The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1907-08-28
By Franklin Welles Calkins.

was led to the door OF my tent near
old Fort Fetterman. The owner, Mr.
Sam >~Keeler, of Klickitat County,
Washington, offered the animal for
sale.
1--WE cleaned out my bunch to your
men," he said, "but I've saved my
saddle-horse for their boss"
This was fattering, but I looked
the animal over and shook my head
doubtfully.
"See here" said Keller, 'this cay
use was bred in my own herd on the
Klickitat COW range, and [ broke him
to ride, an he's carried me four
years. You can take him at thirty
five dollars, or I'll ship him home"
I took the pony.
ellis name is Coots," said Keller,
while I was writing his check, "and
when you ride him you don't want
to carry quirt or spurs. When you
want to get anywhere, no matter how
far, just kick his ribs once in four
miles, and he'll do the rest"
Thereafter T rode Coots on my
rounds Of the line of railway grade
my supervision. Apparently there
Was uOlIIluS lCIIIdIKdDlC ABOUT NOOIS
except his rather uncommon wiling
ness to go at an easy, ambling gallop.
He was exceedingly docile, could be
left standing for any reasonable
length of time if his saddle were not
removed, and could be approached at
any time if one called out his name.
I did not really discover Coots,
however, until an accident and, as it
turned out, very peri1ous encounter
brought his quality to light.
We had finished Our contract at
Fetterman, and most Of my outfit
had moved to new work on Deer
Creek, some thirty miles up the
Platte I had fingered over unhn-
ished business at the old camp, and [
finally followed my men on horseback
and alone.
It was a lowering morning about
the middle of October when [ set out
with COots. I had made some miles,
too far to turn back, when wind
arose, and soft snow began pe1ting in
my face; and in a few minutes fall
blizzard was in progress. Against
this Coots ambled without reluctance
for a couple of hours.
We had crossed a piece Of newly
finished grade and we're following the
old Oregon trail between that and
the river when the cayuse surprised
me by sudden halt. He turned his
head half about, with ears pricked up
inquiring1y. He was evidently asking
what 7 proposed to do about some
thing in the wind.
I peered ahead, but the snow was
SO thick that I could see but few
yards Yet 7 had feeling that there
was something to be avoided; and
then a muf7ed rumble came to my
ears, and before [ could make out
in which direction a stampede was
coming, Coots and I were in the thick
of big bunch of cattle going before
the wind
Luckily the herd was swinging
along at trot instead Of at run,
or we should have been trampled I'M
derfoot. AS it was, Coots was near
1y borne off his feet, and before he
could recover we were packed too
tightly for immediate escape. Then
Coots laid his teeth angrily to the
rump of a big spotted steer, and fol-
lowed the tactics of "cut". :,
For several minutes we lodged
among the hust1ing cattle. We must
have been carried forward hall
mile, working toward the front and
to one side, when we parted from the
herd.
Instantly Coots put himself between
the herd and his "cut," and raced the
bic steer back toward the trail we
had left [ had given the cayuse his