Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-06-17

they and their mothers driven outside of
the circle. back to the range. Next came
the cutting out Of the three, fou and
five-year-old geldings for sale to buyers,
who would drive them to akota. These
We're kept in the corral until the corral
was full, then the bunch would be started
out, closely herded night and day by the
horse wranglers.
1T was an exciting time when 500 or
600 wild geldings were let out of the cor
raj. The men would saddle their very
best horses and range themselves on
either side of the corral. The gate of the
corral was then opened. Out wOuld come
the horses. wild with fright and eager for
liberty. All the wranglers could do was
to ride at their sides and behind them,
keeping the herd headed in the desired di-
rection. There is nothing prettier on
earth than a great band Of horses in full
fight. Their hoof-beats on the prairie
sound like rolling thunder and the earth
shakes when they pass. At the first burst
they go like the wind and it takes a gooG
rider and a good horse to keep anywhere
near them. Their names and tails are so
long their eyes are bright and keen and
they are accustomed to racing across the
broker country. They run for several
hours after leaving the corral. Then
they quiet down and the horse herders
ride around them in a circle, holding them
until another bunch comes from the cor
raj the next day.
Sometimes 1000 of these wild geldings
would be gathered together before the
start is made for Dakota and the herders
had their hands full day and night. 1t was
all excitement, for men were roping and
riding wild horses all the time to take the
places of those which were played out on
the drive. Behind the herd followed the
four-horse grub-wagon, with the cook
and ami outfit, but meals were mighty
irregular and a man was lucky II lie
found his bed at night.
after a few days driving the horses
would become qu!at and the work was
easier, and by the time the herd had
reached Devils Lake, n. D., some of the
widest were almost tame. There used to
be a great deal of trouble about stealing
horses on these drives. for if the herd
happened across a little bunch Of horses
on the prairie the bunch was very apt to
be absorbed by the drive and the ranchar
would never hear of it again. Some
ranchers used to go to the roundup just
to see that none of their horses were
driven away. and others would follow the
drive through their own ranges to keep
their horses from joining the emigration
to Dakota. Sometimes a few horse own-
ers would combine and hire a man just
to follow these drives and bring back
stolen stock. There used to be a killing
once IN q WTlle over SOME 90 cay llSe, Dul
not very often. They weren't worth
enough.
''These drives are not made nowadays.
because there is no market for this kind
of horses anywhere. In some parts of the
Northwest they not even brand the colts.
A herd Of &C, 900 head of these horses were
sold in Oregon a few years ago for 2 10000,
or 81 a head. They are disappearing, how
ever. because the ranchers had to inn
prove the stock to make it pay to care fer
it, and the average range horse of today
is from 200 to 500 pounds heavier than the
range horse of y or Is years ago."