The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-07-29
MUSTANGS AND BUFFALO.
EX-CoWPUNCHER TELLS OF EMIL
ARATING SPORT.


Relays Are Able to Run Them
Down and Corral Them-A WIG
Ride, single Handed. After Herd.
Raising BuGaIO Calves Lucrn-
tive Occupation.
From the Philadelphia Times.
The far West is fast losing some of its
romantic attractions, among which are
the wild horses or mustangs, though a
few small bands are stin to be found in
the extreme northern part OF Texas. The
mode of capturing these freedom wander
ers of the prairie is very odd, yet it is the
only practicable way, and one Of the most
interesting occupations the fertile West
affords.
Each mustang stallion has his band of
mares. which he jealousy herds, never
losing one unless conquered In battle by
another stallion of superior power, though
as a rule each band sticks 20 It's own
range. In Northern Texas, No Mans
Land and Southwestern Kansas there
were, few years ago, many small bands
of these mustangs. They Were nearly al
ways to be found on the "hats," as the
main streams, and between the heads of
the small streams, emptying into the main
rivers, are called. The flats" lying be
tween Beaver river, of No Mans Land
and the Canadian river of Northern Tex
as, are about 700 miles in length and thirty
mics wide.
When in the center of this hat the coun-
try seems TO be dead level and the sky
and earth appear to meet as on the ocean.
Grass grows mXurlantly ana there are
large natural depTesSiOns in the ground
which fill with rain water during the rainy
season. These are the favoritc haunts of
the mustang, winter and summer, with no
other shelter than the sky, not even Tree
for shade or shelter from the storms
Here they can see their only enemy TO be
feared, a man on a horse, when he is miles
away, and so cautious and wary are they
that a rider can tell the moment they see
him if the animals he sees are ranch
horses, or cattle, or mustangs for the
heads of the wild horses are held high at
sight Of danger, and as soon as they are
certain they are being approached off the
whole band goes, running close together
and making a wide circle good for several
miles before they return.
The stallion invariably stays behind the
band and drives them as they fly from
supposed danger, forcing the laggard 10
greater efforts by the free use of his teeth
Each band locates on a range of country
of a few miles in length and breadth, over
which they roam and rarely ever leave,
unless badly frightened They have Two or
three places at which they regularly wa
ter, and when any one desires TO capture
band they take a camping outfit two or
three riders, eight or ten saddle horses,
and camp within two or three miles of
where the mustangs come to water. AT the
first approach of the rider The horses turn
and are off at sight of the Strengthening
object of a man on horse. The pursuer
stin moves lesurely after them, his object
being only 10 keep IN si-ht of them and
keep them moving. After ten or twelve
hours of following they wiz generally cir
Gle to their starting point and if the might
is bright d fresh man and horse relieves
the man who has followed them so long,
and be follows them all night They can
be driven in any one direction; The rider
can only follow, and this plan is followed
for week or ten days, at the end of which
time they wal allow the horseman to get
within a few hundred feet Of them. They
can then be driven in any direction, and
footsore from the harsh buffalo grass
wearing their hoofs down, and half dead
from hunger and thrst-f0r the pursuer
don't allow them much chance to eat or
drink-they are driven 10 the mouth Of a
gulch having steep side banks, at the up
per end Of which The "mustanger' has a
corral, previously prepared, as natural
looking as possible.
INTO nc! these they are arlVeh' thouSh IT -
az , iiIiles erueiiy necessary 20 Shoot lhe
sIdlilon' "nich scents oaneer ana wal not
a i nus pdnu 10 enter me corrai. buI
oHce lHslue' Vney are Io'eu' thrown ana
d PIecS OF cIiail apou. d loot ioils - uea
70 one loieAes oI 1he ieauerS OF the pdho.
rms Ehdln ooes NOV interfere win the'r
WalhinB' put snou'u iHeS attempt 70 run
y strikes the o'hef lore-es ana soon mats
VnSIh'
1heh, oeIore they are huch rested' they
are dIlVeh TO 'he heWiy seltied country
tHe euse Oh the lronteI' ana sou TO the
sett@Is' LOT the FaIlchhsf n having qua rev
FENCES ana pelng compelled TO allow his
saadie horses the freedom OF the range
Ihuch OF me liine' VIII not puy Wa
morse. IL re dld' the mustang would soon
lead some OF his saddle horses Off to Join
ms oid companions, Tor WIG horse that
mas reached maturity rdreiy ever forgets
MS Ola, Tree me- ana snow OF one tnAt
was dIlVen on stase sllle TWO years Wnicn /
maze her escape ana joined band OF mus |