1.We left the buffalcamp about eight o’clock,and had a toilsome and harassing march of twhours,over ridges of hills covered with a ragged forest of scrub oaks,and broken by deep gullies1.
2.About ten o‘clock in the morning we came twhere this line of rugged hills swept down inta valley,through which flowed the north fork of Red River. A beautiful meadow,about half a mile wide,enameled with yellow,autumnal flowers,stretched for twor three miles along the foot of the hills,bordered on the opposite side by the river,whose banks were fringed with cottonwood trees,the bright foliage of which refreshed and delighted the eye,after being wearied by the contemplation of monotonous wastes of brown forest.
3.The meadow was finely diversified2by groves and clumps oftrees,shappily dispersed that they seemed as if set out by the hand of art. As we cast our eyes over this fresh and delightful valley,we beheld a troop of wild horses quietly grazing on a green lawn,about a mile distant,tour right,while tour left,at nearly the same distance,were several buffaloes;some feeding ,others reposing ,and ruminating3 among the high,rich herbage4,under the shade of a clump of cottonwood trees. The whole had the appearance of a broad,beautiful tract of pasture land,on the highly ornamented estate of some gentleman farmer,with his cattle grazing about the1Gullies,hollows in the earth worn by water.2Diversified,distinguished by numerous aspects,varied.3Ruminating,chewing over what has been slightly chewed before. 4Herbage,pasture,grass.lawns and meadows.
4.A council of war was now held,and it was determined tprofit by the present favorable opportunity,and try our hand at the grand hunting maneuver which is called "ringing the wild horse." This requires a large party of horsemen,well mounted. They extend themselves in each direction,at a certain distance apart,and gradually form a ring of twor three miles in circumference,sas tsurround the game. This must be done with extreme care,for the wild horse is the most readily alarmed inhabitant of the prairie1,and can scent a hunter a great distance,if twindward2.
5.The ring being formed,twor three ride toward the horses,which start off in an opposite direction. Whenever they approach the bounds of the ring,however,a huntsman presents himself,and turns them from their course. In this way they are checked,and driven back at every point,and kept galloping round and round this magic circle,until,being completely tired down,it is easy for hunters tride up beside them and throw the lariat3 over their heads. The prime horses of the most speed,courage,and bottom4,however,are apt tbreak through and escape,sthat,in general,it is the second- rate horses that are taken.
6.Preparations were now made for a hunt of this kind. The pack horses were now taken intthe woods and firmly tied ttrees,lest in a rush of the wild horses they should break away. Twenty-five men were then sent under the command of a lieutenant tsteal along the edge of the valley within the strip of wood that skirted the hills. They were tstation themselves about fifty yards apart,within the edge of the woods,and not advance or show themselves until the horses dashed in that direction. Twenty-five men were sent across the valley tsteal in like manner along the river bank that bordered the opposite side,and tstation themselves among the trees.1Prairie,an extensive,level tract without trees,but covered with tall grass. 2 Windward,the point from which the wind blows.3Lariat,a long cord or thong of leather,with a noose,for catching wild horses. 4Bottom,power of endurance.
7.A third party of about the same number was tform a line,stretching across the lower part of the valley,sas tconnect the twwings. Beatte and our other half-breed,Antoine,together with the ever-officious Tonish,were tmake a circuit through the woods sas tget tthe upper part of the valley,in the rear of the horses,and drive them forward intthe kind of sack that we had formed,while the twwings should join behind them and make a complete circle.
8.The flanking1 parties were quietly extending themselves outof sight,on each side of the valley,and the residue were stretching themselves like the links of a chain across it,when the wild horses gave signs that they scented an enemy;snuffing the air,snorting,and looking about. At length they pranced off slowly toward the river,and disappeared behind a green bank.
9.Here,had the regulations of the chase been observed,they would have been quietly checked and turned back by the advance of a hunter from among the trees. Unluckily,however,we had our wildfire,Jack-o’-lantern 2little Frenchman tdeal with. Instead of keeping quietly up the right side of the valley,tget above the horses,the moment he saw them move toward the river he broke out of the covert3 of woods and dashed furiously across the plain in pursuit of them. This put an end tall system. The half-breeds,and half a score of rangers,joined in the chase.
10.A way they all went over the green bank. In a moment or twthe wild horses reappeared,and came thundering down the valley,with Frenchman,half-breeds,and rangers galloping and bellowing behind them. It was in vain that the line drawn across the valley attempted tcheck and turn back the fugitives;they were tohotly pressed by their pursuers: in their panic4 they dashed through the line,and clattered down the plain.1Flanking,overlooking or commanding on the side.2Jackolantern,a light seen in low,moist grounds,which disappears when approached. 3Covert,a covering place,a shelter.4Panic,sudden fright （usually,causeless fright）.
11.The whole troop joined in the headlong chase,some of the rangers without hats or caps,their hair flying about their ears,and others with handkerchiefs tied round their heads. The buffaloes,which had been calmly ruminating among the herbage,heaved up their huge forms,gazed for a moment at the tempest that came scouring down the meadow,then turned and took theavy,rolling flight. They were soon overtaken;the promiscuous1 throng were pressed together by the contracting sides of the valley,and away they went,pellmell,hurry-skurry,wild buffalo,wild horse,wild huntsman,with clang and clatter,and whoop and halloo,that made the forests ring.
12.At length the buffaloes turned inta green brake,on the river bank,while the horses dashed up a narrow defile of the hills,with their pursuers close ttheir heels. Beatte passed several of them,having fixed his eye upon a fine Pawnee horse that had his ears slit and saddle marks upon his back. He pressed him gallantly,but lost him in the woods.
13.Among the wild horses was a fine black mare,which in scrambling up the defile tripped and fell. A young ranger sprang from his horse and seized her by the mane and muzzle. Another ranger dismounted and came this assistance. The mare struggled fiercely,kicking and biting,and striking with her fore feet,but a noose was slipped over her head,and her struggles were in vain.
14.It was some time,however,before she gave over rearing and plunging ,and lashing out with her feet on every side. The twrangers then led her along the valley,by twstrong lariats,which enabled them tkeep at a sufficient distance on each side tbe out of the reach of her hoofs,and whenever she struck out in one direction she was jerked in the other. In this way her spirit was gradually subdued.
15.As tTonish,whhad marred2the whole scene by his1 Promiscuous,mingled,confused. 2 Marred,interrupted,spoiled.
precipitancy,he had been more successful than he deserved,having managed tcatch a beautiful cream-colored colt about seven months old,that had not strength tkeep up with its companions. The mercurial1 little Frenchman was beside himself with exultation. It was amusing tsee him with his prize. The colt would rear and kick,and struggle tget free,when Tonish would take him about the neck,wrestle with him,jump on his back,and cut as many antics as a monkey with a kitten.
16.Nothing surprised me more,however,than twitness how soon these poor animals,thus taken from the unbounded freedom of the prairie,yielded tthe dominion of man. In the course of twor three days the mare and colt went with the led horses and became quite docile.
-Washington Irving.
1Mercurial,sprightly,full of fire.