The King of the Drove.
The travelers had been intensely interested in the old trapper’s
story, and not even the thought that the danger was passed, and that
Frank was safe in camp again, could altogether quiet their feelings.
Frank was more astonished than ever, and he secretly determined that
he would never again lose sight of the wagon, if he could avoid it.
But, if he should again be compelled to take an involuntary ride, and
should happen to fall in with strangers on the prairie, he would give
them a wide berth.
Mr. Winters said nothing. He did not think that the occasion demanded
that he should caution his nephew, for it was by no means probable
that the latter would soon forget his night in the outlaw’s camp.
His adventures, which were the subject of a lengthy conversation, did
not, however, entirely quench his love of excitement, and when, after
a hearty dinner on buffalo hump, Archie proposed a short ride on the
prairie, he agreed to accompany him, and, as soon as he had caught and
saddled his uncle’s horse, was ready for the start. As they rode along
out of the woods, Archie informed his cousin that another herd of
buffaloes had been seen that morning by old Bob, feeding near the base
of the mountains, and announced his determination of endeavoring to
shoot one, if they should happen to come across them. As there was now
no danger of being stampeded--both of their horses being old buffalo
hunters--Frank agreed to the proposal, and followed his cousin, who
led the way toward the place where the buffaloes had last been seen.
Swell after swell they mounted, straining their eyes in every
direction, without discovering the wished-for game.
But they saw something else that excited them quite as much as the
sight of a herd of buffaloes would have done; for, as Archie, who had
ridden some distance in advance of his cousin, reached the top of one
of the hills, Frank saw him suddenly draw rein, and back his horse
down the swell, out of sight of something which he had discovered on
the other side. He then rode back to meet Frank, and, as soon as he
came within speaking distance, whispered, excitedly:
“There’s a big drove of wild horses out there.”
Frank waited to hear no more, but, throwing his bridle to his cousin,
dismounted from his horse, and, going cautiously to the top of the
swell, looked over. Sure enough, there they were, about half a mile
distant, probably five hundred of them, scattered about over
the prairie, some feeding, and others prancing about, as if
wholly unconscious of danger. Among them was one horse--an
iron-gray--rendered conspicuous by his great size and extraordinary
beauty, which galloped about as if he were “monarch of all he
surveyed.” Frank remembered what Dick had told him about every drove
of wild horses having a “master,” and, as he watched his movements,
and noticed how the other horses shied at his approach, he came to the
conclusion that the gray horse was the king. He gazed at them for some
time, admiring their rapid, graceful movements, and thinking how fully
the gray would supply the place of the horse he had lost, when he
noticed that the animals were feeding directly toward him. Fearful of
being discovered, he crawled back down the swell, and rejoined his
cousin.
“What shall we do?” asked the latter, excitedly.
“Don’t you suppose Dick could catch one of those fellows?” inquired
Frank.
“Of course he could,” answered Archie, quickly. “Didn’t he catch that
black mustang he told us about--a horse that every body had tried to
catch, and couldn’t? Let’s go back, and ask him to try.”
The boys hastily remounted, and started for the camp as fast as their
horses could carry them. Archie, of course, led the way, and, as he
dashed up to the wagon, he threw himself from the saddle, exclaiming:
“Dick, there’s a drove of wild horses out there on the prairie. Jump
on Sam, and go and catch one for Frank.”
“That’s the same drove I seed day afore yesterday,” said old Bob, “an’
that’s what I meant when I told Frank we’d put him on hossback ag’in
afore he war two days older. Ketch my hoss, Dick.”
Dick did as he was desired, and, by this time, Frank had come up,
Archie, in his eagerness, having left him far behind.
“Did you skeer ’em, youngsters?” asked old Bob, as he went to the
wagon and drew out two rawhide lassos, one of which he handed to Dick.
“No,” replied Frank. “They didn’t see us. Dick, catch the king--he’s a
large iron-gray--the prettiest horse in the drove. If I could have
him, I would be glad I lost Pete.”
“Wal, now, that ar’ will be a hard thing to do, youngsters,” replied
the trapper, coiling up his lasso, and hanging it on the horn of his
saddle; “a mighty hard thing to do. Them ar’ kings ar’ allers the
swiftest hosses in the drove; an’ it aint every ole buffaler hunter
that can keep up with ’em.”
Archie was astonished to hear the trapper speak so lightly of Sleepy
Sam, a horse that had several times proved himself to be possessed of
great speed; but Dick hastened to explain.
“I aint sayin’ nothin’ ag’in your hoss, little one, no more’n I am
ag’in Bob’s. But if you had chased wild hosses as often as I have, you
would know that a hoss can beat any thing in a wagon train, an’ yet
have no bisness with the king of a drove. I won’t say that we’ll ketch
that gray fur you, Frank, but we’ll try hard, an’ if he is too fast
fur us, we’ll lasso one of the others, sartin. We’ll bring back
somethin’ fur you to ride.”
By this time the trappers were ready for the start. Mr. Winters and
the boys accompanied them to the edge of the prairie, and there Bob
and Dick left them, after repeatedly assuring Frank that it was not
their intention to return empty-handed.
