The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1900-01-12


noticed that in summer time, when the
ground Is very hot and the deer are
fat and heavy, the same thing often
happens IL you run them down with
horses
THAT was Encinas' story Of the Seri
running power, but the next day
happened to get an exhibition Of it my
self that satisfied me even better. Just
before we were going to bed the major
domo came up and reported that the
verba colorado had come into the
troughs. 1t seems the verba colorado
was a little red mare, the incarnation
Of a devil In the wild range horse. She
had a reputation among all the 5000
head of stock on the ranch. having
been a maverick so long that when she
was finally caught up and branded she
was too wild to be Of any use for ell
Their work or breeding. She had nearly
killed an Indian and a Mexican who
been turned loose again. She never
tame into the ranch except In the dri-
est weather. when all the outlying wa
ter holes had gone dry and she was
forced to steal in at night for drink
from the big tanks in the corral. 1t
had passed into n saying on the Costa
RIGA and other ranches around when a
particularly bad spell Of drought &C.
CURED, that 1t was bad enough to bring
the red mare home.
"Old Encinas told the foreman to
keep the verba penned up for the
night and. then chuckling, rubbed his
dry hands and said we would have
some sport in the morning. Then he
sent a peon off to the Seri rancheria
to see If Pablo was there. While the
messenger was gone he explained to
me that Pablo was one Of the most
noted runners of the tribe. and as the
red mare was fit for nothing but kill
ing anyhow he was going to match her
In sprint race with the Indian.
"When Pablo came up. 1t struck me
that If any man could run down q
broncho horse he probably was the one.
He was feet 4 and weighed about
$50, all bone and whipcord. He was
black as lead idol, and as nearly max
ed as the law allowed. He was bare
footed, too, but the old don explained
to me that none of the Seris ever wore
anything on his feet. which was the
way their trail was always to be dis
tinguished from n Papago's. Encinas
explained to Pablo that he was going
to turn the red mare loose In the morn
In nd hot Dol rf1- hay.
ten feet start and catch her In 300
varas, approximately 300 yards, he
could have her.
Next morning everybody who could
spare the time assembled at the corral.
The wild mare was inside. circling un-
easily and shifting at every corner for
an outlet. Encinas drew n line ten
PAGES from the corral gate and told
Pablo he must let the mare get over
that before he started for her. Then q
vaQuero was sent inside to get the
broncho started and the bars were let
down.
Pablo was waiting just Mt the open
ing, guiltless of any adornment except
a breechclout and big butcher knife
strapped to his hip. 1t would be strain
ing the term to call him a bronze
Adonis or Apollo or any other old
Greek deity. for he wasn't. But such
another human greyhound have new
Pharaoh's kline. he hardly gave prom
Use of the power that was really In
him. Dark as q negro. but with long,
straight hair falling almost to his
and his white teeth gleam-
ing as he occasionally moistened his
lips, he had sinister look like one of
the old Ethiopian strangers out of the
Arabian Nights His powerful neck
and great race horse chest were his
most striking features, and IL 1t had
not been for those and his broad hips,
his wasplike waist and sunken abdo-
men would have made him look almost
delicate.
las the vaquero rode into the corral
the broncho mare started for the open
gate. She SHE'D from the little crowd
outside and swept around the Enclosure
again. Pablo was waiting at the gate,
his foot braced against the post, and
STOPPING forward with his hands on his
knees. every muscle like spring coll
ed up ready TO be released.
1.-The red mare came round again at
n gallop, and. as the vaquero made n
feint at her with his rope, she swerved
and dashed through the gate like q
Futurity winner at the wire. Almost
the instant she flashed by Pablo was
In the dust at her heels, but 1t was q
standing start against a flying one,
and by the time he had got into his
stride she had increased her lead to Is
or 20 feet. She headed straight across
the wide, dusty clearing like a deer
seeking cover, and the Seri at her flank
going her jump for jump. 1t was
race for blood. case of beast against
beast. for the big. black, naked figure
looked like wolf more than a man,
and bounded free like a wolf Mt full
Half way across the clearing he had
closed up the gap again. Then a long
black arm shot out, and in a single
spring he had the mare by the tail.
With q powerful twist he threw her,
and both of them disappeared for
In n cloud Of dust. As 1t clear
ed away we saw the knife flash at her
throat, and when we came up Pablo
was complacently catching the warm
blood In his hand and drinking It,
'The distance was measured, a scant
250 yards. No one held stop watch
on the performance, but l believe it
would have cut considerably under
any existing record."-New York Sun.
Hard to UnderHtnnd.
81 can't understand Hunpkin's Ger
man friend at ALL"
"Why"
Because | don't understand Ger
man. "--Philadelphia North American.
In a dark corner near the west en-
rance Of Winchester cathedral Is a
ioor composed of four pieces of iron
,rill work. which have the distinction
II being the oldest specimens of their
lind In England.
There are over 5000 animals In theiI
london geological gardens -. II