Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-03-02
DAILY SHORT STORY
KING OF THE DROVE.

INTO TIE Sdn Keno Ndiiey lucy iouAu
n drove of wild horses numbering thir-
~. The drove was led by gray stall
lion whose beauty and fieetness had
been the talk of prospectors, trappers
and Indians for two years.
y belated stagecoach over on the
San Luis road, where wild horses had
never been seen, was crawling along
one night when out of the darker shad-
| ows spraug the gray stallion with q
| scream of anger and attacked the lead
ers. He bit and tore and struck. The
stage was whirled into the ditch and
three passengers badly hurt, ana one
of the four horses was so badly used
that he did not live IN hour. Herds of
cattle lying down for the night and
chewing the cud of contentment were
routed up and sent flying for miles by
the sudden advent of the gray horse.
Had men admired him less he would
have been mercileSSly hunted down.
AS it was they made plans to take him
captive. On certain day and date six
ty riders were stationed at named
points i'll the valley, and forty men on
foot guarded certain scrub forests in
which the victim might seek to hide
Il hundred determined men in all-and
how could Il lone horse hope to escape
the net TO be drawn around him?
At sunrise the hundred We're ready.
For ninety miles east and west, and
for thirty miles north and south, they
waited for the gray horse Each
mounted man was to pursue the fugi-
tive for five miles only, going at the top
of his speed. Then men on foot We're
to fire their rifles and add to the poor
beasts panic.
As if the plans of men had been
whispered in his ear and as if he bade
defiance to them and was anxious for
the struggle. the gray horse was at the
lower end of the valley when the sun
rose. BY means of flags and signal
fires the news was communicated to
all. and the chase began. The wild
horse did not dash away in a panic.
On the contrary, he struck gait that
just kept him we'll ahead of the rider,
and not once in run of fifty miles was
he seen TO break that gait. Then he
turned aside into the scrub and was
hunted for for two hours in vain. He
drank and fed and rested, and then he
charged one OF his pursuers. dragged
him for rods in his teeth and resumed
his gallop up the valley.
The night was turned into day by n
bright moon. and the plan was to give
the horse no rest. After covering
eighty miles he disappeared as shadows
come and go. and his pursuers had TO
go into camp.
Next morning, as the east was pur-
ping, the horse came out of the dark
rayine in which he had rested in safety
and kicked up his heels as a challenge.
Or that day he exhibited his powers of
speed and endurance as if priding him
self upon them. Without 4 moments
rest, without Il nibble at the sweet
grass or touching his nose to the wa
ters of the many brooks, he gallopcd a
distance of 100 miles. No pursuing
rider came within pistol shot of him.
AT night he again disappeared, and the
opening of the third day saw him as
fresh as ever.
Perhaps the gray horse had reasoned
it out during the hours of darkness.
His enemies were too many for him.
His drove had been killed Off. and he
was all alone TO contend with the
of man. He might evade
them for few days and remain in the
valley where he was born and where
he knew every foot of the ground, but
in the end he must be captured.
There was another valley lying ten
miles TO the east. The way to 1t led
through a narrow and rugged defile in
the mountains. He had led his drove
through that defile once and caught the
odOr of the bear and the mountain lion
and been made afraid. Now he must |
chance it without company. He trem- |
bled more ut the recollection of that |
Odor than he dm at sight of men, Lit |
tie time was given him for planning. |
As soon as he appeared in sight signals |
were made and the pursuit taken up.
The gray horse started off with n |
burst of speed that elected cheers of |
admiration from the men. They COM |
pared IL to the flight of q cannon ball. |
He bad ten miles to go to reach the |
pass and bird could hardly have
made the distance sooner. The men
rad not provided for the fugitive leav-
ng the valley. and there was no one to
oppose him as he wheeled into the pass
md found the broad light of day turn
ID into twilight
After going a few hundred feet he
lalted. His pursuers had seen him make
he pass, and he could hear their shouts
,far off, but he did not like the twi-
light. 1t was uncanny. There was
about 1t. EVIL spirits
seemed to be brooding In the rugged
md narrow way. 1t was that or capture,
however, and the gray horse went on.
He heard the water dripping from the
ocky sides. He heard the whine of
oyotes and the growl of wolf that
lad sneaked into the pass as day broke
He caught the odor of pine and cedar.
nd tried to feel confidence in himself
Half way through the pass widened
ut. and the sunshine filtered down.
The gray horse paused here to listen
or sounds of pursuit. In a tree above
fos To- a<r I<>5 |