THE WILD HORSE. 21 



the nearest hunter dashed onwards to meet them, 

 and frightened them hack again. 



My readers may perhaps understand the nature 

 of this sport, whicli the pen is quite inadequate to 

 describe. Nothing is grander than to see these 

 horses at full gallop, rushing in every direction, 

 and whinnying with such clearness and suddenness 

 that the echoes have scarcely time to take up the 

 burden without hearing it repeated. The Pawnees, 

 who entertained me, attached the baggage horses 

 to stakes, so as to keep them from running awa}', 

 and to prevent them from being misled by bad 

 example. Fifty Eed Skins, with the chief of the 

 tribe at the head, crept along the border of the wood 

 v.hich lined the hill to the left, leading their horses 

 after them. A similar number of men went to the 

 right, on the other side of the stream ; whilst a third 

 party, making an immense circuit, lay in ambush on 

 a parallel line near the lower end of the valley, with 

 a view to a junction of the two wings, so as to 

 inclose the herd of wild horses in the centre. This 

 difficult manoeuvre was executed with extraordinary 

 facility, and the third line was just about to unite 

 itself with the two others when the herd gave sym- 

 ptoms of alarm. The neighings of the horses became 

 more frequent; the}' breathed heavily, and looked 

 anxiously around. Presently they broke out into a 

 trot, behind a clump of cotton bushes, which hid 

 them from our sight. 



