Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1915-07-01
A TEXAS RRONCHO
How a Preacher Bought Him and
Then Broke Him.
A STRUGGLE FOR MASTERY.

ne Ugly Little Brute Was ricky and
For Awhile 1t Seemed as Though He
Would Win the Battle With the Cir.
cult Rider, but He Didn't.
Ny first appointment, writes Rev.
Henry E. Wing, was to a big circuit
in southeastern Iowa, with %headquar-
tiers in q small hamlet. AS 1 had left
my family temporarily in the east, 1
took a room in the village tavern. An
immediate practical need was a horse
to ride the circuit"
Learning that a Mr.. Williams had
brought in a string of horses from the
southwest, I strolled out to his ranch
to take a look at them. One of them
was, to me, an entirely new specimen
"a Texas broncho. He was certainly
not at all like the mount of the typi-
cal pioneer Methodist preacher and
was the homeliest creature on four
legs that l ever saw, with no form
to speak Of and of q color that the
cleaner he was the dirtier he looked.
But he was "all horse" and I took
quite a fancy for him.
AS soon as his owner saw that l was
interested in him he was discovered
to be a very choice animal that Mr..
Williams had purchased as a gift for
his little daughter. But I persuaded
him to put a price on the colt, and he
named $75. I met this with an offer
Of rs cents. With this a "dicker'' be-
gan, participated in by about a hun
dred interested spectators and ending
about dusk with a deal at $1G.50. So
I made a partial payment to bind the
bargain and sent for my old army out
fit.
About Il fortnight a~fterward, early
in the morning, before many were like
ly to be about, with my good bride
on my arm and my trusty saddle on
my shoulder, I slipped quietly out to
the Williams ranch. He backed my
broncho into the border of a grove of
young naples. He then strapped his
(the broncho's) hind fetlocks to two sap
lings about sixteen inches apart and
tied his head with a short halter to a
tree in front. Thus secured the fran
tic creature could neither rear nor lie
down, and without much difficulty I
got the bride and saddle on.
My attention had been so engrosscd
in these preparations that l had not
noticed the crowd that had gathered
to see the yankee preacher give-or,
rather, make-an exhibition at "bron-
cho busting" This was what | had
tried to avoid, for. while I had perfect
confidence i'll my ability to mount and
ride the animal, I did not care to make
q "swagger'' Of my horsemanship. But
their presence now stirred my ambi-
ton to make something of a show of
my proficiency.
Mr.. Williams suggested that I mount
and get q firm seat before he released
the colt, but | declined, and as the
freed horse sprang forward I leaped
to his back and found the stirrups.
The crowd gave a little exclamation of
surprise, and then rewarded the feat
with a rousing cheer. | was elated
now and full of confidence. 1 had had
all sorts of performances under me in
that same saddle and knew all the
|ANh' oAAu SopCAS L lAC SpCSltS.
All? All but one. Leaping out from
among the trees, he lit with his -four
feet close together and his back in a
hump, with me perched on the pima
Gle. Then with a series of marvellous
contortions he kept me humping, every
blow producing a conclusion at the
base Of the brain. l kept my balance
with my feet firm in the straight STIR
rups and my knees pressed tight
against his sides. But that repeated
pounding stunned me-. My head began
to swim, and l realized that a few
more such jclts would unhorse me.
And then | prayed-just a gasp.
With the breath in which that prayer
was uttered the colt took Il notion to
run away. Apparently seized with a
sudden fit of Inconsistencies, he started
for Texas. 1000 miles away. Through
the open gate and down the south road
he flew. while 1 leaned forward on his
neck and relaxed my strained muscles
and regained my wind and nerve.
At last We descended. over the rim
OF the prairie. to a stream bordered
with trees, and l turned him out into a
thick clump of bushes. Then l prac-
ticed a method suggested to me years
before, the same rule rs for handling a
boy-"frst teach him that you are his
master, and then show him that you
are his best friend, but do not let him
ever forget for a single minute that
you are his MASTER"
l dismounted and spent an hour pet
ting and caring for the hot and discour-
aged creature. He was too used up at
first to resent my advances had he
been inclined to, and he soon seemed
to realize that my intentions were
friendly. I patted him and talked to
him in kindly tones and led him about
to browse. Finally I watered him,
mounted him and rode back home.
And I have always accounted this as
my real debut into the travelling con.
nection New York Mail.