The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1898-12-09
TEXAS WILD HORSES.
BEING DIFFERENTIATED BECAUSE THEY
LEAD ASTRAY TAME ONES.
The Stations Of the Plains Will Steal Marc
or Horse. or Eutice Mule from the Cow
Ranches How They Arc "WaIked Down"

iES S'diiIoHS VI INC fiaiHS VIII Stcai II NiaTc
or Horse. or Eutice Mule from the Cow
Ranches How They Are WALKED Down"
,hc wild horses which used to roam
the TrNa$ pr:lircS arc about all gone.
j asked an old resident what had be-
come of them, writes II correspondent
of the New York Sun. and he told me
that only very few remained, and
they w're in the large pastures, and
they were being killed as often as a
shot could he had at them. l asked
hin the reason for this destruction and
he said that they were worthless in
tn first place. and III the second they
stole other horses which were good
and carried them off with them. He
Informed me also, that of all the wild
animals, horse or mule which had
formerly been under tn. dominion Of
man was the widest VIII III once it be-
came IL part of n wild herd. The stall
lions of the wild herd wcr, always
anxious to keep their bunch
filled. and would steal Il mare or horse
OF even II mule from the settlements
or cow ranches VIII II the occasion pre-
scntcd itself. When once Il tame
'i~' vi iiV' -pl W illl al W NlItl Htlt
he became the widest and most cuii-
ming of them all. As the wire nnccs
went up the territory Of the wild horSr
contracted. Finally all that remained
were in the large pastures.
| was told that before III. pastures
cam" il WAS rhc custom To walk
down" The wild herds and reduce them
To Scrvitudc. One gentleman told me-
how this walking down was donr.
He said that IL wild Ii 'rd which one
was determined to capture always had
certain range. This range was known
from men who secuted on the prairicS.
For instance. one man may have seen
tn, bunch" for that is what Il herd
Is called. up near some particular
point in the northwest OF the panhan.
die. Another range may have seen
the same bunch" fifty miles south
east Of where tn. first man saw it,
Others may have seen it along the
route between the two points. Thus
ii would be concluded that the rang"
was between the two points mention
cd. -Four or five men would enter the
expedition to walk down The bunch.
\ man would he stationed every
tw nty or thirty miles along The rang"
route. and then the ''hunch" would be
started. For the first day the wild
horses would Scampcr off. throwing
their names and tails to the breeze
making Il sight that would VIII t the
desire of those pursuing them to cap
turr them: for there is nothing prctticr
in The world than Il troop of wildhorscS
at IL distance. They look perfection aS
they throw up their Ii ads and sniff
The wind and then Scampcr away. |
have seen one or two lunches myself.
In" man who starts them on thci'
irip follows them for Il day on IL pony,
'nkin" his time. Ills place is takrL
about nightrall. prrSuming that the
bunch was started in tie morning"
This second man follows them hi
night. for til" hunt is made when there
is Il full moon so that the bunch CAR
he tracked ut night as well as during
tn day. ON the morning of the Sr,.-
Ond day. the stallion. or master of
the bunch. IS behind his herd. bitin.
and kicking the la;gardS i'm it, The
third day. or even the evening of the
second day, finds the bunch strung out
in straight line. each following the 9th.
or i'm Indian file. They arc getting very
tired now.
They are allowed no time TO cat OF
drink. The purSucr. knowing that
they are tiring, forces them. and thus !
the chase continues for about five day, !
when the Who'll herd is so tired that il /;
Is easily taken with the rope on lasS) |
or can he driven into Il corral. But. !
50 said my informant. when The work |
Is done and every horse taken The prr-
Su""S are always unanimous i'm th ,ir |
verdict that the game was not worth
the labor expended. for the horses la
Ken are Il mcasly set and never good
for anything. 1Icrt and there pretty
one and good one may he picked up,