Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1906-11-06

| strung unliudl Tue TOpiuS, luTOWiuS anu
burning Is q tremendous nervous shock
For days aftr branding horse will
jump and start, quivering with ex.
pectant agony, at the slightest cause.
1t was fully week before the black
thoroughbred was himself again. In
that time he had conceived such deep
and lasting hatred for all men, COW.
boys In particular, as only high spir-
tied. blue blooded horse can acquire
With deep contempt he watched the
scrubby little COW ponies as they dog.
gedly carried about those wild, fierce
men who threw their circling, whis.
Ting, hateful ropes, who wore such
big, sharp spurs and who were vicious
" handy in using their rawhide quirts.
So when q cowboy put breaking
bit into the blacks mouth there was
another lively scene. 1t was somewhat
confused, this scene, but at intervals
one could make out that the man, hold
Ing stubbornly to name and forelock,
was being Slated and slammed and
| jerked, now with his feet on the
ground, now thrown high in the air
Snd now dangling perllously and at
various angles as the stallion raced
away.
In the end, of course, came the whis-
tie of the choking, foot tangling ropes,
and the black was saddled. For q
fierce half hour he took punishment
from bit and spur and quirt; then, al
though he gave it up, it was not that
his spirit was broken, but because his
wind was gone. Quite passively he al
lowed himself to be ridden out on the
prairies to where the herds were graz
ing.
Undeceived by this apparent docil-
ity, the cowboy, when the time came
for him to bunk down under the chuck
wagon for q few hours Of sleep, teth-
cred his mount quite securely to deep
driven stake. Before the cattleman
had taken more than round dozen OF
winks the black had tested his tether
to the limit of his strength. The tether
stood the test. A COW pony might have
done this much. There he would have
stopped. But the black was Ken
lucky thoroughbred, blessed with the
inherited intelligence Of noble sires,
some of whom had been household
pets. So he investigated the tether at
close range.
Feeling the stake with his sensitive
upper lip, he discovered 1t to be firm
as q rock. Next he backed away and
wrenched tentatively ut the halter un-
til convinced that the throat strap was
thoroughly sound. His last effort must
have been an inspiration. Attacking
the taut buckskin rope with his teeth,
he worked diligently until he had sew
cred three of the four strands. Then
he gathered himself for another lunge.
With a snap the rope parted, and the
black dashed away into the night,
leaving the cowboy snoring confidently
by the campfire.
All night he ran on and on In the
darkness. stopping only to listen trem-
blingly to the echo Of his own hoofs
and to sniff suspiclously ut the crouch
ing shadows Of innocent bushes. BY
morning he had left the Bar L outfit
many miles behind, and when the red
sun rolled up over the edge OF the
prairie he saw that he was alone IN
field that stretched unbroken to the
clrcling sky line.
Not until noon did the runaway
black scent water. Half mad with
thirst, he dashed to the edge Of mud
dy little stream and sucked down q
great draft. AS he raised his head
he saw standing poised above him on
the opposite bank, with ears laid men,
acingly fat and nostrils a-quiver In
nervous palpitation, buckskin colored
| stallion.
Snorting from fright, the black
wheeled and ran. He heard behind him
shrill neigh Of challenge and In a
moment the thunder Of many hoofs.
Looking back, he saw fully score Of
horses, the buckskin stallion in the van,
charging after him. That was enough.
Filling his great lungs with air. he
leaped into such a burst Of speed that
his pursuers soon tired Of the hopeless
chase. Finding that he was no longer
followed. the black grew curious. Gal
Looping In circle, he gradually ap-
preached the band. The horses had set
tied down to the cropping of buffalo
grass, only the buckskin stallion, who
had taken a position on little knoll,
remaining on guard.
The surprising thing about this band
was that each and every member
seemed riderless. Not until he had
taken up long wind sniffs was the thor
oughbred convinced Of this fact. When
certain OH this point he cantered toward
the band, shifting inquirlngly. Again the
buckskin stallion charged, ears back,
eyes cleaning wickedly and snorting
defantly. This time the black stood his
ground until the buckskin's teeth snap
ped savagely within few inches OF his
| throat. Just In time did he rear and
swerve. Twice more-for the paddock
raised black was slow to understand
such behavior-the buckskin charged.
Then the black was reused into aggres-
| Elveness.
There ensued such battle as would
have brought delight to the brute soul
Of q Nero. With forefeet and teeth
the two stations engaged, circling
madly about on their hind legs. tearing
up great clods Of turf, biting and strik-
ing as opportunity offered. At last, by
q quick, desperate rush, the buckskin
caught the thoroughbred fairly by the
throat. Here the affair would have
ended had not the black stallion, rear
ing suddenly on his muscle ridged
launches and lifting his opponents
| ,ore quarters clear Of the ground. show
cred on his enemy such rain Of blows
from his iron shod feet that the wild
ouckskin dropped to the ground dazed
and vanquished.
Standing over him, with all the fierce
pride of victorious gladiator showing
In every curve of his glistening body.
the black thoroughbred trumpeted out
a stentorian call Of defiance and com
mand. The band, that had watched thu
struggle from a discreet distance, nov
came galloping In, whinnying in friend
ly fashion.
Black Eagle had won his first fight
He had won the leadership. BY righ
of might he was now chief Of this fret
company Of plains rangers. 1t was fol