When they had disappeared, Mr. Winters and the boys seated themselves
on the ground, and for nearly an hour, waited and listened for the
sound of the pursuit. Suddenly a single horse appeared upon the summit
of a distant swell, and facing about, stood as if regarding some
object that had excited his curiosity. Then came another, and another,
and in a moment more the entire drove appeared, running at the top of
their speed. One minute elapsed--two--three--and then two more horses
suddenly arose over the swell, and followed swiftly after the drove.
The chase had begun in earnest. The boys were surprised, and not a
little discouraged, to see the trappers so far behind. But still they
had great confidence in them, and Frank was already reconciled to the
loss of his horse, and confident that he would own another before he
went to sleep that night. The chase was tending directly toward the
mountains, and it presented a sight the boys would have been loth to
miss. Nearer and nearer came the wild steeds, prancing and snorting,
and looking back at the strange objects that were pursuing them.
Presently, among the foremost ones, the boys discovered the gray king.
He moved over the ground as lightly as if he had been furnished with
wings, and as Frank watched his movements, he reluctantly came to the
conclusion that if his endurance was as great as his speed, he must
content himself with one of the common horses of the drove. They
continued to advance until they came within a quarter of a mile of the
willows, when they seemed, for the first time, to discover that their
retreat in that direction was cut off by the mountains. This appeared
to confuse and frighten them. The foremost ones slackened their speed,
but seeing their pursuers close behind them, the drove suddenly
divided, part of the horses turning one way, and the rest going the
other. The trappers had kept their eyes on the king, and, when he
turned, they singled him out from the others, and followed him with
increased speed. The gray mustang made an exhibition of his powers
that was truly surprising; but the trappers took a “short cut” on him,
and gained so rapidly that Frank’s hopes rose again. Sleepy Sam was
running splendidly; but, to the surprise of all, old Bob’s ungainly,
raw-boned horse, in answer to a yell from his rider, bounded past him.
All this happened in much less time than we have taken to describe it.
The horses moved with wonderful rapidity, and, in a very few moments
after the drove divided, the gray king and the trappers were out of
sight behind the swells, and all sounds of the chase had died away in
the distance.
Mr. Winters then returned to the camp, while the excited boys again
seated themselves on the ground, and waited long and impatiently for
the trapper’s return. The hours slowly wore away, and, finally, the
sun went down, but still no signs of the horsemen. It soon began to
grow dark, and the boys were obliged to return to the wagon. Frank
prepared supper that evening, but their appetites must have gone off
with the gray mustang, for they ate but little. They sat beside the
fire until midnight, straining their ears to catch the first sounds of
the trapper’s return; but nothing but the occasional howl of a wolf
broke the stillness; and, finally, growing tired of watching, they
spread their blankets and went to sleep. At the first peep of day they
were again stirring, and, after a hasty breakfast, they stationed
themselves in the edge of the willows, to await the return of the
horsemen. In about two hours their patience was rewarded by the
discovery of several objects moving along the summit of a distant
swell. As they approached, the boys recognized the trappers, and in
half an hour they were within speaking distance. Could Frank believe
his eyes? Was Dick really riding the gray king? It was a horse that
bore a strong resemblance to him, and Frank felt confident that the
animal he had so much admired, was really his own. Nor was he
deceived; for, as they came up, Dick exclaimed:
“Here we ar’, youngsters. We’ve got him, sure as shootin’. Easy thar,”
he continued, as the delighted boys walked slowly around him, admiring
his fine points. “If you know any thing you’ll keep cl’ar of his
heels. He aint very good natur’d.”
This was very evident; for the trapper had scarcely spoken before the
mustang began to show his temper. He danced about in the most lively
manner; first rearing up almost straight in the air, and then kicking
with both hind feet. His plunges were furious and desperate, and the
boys fully expected to see the trapper unseated. But the latter,
although he had no saddle--that being a contrivance he despised--and
only had his lasso twisted around the gray’s lower jaw, for a bridle,
kept the animal completely under his control, and rode him into the
camp in triumph.
“The critter led us ’bout as long an’ as lively a race as we ever
run,” said Dick, after the gray had been securely fastened to a tree.
“An’ it war only by accident that we ketched him. I don’t reckon I am
sayin’ too much when I say that I never seed a hoss run faster nor
hold out better nor he did--not even the black mustang. We went ’round
on the other side of the drove afore we started ’em, on purpose to
make ’em run t’wards the mountains. That give you a good sight of
somethin’ you never seed afore, an’ by it we gained on the gray when
he turned. Wal, he kept ahead of us for ten or twelve miles, gainin’
on us all the while, fur when he seed that we war arter him in
’arnest, the way he did climb over the prairy war a purty thing to
look at--when, all to onct, we found ourselves in a prairy-dog’s nest.
The prairy, as far as a feller could see, war like a honey-comb. I
’spected every minit that my hoss would break through, an’ at last he
did. But the gray broke in fust--went down clean to the top of his
legs, an’ couldn’t git out. I war sartin we had him, an’ war jest
goin’ to throw my lasso, when my hoss went in, an’ kerchunk I went on
the ground. But ole Bob war on hand, an’ he ketched him. We told you,
Frank, that we’d put you on horseback ag’in, an’ now that we’ve done
it, I don’t reckon you’ll lose this animal by campin’ with Black
Bill.”