Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-04-02
A HORSE IN BATTLE
HOW HE FEELS WHEN IN THE MIDST
OF A FIERCE ONSLAUGHT.
A Writer of Horse stories Describes
the Experiences of an Arab Char
ger In the Ranks of stnart's Cav
alry-The Gallop to Battle.


Probably no one will ever know just
how a horse feels when going into bat
tie. There is no way Of finding out.
So it is likely that no one will dispute
the correctness Of the description which
Sewell Ford gives in Horses Nine"
published by Scribners.
The horse in question Is Pasha,
half blood Arab hunter that has been
pressed into service in Stuart's Black
Horse cavalry. The story runs:
Early the next morning Pasha was
awakened by the distant growl OF
heavy guns. BY daylight he was on
the move, thousands of other horses
with him. Nearer and nearer they
rode to the place where the guns were
growing. Sometimes they were on
roads, sometimes they crossed fields,
and again they plunged into the woods
where the low branches struck ones
eyes and scratched ones TANKS. AT
last they broke clear of the trees to
come suddenly upon such scene as
Pasha had never before witnessed.
Far across the open field he could
see troop on troop of horses coming to-
ward him. They seemed to be pour
ing over the crest Of low hill. as ii
driven onward by some unseen force
behind. Instantly Pasha heard, rising
from the Threats Of thousands OF rid
ers on either side aud behind him, that
fierce, wild yell which he had come to
know meant the approach of trouble.
High and shrill and menacing it rang
as it was taken up and repeated by
those in the rear. Next the bugles be-
gan to sound, and in quick obedience
the horses formed in line just on the
edge of the woods, a line which stretch
ed and stretched on either flank until
one could hardly see where 1t ended.
From the distant line came no an
swering cry, but Pasha could hear the
bugles blowing, and he could see the
fronts massing. Then came the order
to charge at gallop. This set Pasha
to Juggling eagerly ut the bit, but for
what reason he did not know. He
knew only that he was part of great
and solid line of men and horses sweep
ing furiously across field toward that
other line which he had seen pouring
over the hill crest.
He could scarcely see at all now.
The thousands Of hoofs had raised y
cloud of dust that not only enveloped
the on rushing line. but rolled before
1t. Nor could Pasha hear anything
save the thunderous thud of many
feet. Even the shrieking of the shells
was drowned. But for the restraining
bit Pasha would have leaped forward
and cleared the line. Never had he
been SO stirred. The inherited MEM
CRY Of countless desert raids made by
his Arab ancestors was doing its
work. For what seemed long time
this continued, and then In the midst
of the blind and frenzied race there
doomed out OF the thick air, as If 1T had
appeared by magic, the opposing line.
Pasha caught glimpse Of something
which seemed like n heaving wall OF
tossing heads and of foam whitened
necks and shoulders. Here and there
cleaned red, distended nOstrils and
straining eyes. Bending above was an
other wall-a wall Of dusty blue coats,
of grim faces and Of dust powdered
hats. Bristling above all was threat
ening crest of waving blades.
What would happen when the lines
met? Almost before the query was
thought there came the answer. With
an earth jarring crash they came to-
gethcr. The lines wavered back from
the shock of impact. and then the
whole struggle appeared to Pasha to
center about him. OF course this was
not so. But it was fact that the most
conspicuous figure in either line had
been that of the cream white charger
in the very center Of the Black Horse
regiment.