Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1907-08-14
CAYUSE
DOES A
STUNT
Entered a Vigorous Protest Against
Working For Uncle Sam

imal," was not acquainted with all
the varieties of the animal. He had
never seen a wall-eyed, pigeon-toed,
devil-possessed cayuse from the
bunch-grass hills of eastern Oregon
IIf he had, he would have qualified
Eis statement or put the cayuse
where he belongs in a class by him
self. AS matter of fact the cayuse,
properly broke, is a dandy little ami
mal, tough as leather, and dead
game. When he is good he Is very
good, but when he is bad he is utter
lly careless and goes the limit No
tougher bunch OF meat and muscle
was ever crowded into the same
amount of horsehide than is the case
with the bunch-grasses; but the con-
centrated spirit of cussedness is also
born In them. and It takes time and
lpatience TO educate II out.
A short time ago Percy Pugh, the
rural mail carrier, learning a band
o. genuine cayuses had been brought
over the mountains and were for
sale here, became suddenly possessed
of the idea that one of these wiry
little roamers OF the breaks OF the
John Day" would make a splendid
motive power for his mail cart.
Moved by this idea, he visited the
corral and when he left Il, he was
the owner of flea-bitten roam, with
n name like the tail OF slulce way,
and a tail like a pirates black flag
Tuesday afternoon Percy concluded
to give Boanerges his first lesson in
behavior. The cayuse, after much
patience and some really oriental
strategy, was harnessed and hitched
to a cart. AS precautionary meas
ure. spring line was run through
the hame rings and one end fastened
to strap around Boanerges' right
fore fetlock, the other end being
carried aft and made fast to the
spanker cavil, so to speak. This
was done, so that should "Bony"
start to run, a pull on the spring
line would take a reef In his leg, so
that It wouldn't reach the ground any
more, and so handicap him for run
ming. A stern line was also run out
Ito windward and a friend OF Perey's
induced TO hold the end OF II, so as
to keep the animal from swinging In
to the door yards. This all happened
down on Chemeketa street. When
preparations were complete, Percy
mounted the cart and gave the en-
glneer the signal to go ahead, but the
engineer evidently took IL for two
bells and began TO back. His star
board aft leg got afoul OF the spring
line, and the cayuse began to do some
ground and lofty tumbling that would
make circus horse look like
hobby" He turned back hand
springs three or four In succession
and danced the hoola hoola; then he
stood on his head. and done some
trapeze acts. all the time winding
himself up In the guy ropes until
finally he was drawn back so far
that after one OF his lunges he came
down squarely on the cart, landing
a sitting on the seat. Percy saw him
coming. and merely remarking we'll
III you're going to get in, I'm going
to get out" did so.
For a few minutes Il was an even
game between the cart and horse
but finally the cayuse having got all
his feet mixed up with everything
loose about the rigging lay bound
as Il were, with the cart on top OF
him. By-standers sat on Boanerges'
head while the job OF unraveling and
untangllng was gone through with.
When this was completed, or sup
posed 10 be. the men got on the cay
uses head and he struggled 20 his
feet. II SENS. though that hold
back strap or something was over
looked, and still connected Bony
with the cart. AS soon as the cayuse
discovered this trouble commenced
again. He broke loose from those
holding him and away he went kick
ing at every jump and jumping at
every kick, with the cart sometimes
on earth and sometimes in the air,
but all the time yielding its eompo-
nent parts until there was nothing
left OF Il but the hubs and tires. When
the horse was caught again, there
wasn't enough left OF the harness 10
wad a shot gun. Percy Is going 90
hitch him up again as he says he Is
the most interesting study excepting
cyclone. that ever came TO his no
tice.
--o--