26 SPORT IN KORTH AMERICA. 



black horse that frequented the prairies of Arkansas 

 for a number of j^ears, defying every attempt of 

 the hunters to catch him. The fame of him was 

 known afar. He was thought to be impossible of 

 capture, and his feet were lighter than the gazelle, 

 and the mane which fell upon his graceful crest, 

 was as black as ebony. One of the Pawnees told 

 us that one evening, before the moon was up, he 

 approached very near to the enchanted horse, and 

 threw his lasso. The noble brute seemed to resign 

 himself at first, and galloped by the side of his 

 captor ; but, suddenly perceiving the camp fires, he 

 shied off vigorously, disentangled himself from the 

 lasso, and rushed full into the obscurity of the night. 



The horses captured by the Pawnees are the 

 objects of especial attention. It ma}'- interest the 

 reader to know something of the means emjjloyed 

 by the Eed Skins to conquer these noble animals. 

 In the first place, they set upon the horse's back 

 a, construction composed of two pieces of wood, 

 lightly attached to each other, so as to give it its 

 first idea of servitude. The haughty independence 

 of the animal is then immediately manifested, but 

 after an unequal struggle, in which the Indian aids, 

 the poor horse, feeling resistance to be useless, lies 

 down and confesses himself to be vanquished. An 

 actor, holding to represent the despair of a monarch, 

 could not render the position more dramatically. 



The second lesson consists in making the animal 



