Evening star., 1899-01-28
WILD HORSES DYING OUT
Fencing Big Texas Pastures Has Greatly
Reduced the Herds.
Not Such Fine Steeds as They Have
Been Described-HOw They
Are Hunted Down.

| From the Galveston News.
The wild horses which used to roam the
| Texas prairies are about all gona. l asked
| an cid resident what had become of them
and he told me that only very few re-
| manned. and that they were in the large
| pastures, and that they were being killed
| as often shot could be had at them. l
| asked him the reason for this destruction,
| and he said that they were worthless, in
| the first place, and in the second they stole
| other horses which We're good and carried
| them off with them. He informed me also
| that of all the wild animals a horse or
| mule which had formerly been under the
dominion of man was the widest when
| once it became a part of a wild hard The
stations of the wild herd were always am
| bilious to keep their bunch filled. and
would steal a mare or horse, or even Il
mule. from the settlements or cow ranches
when the occasion presented itself When
once tame horse or a mule got with a
wild herd, he became the widest and most
cunning of them all. AS the wire fences
| went up the territory of the wild horse
contracted. Finally all that remained We're
, in the large pastures.
l was told that before the pastures came
| it was the custom to walk down" the
| wild herds and reduce them to servitude
| One man 1 met here told me how this
walking down. was done. He said that
| the wild herd which one was determined
| to capture always had certain RANGE
| This range was known from men who
secuted on the prairies. For 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. Another ranger may have seen
the same bunch fifty miles southeast
OF where the first man saw it. Others 1aay
nave 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 expedi-
| ton to walk down the bunch" a 1lan
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 ,rettier
in the world than troop of wild horses
at distance. They look perfection when
they throw up their heads and sniff the
wind and then scamper away. l have seen
one or two punches myself. The man who
starts them on their trips follows them
for day on pony, taking his time His
place is taken by the second man about
nightfah, presuming that the bunch was
started in the morning. The second man
follows them al night, for the hunt is
! made when there Is full moon. so that
the bunch can be tracked at night as well
as during the day. On the morning when
the third man takes the trail, the stallion
or master of the bunch. Is behind the herd
pilIiS ana h!cKlHS the lagSarrS IN 1t. The
third day, even the evening of the sec
ond day. finds the bunch strung out in d
straight line, each following the other. in
Indian file. They are getting very tired
then.
They are allowed no time to eat or drink
The pursuer, knowing that they are tic-
ing. forces them, and thus the chase CON
tiiiues for about five days, VIII IN the whole
nerd is so tired that 1t is easily taken.
But, so said my informant, when the
work is done and every horse taken the
purSuers ara always UNANIMOUS in their
verdict that the game was not worth the
labor expended, for the horses taken are
measiy set, and never good for any
thing.
"Creasins' means shooting the animal
just beneath the name not low enough 10
break the neck, and yet low enough so
that a shock sufficient to bring down the
animal Will BE- inflicted. 1t requires the
pest craftsmanship to do this. and as the
alstahce at which the shooting must be
uohe is usually great, very few animals
| nave been taken in this way