Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1896-02-10
THE FIELD OF ADVENTURE.
THRILLING INCIDENTS AND OAR
ING DEEDS ON LAND AND SEA.

Ihe Battle of the rses-NIinister
and Madman-Rats Attack Chill
dren--A Three-Year- Old Hero.
r UST at sundown, and while we
were at supper, drove of wild
~ horses numbering eighty eight
suddenly emerged from Thatch-
er's Pass and deployed on the level
ground of the valley. They had made
use of the pass to cross from Climax
Valley, where grass and water might
have failed them, or horse hunters had
appear ed to give them fright. They
emerged from the pass in single file,
led by spotted stallion whose mane
reached almost to his knees, and
whose tail touched the ground when
he was at rest. He wasn't as hand
some as some of the drove leaders to
be met with in tho days of the wild
horse, but he was yet king among
horses. OF the remainder of the herd
about thirty were fine animals. The
others would hardly be worth the
catching. Three or four were recog-
nized 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 with
in quarter of mile. We had sew
enty-tive horses at the lariat pins, and
for half an hour we had all we could
do to prevent u stampede. The wild
horses We're 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 before our cav
airy horses calmed down iu the slight.
est. Every animal seemed enraged at
the sight of the free herd, and the
captains kentucky stallion acted as if
possessed by a fiend. He had been
doubly fastened at the beginning OF
the excitement, and later on this
proved 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 lashed out with his heels till
no one dared approach him. All night
long he stood on his feet paving and
snorting, and the camp sentinels re-
ported the wild horses as hanging
about within half mile of us.
Daylight had come, and the senti-
nels Of the night were coming into
camp, when the will horses rushed in
to view mile below us. On the in
stant we discovered them, and while
four-ffths of the men were yet under
their blankets, the captains horse ut
tered scream which must have been
taken as 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 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
lying crippled on the grass as thoy
passed. The prairie drove retreated
up the valley half mile and then
wheeled about in single line. When
our drove halted and turned there was
distance of three-quarters of mile
between the combatants. We were
ordered to fall in, with view of ad-
vancing upon the wild horses and
driving them off, but before we had
gotten into line it was too late.
The sight was wonderful one. The
two leaders advanced as if they meant
to decide the issue by fight between
them, but when within forty yards of
each other they wheeled and returned
to their respective lines. Then we wit
messed something which only cavalry
man will credit. Our horses fell into
double line and dressed to the right as
perfectly as if a trooper had occupied
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 twenty feet. The line
of wild horses bent and wavered, but
did not break until struck. 1t was
like striking q drumhead with sledge.
hammer. / believe that fully forty
horses went down under the shock,
but all except four were speedily on
their feet again. From this on it was
melee, the whole drove circling
around, and each horse biting and
kicking and displaying such ferocity
Gs to astonish us. The mob fought
past us down the valley and back, and
right in front OF the camp the climax
came. The battle had been raging
half an hour, when the spotted stall
lion hobbled out of it ON three legs
and bleeding from half adozen wounds,
aud that seemed to take the pluck out
of his followers. Some ran up the val
ley and some down, but of the eighty
| eight only fifty-Seyan got aWay When