The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1899-02-01


prohibitory liquor law to bet ten gall
Ions of whisky with half-rebellious
Indian, altogether shocked the moral
sense of the Saskatchewan. But the
Saskatchewan wanted to see the Pinto
pony run.
The Englishman had explained to the
American that the only way he could
get Grey Wolf to put up his daughter
was to bet the whisky. A Blood Indian
would sell his mother for firewater. and
he knew Grey Wolf. The only thing
would be the bother of getting the
whisky if he lost. "But Pierre stuck to
me the time I had the ruction with
those Stonies in the Peace hills year
ago." the Englishman had said, "and
it is the only chance of doing him
good turn before go down east. Grey
Wolf will never give his daughter to
half-breed Cree interpreter of the
mounted police if he were offered q
thousand ponies. The Cree dash in
Pierre spoils him in the old Blood's
eyes. Pierre wants her, though. and
think she wants him, and, if win this
afternoon, I'll do the paternal bless
ye. my children act, and then try and
make my peace with the major"
Everybody didn't know this. and
when the Englishman went up to the
majors party, the ladies were cool, and
the major became interested in his con-
versation with the Hudson Bay factor,
and he slipped away under cover of the
yells and sounding tom-toms that an
nounced the appearance of the Pinto
the Indian horse.
Che was beauty as she loped PAST in
her slender litheness. An Indian pony?
Yes. But in her complex nature the old
Arab blood of her Spano-Moorish an
cestry had asserted itself and showed
in the brightness of her eye, the poise
of her head, and the grace of her slim
legs. The marks of the Arab could even
be seen in the pieba spots on the sleek
coat that had given her the name Pinto.
And the American felt that the majors
horse would have to run to win.
The course was half mile straight
away, and the two contestants moved off
to the starting point. The Englishman
avoided the crowd, but, even in the dis
lance, riders, horses, and trappings
showed the characteristics of the races
they belonged to. The coal-black horse
of the Englishman looked heavy and
strong contrasted with the almost cat
like amble of the pony. His rider sat
erect in the cavalry saddle like the
trained soldier he was, while the In
dian almost crouched on the bare back
of the mare that he controlled with his
gripping knees and the shaganapp:
thong about her lower jaw.
There was pistol shot, fierce yell
from civilized and savage, and they
were off. The Pinto sprang easily to
the front and seemed for the first few
hundred yards to be increasing the lead
at every stride. The trooper was held
well in hand, and was going magnifi-
Gently. The American knew that the
Englishman was relying on the SUI
perior staying qualities of his half bred
horse over the CRASHED pony. But half
a mile is short course, and at the quar-
ter the Englishman was four lengths
behind. The Pinto did not faIter at the
terrific pace, and the American felt that
the race would be won or lost on the
home stretch. No pony can keep that
pace up on grass alone, he thought, but
she seemed to be doing it. The troop
horse was letting himself out now, and
the space between the two was dimin-
ishing. Goats will tell" muttered the
American, 'but will he have timer"
Gradually the Englishman drew up
until his horses nose was at the pony's
flank. Only hundred yards now! The
game little pony seemed to realize that
it was now or never. The black horse
of the whites was at her quarter, and
the cheers of anticipated victory were
already coming from the white mems
threats. She gathered herself together
for last effort, and as she gained a few
feet there was silence still as death in
the swaying mass of onlookers. Only
so yards, when the stiffness was broken
by a shrill call from the lips of q young
squaw, who thrust herself a little be-
yond the crowd that lined the course as
the galloping horses came up. No one
needed it except the Pinto. II was the
call the pony had never disobeyed, the
call it had known from the days when,
a frolicsome filly, it had been the COM
panion of Grey VOLTS daughter. For
a strange understanding grows up be-
tween the horse that dwells in the tents
of men and its master or mistress And
the Pinto needed not the desire Of VIC
tory or the urging or voice of it's rider,
What caused the pony to bolt was a
subject of animated discussion at
prairie stopping places, around tepee
fires, and in mounted police messrooms
for half a year. People did not stop to
discuss the affair |as the Enplishman