ones; but its rider held on like a burr. Then the
mustang raced wildly forwards a few paces, then as
wildly back, and then stood still and trembled violently.
But this was only a brief lull in the storm, so Dick saw
that the time was now come to assert the superiority of
his race.
"Stay back, Crusoe, and watch my rifle, pup," he
cried, and raising his heavy switch he brought it down
with a sharp cut across the horse's flank, at the same
time loosening the rein which hitherto he had held
tight.
The wild horse uttered a passionate cry, and sprang
forward like the bolt from a cross-bow.
And now commenced a race which, if not so prolonged,
was at least as furious as that of the far-famed
Mazeppa. Dick was a splendid rider, however--at
least as far as "sticking on" goes. He might not
have come up to the precise pitch desiderated by a
riding-master in regard to carriage, etc., but he rode
that wild horse of the prairie with as much ease as he
had formerly ridden his own good steed, whose bones
had been picked by the wolves not long ago.
The pace was tremendous, for the youth's weight
was nothing to that muscular frame, which bounded
with cat-like agility from wave to wave of the undulating
plain in ungovernable terror. In a few minutes
the clump of willows where Crusoe and his rifle lay
were out of sight behind; but it mattered not, for Dick
had looked up at the sky and noted the position of the
sun at the moment of starting. Away they went on
the wings of the wind, mile after mile over the ocean-like
waste--curving slightly aside now and then to
avoid the bluffs that occasionally appeared on the
scene for a few minutes and then swept out of sight
behind them. Then they came to a little rivulet. It
was a mere brook of a few feet wide, and two or three
yards, perhaps, from bank to bank. Over this they
flew so easily that the spring was scarcely felt, and
continued the headlong course. And now a more
barren country was around them. Sandy ridges and
scrubby grass appeared everywhere, reminding Dick of
the place where he had been so ill. Rocks, too, were
scattered about, and at one place the horse dashed
with clattering hoofs between a couple of rocky sand-hills which, for
a few
seconds, hid the prairie from
view. Here the mustang suddenly shied with such
violence that his rider was nearly thrown, while a
rattlesnake darted from the path. Soon they emerged
from this pass, and again the plains became green and
verdant. Presently a distant line of trees showed that
they were approaching water, and in a few minutes
they were close on it. For the first time Dick felt
alarm. He sought to check his steed, but no force he
could exert had the smallest influence on it.
Trees and bushes flew past in bewildering confusion.
The river was before him; what width, he could not
tell, but he was reckless now, like his charger, which he
struck with the willow rod with all his force as they
came up. One tremendous bound, and they were
across, but Dick had to lie flat on the mustang's back
as it crashed through the bushes to avoid being scraped
off by the trees. Again they were on the open plain,
and the wild horse began to show signs of exhaustion.
Now was its rider's opportunity to assert his dominion.
He plied the willow rod and urged the panting
horse on, until it was white with foam and laboured
a little in its gait. Then Dick gently drew the halter,
and it broke into a trot; still tighter, and it walked,
and in another minute stood still, trembling in every
limb. Dick now quietly rubbed its neck, and spoke
to it in soothing tones; then he wheeled it gently
round, and urged it forward. It was quite subdued
and docile. In a little time they came to the river
and forded it, after which they went through the belt
of woodland at a walk. By the time they reached the
open prairie the mustang was recovered sufficiently to
feel its spirit returning, so Dick gave it a gentle touch
with the switch, and away they went on their return
journey.
But it amazed Dick not a little to find how long
that journey was. Very different was the pace, too,
from the previous mad gallop, and often would the poor
horse have stopped had Dick allowed him. But this
might not be. The shades of night were approaching,
and the camp lay a long way ahead.
At last it was reached, and Crusoe came out with
great demonstrations of joy, but was sent back lest he
should alarm the horse. Then Dick jumped off his
back, stroked his head, put his cheek close to his
mouth and whispered softly to him, after which he
fastened him to a tree and rubbed him down slightly
with a bunch of grass. Having done this, he left him
to graze as far as his tether would permit; and, after
supping with Crusoe, lay down to-rest, not a little
elated with his success in this first attempt at "creasing"
and "breaking" a mustang.
Dick becomes a horse tamer--Resumes his journey--Charlie'sdoings--Misfortunes which lead to, but do not terminate in, the RockyMountains--A grizzly bear
.
There is a proverb--or a saying--or at least
somebody or book has told us, that some Irishman
once said, "Be aisy; or, if ye can't be aisy, be as
aisy as ye can."
Now, we count that good advice, and strongly recommend
it to all and sundry. Had we been at the
side of Dick Varley on the night after his taming of
the wild horse, we would have strongly urged that
advice upon him. Whether he would have listened
to it or not is quite another question; we rather think
not. Reader, if you wish to know why, go and do
what he did, and if you feel no curious sensations
about the region of the loins after it, we will tell you
why Dick Varley wouldn't have listened to that advice.
Can a man feel as if his joints were wrenched
out of their sockets, and listen to advice--be that
advice good or bad? Can he feel as though these
joints were trying to re-set and re-dislocate themselves
perpetually, and listen to advice? Can he feel as if
he were sitting down on red-hot iron, when he's not
sitting down at all, and listen to advice? Can he--but
no! why pursue the subject. Poor Dick spent
that night in misery, and the greater part of the following
day in sleep, to make up for it.
