Mexico Missouri message., 1917-05-17
A FAITHFUL HORSE

Recently a small force of United
States colored troops we're attacked by
much larger force of Mexicans. A
few of our colored boys escaped, and
here is the story told by one of them:
Our troops with Captain Boyd
commanding had pulled up before
Carrizal. The captain ordered every
one to dismount, and we all got down.
was a horse holder and / took
charge of some animals while the
riders stood at attention.
"The next thing ! knew the shoot
ing had started. / looked around.
Captain Boyd was down and 1 could
not see him. kept on looking. There
were easily seven hundred Mexicans
around us. They had come up right
out of the ground, forming a circle.
Our men kept on falling. The first
shot came from a machine gun.
at was not more than two min
utes before the Mexicans had sur
rounded us. We were right there
in the middle, fighting like the Dick
ems. All around the horses were
rearing and plunging. Every little
bit horse or a man would get bull
let and go down. / could not fight
for had to keep those mounts. Pret-
ty soon my own horse, great big
fellow, staggered and whinnied
They had hit him in the neck. l put
my hand on the spot where the blood
was spouting. Just then. they hit
me in the shoulder.
} I'VE did not have a show in the
, world, and l saw it, cut the horses
; loose and climbed on my animal and
hit for the thinnest part of the circle.
: | went right through the Mexicans.
- My horse brushed two of them out
- of the way as We charged. owe my
r life to that horse, sure as you live.
. Don't you know, that animal was so
3 brave and big-hearted that he car
e ried me along for ten miles before
he settled down to a walk. Five miles
e further on his legs just gave out and
D he went down.
a Man, l hope you don't ever have
4 to say goodbye to a horse like that
at time and place like that. II
seemed to me l couldn't leave him
S | knelt down and poured little wa.
= ter from my Canteen on his tongue
l., He was slipping fast, and 1 just told
o him how sorry l was. thanked him
!, for the mighty big favor he had done
!, me. Yes, sir. l thanked him like he
j was human; and guess he under
e stood, for he got that look in his
eyes animals have when they are
grateful.
II II wanted to stay longer, but he
h was about gone, coughing blood. Nc
l. use my staying when some of those
1t Mexicans might catch up and get me
was bleeding, too, and in pain.
thanked him again and said goodbye
-, walked and walked. A few mile!
II on l ran onto one of our animals,
:. jumped on him and rode on. PRETTY
= soon l ran into some other survivor!
=. and went on"
I Here is a beautiful story, told il
the simplest way, of the love of {
man for horse. We all know mel
under the same conditions would hav,
given the poor horse a kick and {
curse when he went down, and con
1
tinued their flight across the deser
without thought for the dying ami
NAL. But this colored trooper wa
different. Needless of his own prob
able needs in the desert he divided
his precious water with the anima
which had served him so faithfully
and left him only when nothing NOR,
could be done.
1 The gratitude which the coloret
boy felt toward the horse which ha,
just saved his life sprung from rea
affection which had existed long be
fore. Few of us are indebted to th
horse for such service as this on
renderded to his soldier master, bu
most of us owe much of our pros
perity to their faithful work. Ac
acknowledgement of this by good car
and kind treatment is not only pay
ment in part of a very real debt, bu
is the cultivation of a sentimen
which will ennoble the life of an,
man or boy.