The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-08-22
THE wH1TE-Foor HORSE.
(By M. Quad.)

THE WHITE-FOOT HORSE
(By M. Quad)
Colonel Miller. of the Three-Bar
Rancho, New Mexico. had been gossip
ping with his foreman about theWhite-
Foot Horse, and when they had finish
ed he shook his head and said:
II am afraid 1 shall have to give or
ders to have him shot. but 1 would
give five hundred dollars to capture
him alive and unhurt. He's the hand
soonest horse in the world. but we
can't permit him to coax our stock
away"
1t was the wild White-Foot horse of
the plains. known for two hundred
miles north and south of the Three
Bar Rancho. He was a bay stallion
with one white fore-foot, and had
made his appearance alone year be-
fore. There were several other herds
of wild horses roaming up and down
the valley, but the sorrel did not herd
with them. Other wild horses had
been shot when coming within rifle
range, but the sorrel had been spared
Never in their lives had cowboys,
teamsters,or cooks seen such horse
He stood sixteen hands high, and he
moved with such grace and speed that
the toughest Of men cheered him.
Often enough they had fired over his
head and chased him a few miles. but
that was only to witness his speed. 1t
was tacitly understood that he was the
not be shot at.
For year the White-Foot horse en-
joyed immunity. Then he began rob-
bling the Three-Bar rancho. The
Colonel was raising horses and mules
for the market. Dispute the vigilance
of the riders by day. the sorrel would
mingle with the herd and coax from
three to a dozen head away at once.
Most of these would be recaptured
after a deal of trouble. but some were
not seen again. At night, when the
herds were corralled. the sorrel would
softly advance from the darkness and
thrust his muzzle over the fence and
rub noses and whimper and coax, and
sometimes a dozen of the best jump
ers would sail over the fence and fol-
low him for thirty miles. White-Foot
still held the admiration of all men,
but he became a menace. From the
Three-B Bar Rancho alone in one year
he coaxed away thirty-f1ve horses that
were not recovered. - Something must
be DONE.
AS the Colonel turned away from his
foreman after the conversation spoken
of above a Mexican cowboy came rid
ing up and asked for work about the
place. There was no want of hands,
and the foreman shook his head. The
Colonel looked at the stranger for a
moment. saw that he had a fine bron-
cho under him. and then said:
Have you ever heard of the White
Foot horse?"
the reply.
HE must be either captured or kill
ed. I want to try capture first. To run
him down you must have two more
bronchos, and you must have pro-
visions for a month. Can you trail
him until ne is finally tired out? If
SO I will outfit you and give you two
hundred dollars the day you bring him
in"
"I must follow him day and night"
unused the Mexican. HE may go four
hundred miles to the north and the
same distance to the south. L must
not let him rest. 1 must have good
ponies, and I must be a man of iron.
must not cripple him, but must wear
him out. 81. Senior. 1 want work. and
will bring you the sorrel horse with
the white foot"
1t took the man a week to make his
arrangements and during that time
five other horses were coaxed away.
Provisions were cached at distances or
fifty miles apart One extra pony
was stationed a hundred and fifty miles
to the north-the other the same dis
lance to the south. Word was sent to
other ranches. and some of them
would have riders ready to take up
the pursuit while the Mexican rested
four or five men against a wild horse.
1t was to be wo-three-four or
five horses against one. The chase
began on a Sunday morning when the
grazing herd to make more friends and
more caDtives. He held his head and
tail high when he got the first alarm
He took long look at the man on the
pony, and then with a snort of con-
tempt he turned and cantered up the
valley. 1t was only a canter. but II
soon placed him out of sight. Then
the trailer bent over his saddle ana
followed by the tracks alone. He did
not Increase his pace. He did not care
to sight the sorrel for days and days
yet Before nightfan he had maze
eighty miles. Then he ate ana rested
and took up the chase again, but at
slower pace. He could no longer see
the trail, but for that he did not care.
He knew where the wild horse would
stop to drink and Craze and sleep, and
he sang and whistled as. he made his
way.
At midnight the White-Foot horse
was routed. He heard the coming of
the man a mile away. He sprang up
in alarm and struck into mad gallop
and did not pause until he had cover
ed twenty miles. While he was run
ming like a shadow through the dark
ness the Nemesis was resting. The
sorrel had had but three hours In
which to drink and Craze and rest
again when some one else routed him
up. Away he went, supple as ever and
with undiminiShed speed. but now ne
was puzzled. No one man had ever
chased him above five miles before.
Now one man had hung to his trail all
day long and a second appeared. 1t
was something to puzzle over 1t was
a new experience. The horse was first
puzzled-then uneasy-then frighten-
ed. The Mexican had counted on this.
1t was to be a great aid in wearing
him down. Straight away up the val
ley for three hundred miles went the
white footed horse before he turned
to gallop back. Out of a hundred
hours he had been kept on the move
for fully ninety. Sometimes he had
looked back from the crest of a hill
and seen the man in pursuit. but the
man had not seen him or seem to care