The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-04
A Few stin Legt-MethOds of CGptur.
ing Them.

AuS
Galveston News
The wild horses which used TO roam the
Texas prairies are about ali gone. l asked
an old resident what had become Of them
and he told me that only very few re-
lures. ana they WV we're being Killed as often
as a shot could be had at them. l asked
him the reason for this destruction and
first place, and in the second they stole
other horses which were good and carried
them of with them. He informed me, also
that of all the wild animals, 8 horse or
mule which had formerly been under the
dominion of man was the widest when
once 1t became a part Of a wild herd. The
stations of the wild herd were always am
bilious to keep their ''burch" filled, and
would steal a mare or nurse, or even
mule, from the settlements or COW ranches
when the occasion presented itself When
once a tame horse or mule got with a wild
herd, he became the widest and most cum
ming of them all. As the wire fences went
up the territory of the wild horse con-
tracted. Finally all that remained were in
the large pastures.
1 was told that before the pastures came
1t was the custom to walk down the
wild herds and reduce them to servitude.
one gentleman l met here told me how
this walking down" was done. He said
that the wild herd which one was deter
mined to capture always had a certain
range. This range was known frcm men
who secuted on the prairies. For instance,
one man may have seen the bunch" for
that is what herd is called. up near some
particular point in the northwest of the
Panhandle. Another ranger may have seen
tie same punch nifty miles southeast of
where the first man saw it. Others may
have seen it along the route between the
two points Thus it would be concluded
that the range was between the two points
mentioned. Four or five men would enter
the expedition to walk down the bunch"
A man would be stationed every twenty or
thirty miles along the range route, and then
day the wild horses would scamper off,
throwing nd IA n n
breeze, making a sight that would Whet
the desire Of those pursuing them to cap
ture them, for there is nothing prettier in
the world than troop of wild horses at
a distance. They look perfection they
throw uD their heads and sniff the wind
and then. scamper away. have seen one
or two punches myself. The man who
starts them on their trip follows them for
q day on pony, taking his time. His
place is taken about nightfall, presuming
that the bunch was started in the morn
ing This second man follows them all
night, for the hunt is made when there
is a full moon, so that the bunch can be
tracked at night as well as during the day
On the morning OF the second day the stall
lion, or master of the bunch, is behind his
herd, biting and kicking the laggards in it.
The third day, or even the evening of the
second day, finds the bunch strung out in
straight line, each following the other in
Indian file They are getting very tired
then.
They were allowed no time to eat or
drink. The pursuer knowing that they are
firing, forces Them and thus the chase con-
tinueS for about five days, when the whole
herd is so tired that it is easily taken with
the rope or lasso or can be driven into
corral. But so said my informant when
the work is done and every horse taken
the purSuerS are always unanimous in their
verdict that the game was not worth the
labor expended, for the horses taken are
measly set and never good for anything.
Here and there pretty one and a good
one may be picked up, but these instances
are rare There are stories about these
horses on the plains something like the
nautical stories about the Flying Dutch
man and the like There was once a white
stallion that ranged. with his bunch from
the panhandle to Colorado. Every effort
was made to run him down and to crease"
him, but all efforts proved unavailing. 1t
was said that he could pace faster than the
best tame horse on the plains could run,
and his herd was exceptionally fast. All
sorts Of stories are told about his swift
ness.
There was a very fine stallion down in
the southwestern part Of the State which
defied all efforts to reduce him to slavery.
DICK Ware, former marshal for the west
this horse, and he had himself made sew
eral efforts to capture him. Finally a man
came along who said he would walk him
animal Tbe man Who arge 5 Sum Ior me
him down started out after him and failed.
But he was not to be beaten by creature
of the desert and so he started out after
him, this time with a gun, determined to
crease" him. In day two he got back
and bore the animals tail. He explained
that he shot too low and killed the animal
When the animal was alive his tail swept
the ground. Ware had it a short time ago
IN his office. 'CreaSing" means shooting
the animal Just beneath the name, not low
enough to break the neck, and yet low
enough that q shock sufficient to bring
down the animal will be inflicted 1t re-
QuireS the best craftsmanship to do this,
and as the distance at which the shooting
must be done is usually great, very few
ANIMALS nave been taken in this way.