When he got up to breakfast in the afternoon he felt
much better, but shaky.
"Now, pup," he said, stretching himself, "we'll go
and see our horse.
Ours
, pup; yours and mine: didn't
you help to catch him, eh, pup?"
Crusoe acknowledged the fact with a wag and a playful
"bow-wow--wow-oo-ow!" and followed his master
to the place where the horse had been picketed. It
was standing there quite quiet, but looking a little
timid.
Dick went boldly up to it, and patted its head and
stroked its nose, for nothing is so likely to alarm either
a tame or a wild horse as any appearance of timidity or
hesitation on the part of those who approach them.
After treating it thus for a short time, he stroked
down its neck, and then its shoulders--the horse eying
him all the time nervously. Gradually he stroked
its back and limbs gently, and walked quietly round
and round it once or twice, sometimes approaching
and sometimes going away, but never either hesitating
or doing anything abruptly. This done, he went down
to the stream and filled his cap with water and carried
it to the horse, which snuffed suspiciously and backed
a little; so he laid the cap down, and went up and
patted him again. Presently he took up the cap and
carried it to his nose. The poor creature was almost
choking with thirst, so that, the moment he understood
what was in the cap, he buried his lips in it and sucked
it up.
This was a great point gained: he had accepted a
benefit at the hands of his new master; he had become
a debtor to man, and no doubt he felt the obligation.
Dick filled the cap and the horse emptied it
again, and again, and again, until its burning thirst
was slaked. Then Dick went up to his shoulder, patted
him, undid the line that fastened him, and vaulted
lightly on his back!
We say
lightly
, for it was so, but it wasn't
easily
, as
Dick could have told you! However, he was determined
not to forego the training of his steed on account
of what
he
would have called a "little bit pain."
At this unexpected act the horse plunged and reared
a good deal, and seemed inclined to go through the performance
of the day before over again; but Dick patted
and stroked him into quiescence, and having done so,
urged him into a gallop over the plains, causing the dog
to gambol round in order that he might get accustomed
to him. This tried his nerves a good deal, and no wonder,
for if he took Crusoe for a wolf, which no doubt he did,
he must have thought him a very giant of the pack.
By degrees they broke into a furious gallop, and
after breathing him well, Dick returned and tied him
to the tree. Then he rubbed him down again, and
gave him another drink. This time the horse smelt
his new master all over, and Dick felt that he had
conquered him by kindness. No doubt the tremendous
run of the day before could scarcely be called
kindness, but without this subduing run he never could
have brought the offices of kindness to bear on so wild
a steed.
During all these operations Crusoe sat looking on
with demure sagacity--drinking in wisdom and taking
notes. We know not whether any notes made by the
canine race have ever been given to the world, but
certain are we that, if the notes and observations made
by Crusoe on that journey were published, they would,
to say the least, surprise us!
Next day Dick gave the wild horse his second lesson,
and his name. He called him "Charlie," after a much-loved
companion in the Mustang Valley. And long and
heartily did Dick Varley laugh as he told the horse his
future designation in the presence of Crusoe, for it struck
him as somewhat ludicrous that a mustang which, two
days ago, pawed the earth in all the pride of independent
freedom, should suddenly come down so low as to carry
a hunter on his back and be named Charlie.
The next piece of instruction began by Crusoe being
led up under Charlie's nose, and while Dick patted the
dog with his right hand he patted the horse with his
left. It backed a good deal at first and snorted, but
Crusoe walked slowly and quietly in front of him
several times, each time coming nearer, until he again
stood under his nose; then the horse smelt him nervously,
and gave a sigh of relief when he found that
Crusoe paid no attention to him whatever. Dick then
ordered the dog to lie down at Charlie's feet, and went
to the camp to fetch his rifle, and buffalo robe, and
pack of meat. These and all the other things belonging
to him were presented for inspection, one by one,
to the horse, who arched his neck, and put forward his
ears, and eyed them at first, but smelt them all over,
and seemed to feel more easy in his mind.
Next, the buffalo robe was rubbed over his nose, then
over his eyes and head, then down his neck and shoulder,
and lastly was placed on his back. Then it was taken
off and
flung
on; after that it was strapped on, and the
various little items of the camp were attached to it.
This done, Dick took up his rifle and let him smell it;
then he put his hand on Charlie's shoulder, vaulted on
to his back, and rode away.
Charlie's education was completed. And now our
hero's journey began again in earnest, and with some
prospect of its speedy termination.
In this course of training through which Dick put
his wild horse, he had been at much greater pains and
had taken far longer time than is usually the case among
the Indians, who will catch, and "break," and ride a
wild horse into camp in less than
three hours
. But
Dick wanted to do the thing well, which the Indians
are not careful to do; besides, it must be borne in remembrance
that this was his first attempt, and that his
horse was one of the best and most high-spirited, while
those caught by the Indians, as we have said, are generally
the poorest of a drove.
Dick now followed the trail of his lost companions at
a rapid pace, yet not so rapidly as he might have done,