The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1900-04-24
with a chain and always 10 something
she could not pull aapart~

that she could o pull aapart
She ruined ten horses, kicked one
mule 10 death and another one so that
we had to kill him. and she tore the
clothes all off of a darby who tried to
feed her one day; but II got TO be an old
story after awhile, and we didn't pay
much attention.
Nobody will ever forget the first time
she was seen In a fight. You'd have
thought she was human, from the sense
she showed. and q fend ~incarnate from
the way she fought.
Our company had been u on a sor-
tie and we were on our way home. every
body giving Jeb and Blazes a wide
berth, for she'd kick and bite every
thing In reach on the road as well as in
b stable, when we came upon a de-
tachment of rebel cavalry between us
and home. They had more men than
we did, but there was only one thing to
do. and that was TO charge-snd we did
it.
/ was abreast of Jeb when we got the
word. and never saw anything made
of flesh and blood do what Blazes did
then. Jeb couldn't hold her any more
than you could hold a cyclone, and she
ran like a streak of lightning. In the 80
or 40 rods between us and the confed-
crates abe got more than two rods
ahead of the rest of us, SO she struck the
line first III bet she covered 80 feet at
every jump. and finally she took an ad-
mighty plunge into the air. and landed
plump on top of a confederate sergeant
and bis horse. knocking them both
down az easily as she would a blade of
grass.
She reared and plunged. struck with
her forefeet, kicked with Der hind ones.
and she used her teeth like a tiger.
Shed grab a rebel horse by the throat
and tear out a chunk of flesh; she'd
seize q man by the leg or the arm. and
pull him out of the saddle and trample
upon him quicker than you could knock
him out with a saber. and every time
she had a chance she'd jump into the air
and land right on top OF horse and
rider. and then bite and tear andistrike
her way through or past the text one
abe met
don't see how Jeb ever stayed on her
back, but be did. aud be came out with
out a scratch. oo. Nobody ever made
fun of Blazes after that brush, but her
greatest fight was her last one.
We'd been out on a scouting and for
aging expedition and were or our way
back when we had that set-to. There
were only ten of us. and we thought we
had got past the point where we were
likely to fall in with any rebs. when
VIC saw a full company Of confederate
cavalry come over the top of a knoll
not a quarter of a mile away.
There was no use for us TO try to run.
for we would only have run into their
lines. and there wasn't a man there
who wanted to surrender, so we yelled
back and started 10 meet them.
We came together. and In a second
ed us like flies around a honey pot. We
were so few hat we could not keep
together. and every man fought for
himself, regardless of the others. Still.
everybody could tell where Blazes was
all the time. by the commotion she
kicked up; and when In q fight like that
one thing kicks up enough extra COM
motion TO be noticed, you can bet it's
moving.
got a bullet through my right shout
der and another one in my left arm. and
! was helpless; and just then my horse
got a saber clip on the side of bis head
which sent him crazy. and somehow. he
managed TO kick himself out of the
melee before be dropped. which be did
with one of my legs under him; but
] was where couldlsee the fight, and
kept my eyes on Blazes.
Just as ! discovered her. ] saw Jet
Smith pitch head first out OF bis saddle
and | knew that the parson was done
for.
Blazes seemed 70 know II. too. She
bad been wild before. but she became g
perfect demon then. She must have
known that she had no rider. and mos
horses quit fighting when the man Il
gone off from their backs; but shs
didn't She only got wilder snd'went il
for vengeance.
She no longer paid any attention Z,
the horses. but she went for The men
and whenever she grabbed one she liter
ally tore him apart Hundreds OF shoti
were fired at her. and her body wa
covered with blood from the saber cut
she had received. but she paved anS
kicked and tore with her boots ant
teeth. turning like a cat, and bounding
about with the ease and grace Of
panther.
Then. when most of our men had gou'
down, and when practically all 'hs
there was left for the rebs TO fight wa
that wild mare, there was another gel
from the top of the bill. and I say
three companies of our own men com
ing 90 the rescue.
The Johnnies saw them. too. andfhe,
broke and ran. and as sure as ! live
Blazet started after them.
She overlook the last man and seize
him by the shoulder, dragging hin
from his horse 10 the ground. As b
fell be fired his pistol. and the sho
went through her heart. but she ciun,
to her prey and her body fell upon III
man who killed her.
There were only three of us left alive
mt NJ the fen uho went into that fob.