The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1910-12-26

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even tore the robes and belts from
their persons and threw them as
Iwagers. They whispered to boys,
| who hurried to camp and came up
with new things.
| "Sauaws appeared with armfuls of
buffalo, wolf, bear and fox robes,
beaded garments, brass pots, etc.
| Their lords snatched these and bet
| with seeming recklessness. They
took earrings from their ears and
| blankets from the backs of their
wives latter having stripped them
selves almost nakedl. The women
seemed to enjoy this contribution
they made to the wealth and pluck
of their husbands. The more ardent
bet the last pony they owned in the
world, leaving themselves afoot, and
some risked their rifles on the race.
Their rifles are the last things part
ed with, but under the all-cOnquer-
| ing gambling passion these, too. will
be sacrificed and the bow and arrow
resorted to till another weapon is
| procured
THE excitement, the surging
crowds, the calling, the hurrying to
and fro, the reckless shower of bets
forming at last two piles five or six
feet high and twenty in diameter
all were in strange contrast to the
little jockeys who stood by their
horses, apparently all unconcrened.
while the betting was going on.
Those in charge had fastened around
each horses body a thick horse-hair
lariat doubled; this was knotted
tightly but hung loosely, leaving a
space of several inches between it
and the horses belly. When all the
bets were laid, the riders vaulted to
their places, and bending their knees.
thrust them between the lariat and
he horses sides. thus drawing the
lariat very tight and binding them
selves like centaurs to their slippery
steeds; and yet by simply straighten-
ing their legs they could throw off
| The band and be released.
| The racers now walked with
long. supple strides down the course
to the starting point. accompanied
by the starters, friends, admirers.
| jealous watchers, etc, some on foot
and some on horseback. The whole
mile of track soon became lane
hedged by groups and lines of In
dians. The intentness, the care, and
the suspense were catching. | began
to feel thrilling excitement and an
impatience to know which of the
beauties would win and which tribe
| be beggared
The eagerness to watch the start
made them crowd up the track at
one end of the line. in spite Of the
shrill cries of the Indian watchers
to clear the track But the track
wuold be cleared soon enough.
"A faint cry at the other end Of
! the line. whirl of the horses, a tn
mutt down there, waving of whips,
wild yelling growing nearer, loud
er. and here they eome-fying. Side
| by side. the naked riders plying the
| lash with every terrific bound the
Indians bordering the track packed
to dense mass, surging to and fro,
| yelling adm throwing up their whips:
| the mounted ones running their
| horses at full speed after the flyers.
out being rapidly left. Here they
come, heads out. eyes strained, nos
| trils stretched, forehoofs seemingly
always in the air, the Whip-thongs
| falling with quickening vigor. A
| hoarse, wild shouting. a deafening
burst of yels, a swish in the air. an
apparition before the eyes. a bound
over the finish line. and the race is
over, the white just half length
ahead and there they go down tow
ard the river, the boys pulling them
in for dear life.
Ere they were led back the bets
had been claimed, each person TAX
ing his stakes and those things which |
had been pledged against them. Other !
races were made. The piles of wa
gers grew again, and again dissolved. |
Bets were all that was needed to pro- |
long the sport, for if the stock of
swift horss-their regular race
horses - should by chance be ex-
hausted, slower ones were speedily |
matched. In these intertribal con-
tests the tribe never deserts its own
horses, so that if their antagonists
have superior animals, the losers will |
be stripped to beggary. A transfer
Of property takes place, and the pau
pers with happy carelessness hobble |
eff with q few sore pack-aniEals to |
carry their diminished possessions.
The indians are shrewd Jockeys, |
but their own races are as a rule |
fair and honest trials Of speed. The |
decision of the umpires is never de- |
INJURED to unless palpably unjust, |
and on these rare occasions the set |
Element is either by a quarrel or
more usually by q renewal Of the I
race. And while an Indian Is will
ing TO gamble on anything, even a
tortoise race, his true delight, the
very exultation of his soul, is in a
long race between horses of wonder |
full speed. There is nearly always |
with each band some one favorite |
steed of supposed all-surpassing pow |
ers, and it is the races between these /
pets of the tribes that inspire the |
chief interest. The great spring I
gatherings are among the most pic
turesuue features of Indian peaceful |
life. The bands and tribes meet near |
ST me vast plain or meadow bordered |