The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-03-01
A BATTLE OF HORSES.
A FIERCE FIGHT BETWEEN ARMY
STEEDS AND WILD ANIMALS.
Equine Passions That Became Fiondish
When Fully Observation-Disclosures Cavalry
stseds That srsw~d the Results Of Their
Military Training.

Just at shutdown, and while we were
Mt supper, drove of wild horses num-
tering SO suddenly emerged from
Tnatcher's pass and deployed on the lev
ell 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 hunt
ers had appeared to give them fright.
They emerged from the pass in single
file, led by spotted stallion whose
name reached almost 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 king among horses. or
the remainder of the herd about 30
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 i'm
migrant train.
When clear of the pass, they formed in
line and advanced upon us to within
quarter of mile. We had 20 horses at
the lariat pins, and for half an hour we
had all we could do to prevent 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 tenn
per 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 animal seemed en-
ragged at the sight of the free herd, and
the captains Kentucky stallion acted as
if possessed by fiend. He had been
doubly fastened at the beginning of the
excitement, and later on this proved a
fortunate thing. He made the most tre-
mendous efforts to get free, and when
at length he realized the futility of fur
ther 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 sen
| tinels 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
mile below us. On the instant we
discovered them, and while four fifths
of the men were yet under their blank
cts the captains horse uttered scream
which must have been taken as sig
nal 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 lib
erty. Some pulled up the pins, some
! worked their heads clear Of the straps,
and away went the whole drove dowr
the valley. 1t was not stampede, a:
wc naturally feared. Even had our ami
mails desired to join the ranks of the
free they would have been rebuffed
Our horses were punched, and in sol
id bunch they drove right through TIT
lines Of the wild horses and left four O
them lying crippled OH the grass as they
passed. The prairie drove retreated NJ
the valley half mile and then wheel
ed about in single line. When ou
drove halted and turned, there was
distance Of three quarters of mile be
tween the combatants. We were ordered
to fall in, with view Of advancing up
on the wild horses and driving them off
but before we had gotten into line il
was too late.
The sight was wonderful one. Th
two leaders advanced as If they mean
to decide the issue by fight. between
them, but when within 40 yards of eacl
other they wheeled and returned Z
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 a
perfectly as if trooper had occupie'
each saddle, and while we looked tn
lines suddenly moved forward on
charge. When they swept past us. tn
alignment was absolutely perfect, wit
the captains horse on the right an
leading by about 20 feet. The line @
wild horses bent and wavered, but di
not break until struck 1t was like strik
ing q drumhead with a sledge hammer
believe that fully 40 horses wen
down under the shock, but all exceT
four were speedily on their feet again
From this on it was a melee, the Who'll
drove circling around, and each hors
biting and kicking and displaying sue
ferocity as to astonish us. The mo
fought past us down the valley an
back, and right in front of the camp tn
climax came. The battle had been rae
ing half an hour, when the spotted sta
lion hobbled out of it on three legs an
bleeding from half dozen wounds
and that seemed to take the pluck OF
of his followers. Some ran mp the va
lev and some down, but OF the IS onl
81 got away. When the hottest OF
was over, we dashed in and secured
horse here and there, and in this MAJ
ner we finally got hold of the last ont
| which was the captains
: OF the as only had escaped SEC
D free. Every one Of the others had bee
! bitten and kicked, and IL of them wer
SO crippled as to be worthless. In a
E most every instance our horses had kic'
. ed off both hind shoes, and in son