The Washington herald., 1911-05-21
BRONCHO DOES TRICKS
LIKE CIRCUS HORSE
Nine o Diamonds Once Offered in Exchange for a
Sack of Tobacco by His Disguised Owner Rivals
Any High School Horse in Obedience

In the country Nine O. Diamonds halls
from-the horse and cattle country Of
Montana-if one were to suggest the
''civilizing'' Of a bronco through the gen.
tie art Of moral srasion one probably
would be treated to q plying smile or
the curt reminder that the day Of mira
cles Is past Where the lariat and quirt
are still much in vogue for horse train
ing as safer instruments for dealing with
uncertain quantities than the sugar loaf
and gentle remonstrance life is consid-
cred too short to trifie with the stubborn,
wiry bronco.
But Nine o. Diamonds, II he could talk
might be able to convert some of the
rough-and-ready horse wranglers Of the
land Of his birth to gentler methods. in
asmuch as after the rougher had failed
to curb his turbulent spirit, tho former
treatment has left him a much-sought-
after and highly educated equine.
Nine o. Diamonds Is the property Of
Lieut. Victor s. Foster. Fifteenth United
States Cavalry. He is a well set-up,
clean-limber. handsome saddle horse with
Just enough "bronc'' strain to make him
tireless and fearless and Just enough Of
the pet of Fort Myer ard the execration
of the jealous horses Of Troop A. He is
the champion high jumper Of the regular
post horses, the most accomplished trick
horse in the regiment, and the boss Of
the pasture whenever he is turned loose
with his brothers in arms.
He Is the special ward and care OF
Private Marvin Bell, Troop A, Fifteenth
Cavalry, an athlete young Texan, who
t. .v,yr 90 h0EFN Nev
offered for sale for scent sack of to-
bacco, showed him the error Of his ways.
and taught him his parlor tricks. And
all without the aid Of lariat, quirt, heavy
saddle. or cruel bit, with all Of which
Instruments Of horse-breaking both Bell
and his pupil were familiar.
Not that the horse with the pasteboard
name is pure bronco. He gets his hand
some ''fgger." intelligence, and what re-
mains of a suriy temper from a thor
oughbred father, one Steel Dust. WELL
known Montana stallion. The plebeian
strain in his blood comes from his moth
er, who was classed as a graded mare"
In the Western State. Out there a grad
ed animal is generally a bronco that has
been put through a hurry-up course IN
an equine finishing school with about
the same results as are often seen with
similarity treated daughters Of the So
CaueQ ne" flCn SOlre OF tl6 TOuSH cur
ners are knocked of. From his graded
mother Nine o. Diamonds inherits the
small wary eye, encircled with narrow
white band py way Of danger signal
Uncle Sam bought Nine O. Diamonds
along with a big bunch Of horses about
two years ago. Some of the other horses
were broke Diamonds wasn't even bad
ly bent; he was merely "gentled." A
''gentled" horse has had a saddle on him
at least once. will allow himself to be led
most of the time and ridden part Of the
time If bo can't help himself. 'Gentled'
horses are calculated to deal heavy blows
to accident insurance companies.
With several Of his brother Montanians,
Diamonds was shipped on to Fort Myer.
Lieut.. Foster being in need Of a saddle
horse about that time. picked him out as
his troop hourse. He recognized the pos
sibilities for trouble, but being from
Texas and somewhat OF a bronco-twister
by training. Lieut.. Foster thought he
would take a chance. Handling his new
charge carefully and no demanding more
than he could enforce, the new owner
was getting along famously when he was