The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-02-19
END OF THE WILD HORSE.
Fencing Big Texls Pastures Has GREATLY
Reaucsd the Herd
Galveston NeMs.l

The wild horses which used to roam
the Texas prairies are about all gone
asked an old resident what had he.
come OF them and he told me that ONLY
Very few remained, and that thew
We're in the large pastures. and that
they We're being killed as often as a
Snot could be had at them. i asked
iilhl the reason for this destruction. and
ne SdIu that they We're worthless in
me IfSt place, and in the second thew
stole other horses which We're good and
carried chem off with them He in
formed me also that of all the wild ami
mans morse or mule which had for
merry been under the dominion of man
was me widest when. once it became a
p'tI OF a Wild herd. The stations of
the Wild herd We're always ambitious
TO keep their bunch" filled. and would
steal mare or horse, or even a. mule
from the settlements or COW ranches
Mneh the occasion presented itself.
w men once tame horse or a mule got
with wild herd, he became the wild
EST ana most cunning of them all. As
the wire fences went IN the territory
OF the wild horse contracted. Finally
an that remained were in the large
pastures.
l was told that before the pastIra
came 1t was the custom to walk down"
the wild herds and reduce them to SER
Yitude, One man l met here told me
now THIS walking DOWN was done.
He said that the wild herd which one
was determined to capture always had
a certain range. This range was known
from men who secuted on the prairies.
tof instance, one man may have seen
the BUNCH for that is what the herd
IS called, up near some particular point
in the northwest OF the Panhandle. An
other ranger may have seen the same
bunch fifty 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 men
toned. -Four or five men would enter
the expedition to walk down the
punch A man would be stationed
every twenty or thirty miles along the
range route, and then the bunch would
be started. For the first day the wild
horses would scamper off, throwing
their names and tails to the breeze,
making a sight that would whet the
desire of those pursuing them to cap
ture them. for there is nothing pref
tier in the world than a troop of wild
horses at a distance They look per-
lection when they throw up their heads
ana snlit the wind and then scamper
away. l have seen one or two bunch
es myself The man who starts them
on their trips follows them for a dav
on pony taking his time. His piace
is taken by the second man about
nighttall, presuming that the bunch
was started in the morning. The sec
ond 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 we'll as during the day. on
the morning, when the third man takes
the tran, the stallion, or master of the
punch' IS behind the 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 y
straight line, each following the other,
tired then 'eiS
1hey are allowed no time to eat or
drink. The pursuer, knowing that taey
are tlrlhg forces them, and thus the
chase continues for about five DAYS.
WHeh lhe whole herd is so tired that
it is easily taken. 'ii'''
But so said my informant whom tho
work is done and every horse taken
the pursuers are always Unanimous in
thelr verdict that the game was nor
Woith the labor expended for the
Horses taken are a measly set, and
never good for anything.
'Creaslng' means shooting the ami
mai lust beneath the name, not low
enough to break the neck, and VET low
enough so that shock sufficient to
prlng down the animal win be inflicted
IL requires the best markmansbin 70
90 this, and as the distance AT whicb
the shooting must be done is usualI,,
great very few animals have been ta-