The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1908-02-17
The White Foot Horse.

The wild white foot horse of the
plains was known for 200 miles north
and south of the Three Bar ranch. He
was a sorreI stallion with one white
fore foot.
For year the white foot horse Ell
joyed immunity. Then he began rob
bling the Three Bar ranch. CUeonel
Miller, the owner was raising horses
rnd mules for the market. Despite
the vigilance of the riders by day the
sorrel would mingle with the herds and
coax from three to a dozen head away
at once.
A Mexican cowboy came riding 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 moment.
saw that he had fine bronchO under
him and then said:
"Have you ever heard of the white
foot horse?"
AYE. senior, as who has not" was
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 he is finally tired out? If so,
I will outfit you and give you $500 the
day you bring him in
ISL, senior. / want work, and l will
bring you the white foot horse"
1t took the man a week to make his
arrangements, and during that time five
other horses were cOaxed away. Provi-
sions were cached at distances Of fifty
| miles apart. One extra pony was sta
toned $50 miles TO the north, the other
the same distance 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 rest
ed and slept. 1t was to be two. three,
| four or five men against wild horse.
1t was to be two, three, four or five
| horses against one. The chase began
on Sunday morning when the sorrel
came galloping down upon a grazing
herd to make more friends and more
captives. He held his head and tail
| high when he got the first alarm. he
took a long look at the man on the
pony, and then, with 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 and
| 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 nightfall he had made
eighty miles. Then he ate and rested
and took up the chase again, but at g
slower pace! He could no longer see
the trail, but for that he did not care.
At midnight the white foot horse was
routed. He heard the coming Of the
man a mile away. He sprang up ir
alarm and struck into a mad gallon
and did not pause until he had GOV
| cred twenty miles. While he wa:
running like a shadow through thu
darkness the Nemesis was resting. Thu
sorrel had had but three hours III
which to drink and Craze and res
again when some one else routed hin
up. Away he went; supple as ever ant
with undiminished speed, but now HI
was puzzled. No one man had eve
chased him above five miles before
Now one man had hung to his trail al
day long. and a second appeared.
was something to puzzle over. 1t wa
new experience. The horse was frs
. puzzled, then uneasy, then frightened
The Mexican had counted on this.
was to be a great aid In wearing hin
down.
Straightaway up the valley for 30
} miles went the white foot horse be
fore he turned to gallop back. Out o
hundred hours he had been kept o.
the move for fully ninety. Sometime
he had looked back from the crest Of
hill and seen the man in pursuit, bu
the man had not seen him or seemed t
care to. No matter what the pac
, was In front, that in the rear was onl
! a steady canter
As the sorrel turned a third man too
up the chase When he had held to tn
trail for a hundred miles the first wa
there and ready to resume that stead
canter Now the wild horse was thor
oughly frightened. 1t wasn't that b
had seen men or that he was runnin
from men, but it was that he-was dos
ged with such persistency-thath he wa
being hunted to his death. In hi
fright he did foolish things. He dram
too much water. He took to rOug