The San Francisco call., 1909-02-21

be a band that has become used to the
fences they will merely trot around.
sniff the air, and look cautiously to
see IL any new danger can be found.
If nothing unusual is dicovered they
will. after little more hesitation, pass
through the gate. The trapper Will
remain concealed until they finish
drinking, then show himself Immedi-
ately there Is commotion. Unless the
fences be well covered with boughs OF
trees. or hung with rags or bags or
unusual things, they will charge them
and either escape by going through
the wire or cut and main themselves
frightfully. Here knowledge or the
habits of wild horses Is an absolute
necessity, for to attempt TO drive them
from the little field into the corral at
any but the exact moment would be
disastrous They must be allowed
to run about until their first terror is
overcome, then dash will usually
cause them to run into the corral be-
fore they realize what 1t Is. Bars
are now put up which Will prevent
them from going out OF the corral into
the little field. and the trapper is ready
for another bunch.
Less than two years ago there were
unusual numbers of mustangs In that
range of mountains which separates
Antelope valley .lEOlI = CASCAhrAhCA NS~S--
Eureka county,. Our work required US
to cross the range often. We noticed
on several occasions that the horses
when scared would strike out down
long ridge toward the foothills below
This course necessarily took them
through a canyon hich was walled by
perpendicular masses of granite. To
escape only two. trails could be used.
which were less than so feet apart;
he n a.
tural corral, immense in size, perfect
in situation, from which 1T would be
impossible for any horse to escape IL
he were once beyond those little exits
between the rocks through which ran
the well used trails. We felled some
huge pine trees and laid them upon
the boulders across the trails, which
we all agreed would not only effect
ually close them but would necessitate
the horses going farther up the canyon
into this natural rock corral There
was no need of long wings TO guide
the horses into this canyon; they in
variably went that way. So, soon after
daylight one June morning we started
to try our natural rock corral. In
the vicinity of this canyon the noun
tains are exceedingly steep and rough
II viewed from a distance in many
places they seem to be almost perpen-
dicular. Large surfaces of their precip-
itous sides are thickIy bedded with
fat stones Of all sizes, lying at every
conceivable angle. This was the coun-
try through which we must ride at
breakneck speed, so every rider chose
The horse he believed to be most agile
and sure footed. I rode an active
wiry. nervous. ambitious. year old
mule. We had often noticed the ease
with which she ran through seemingly
imnnSEihla nldCnS ha1 n
mule that was of any use in this mus
tang" work, but had believed them to
be unusually sure footed With me- in
front. rode Allison. the peer OF any
mustanger; white in ideas, red by birth.
a man representing 200 pounds OF bone.
sinew, muscle and determination, with
30 years experience among these wild
horses, possessed of abnormal, almost
miraculous, eyeSight. He refned in
his horse and pointed toward the hlmy
summit of Nine Mile mountain.
stopped. knowing what he meant.
Reaching for my glasses 1 soon dis
cerned what he had already seen-a
band of about 80 head quietly grazing.
miles away, thousands of feet above
u.s. It was an ideal spot from which
to start them; they would surely come
down that long slope and just bust"
themselves in their endeavor to get into
the canyon
Allison's son, lad of 1e years, light
In weight. fearless. yet OF good 1udg-
ment. was sent around the mountain
with instructions to get above and
behind the band, and to start them
toward the rock corral. The rest of
us took stations on high ridges, where.
out of sight, we could keep watch of
the movements of the band. had a
fine stand" Far away in the dis
tance. above me. through my glasses I
could see the mustangs. Back of me.
out beyond the foothills, was Fish
creek valley. wide, hot. barren. From
its far side arose other mountains
black, blue, hazy. Still further east
were the snow capped Rubies
For nearly three hours I waited for
the Indian boy to appear on the noun
tain above the mustangs had be-
come impatient and my eyes ached
from the continuous strain. To rest
them / watched a column OF ants
dragging innumerable little