainder
of the herd about 80 were fine
animals. The others would hardly
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 immigrant
train.
When clear of the pass, they
formed in line and advanced upon
us to within a quarter of a mile.
We had Is horses at the lariat
pins, and for half an hour we had
all we could do to prevent a STAN
pede. The wild horses were
finally 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
to shoot him. 1t was an hour be-
fore our cavalry horses Gained
down in the slightest. Every ami
NAL seemed enraged at the sight
of the free herd, and the captains
Kentucky stallion acted as if pos.
sessed by a fiend. He had been
doubly fastened at the beginning
of the excitement, and later on
this proved a fortunate thing.
He made the most tremendous
efforts to get free, and when at
length he realized 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
and snorting, and the camp senti-
nels reported the wild horses as
hanging about within half a mile
of us.
Daylight had come, and the SEN
tinels 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-6fths of the men
were yet under their blankets, the
captains 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.
sou,e pulled up the pins, some
worked their heads clear of the
straps, and away went the whole
drove down the valley. 1t was
not a stampede, as we naturally
feared. Even had our animals de
sired to join the ranks of the free
they would have been rebuffed
Our horses were punched, and in {
solid bunch they drove righ
through the lines of the wild horse,
and left four of them lying crippled
on the grass as they passed. Th'
prairie drove retreated up the val
ley half mile and then wheeled
about in single line. When GU
drove halted and turned, there wa
q distance of three quarters of
mile between the combatants. W.
were ordered to fall in, with view
of advancing upon the wild horse
and driving them of, but before W,
had gotten into line it was too late
The sight was a wonderful one
The two leaders advanced as
they meant to decide the issue b,
fight between them, but whe1
within 40 yards of each other the,
wheeled and returned to their re
spective lines. Then we witnessed
something which only a cavalry
man will credit. Our horses fel
into a donh1o limo ond dro,,oJ T.