SAGACITY AND INTELLIGENCE OF INDIAN HORSES. 115 



runner, said the Indian, and will not need the thong." 

 She ran away with me, however, as soon as we reached 

 a grassy opening about a mile across, and in the midst of 

 her gallop the belly band broke, and the little Indian 

 saddle slipping round, I was thrown at once on the soft 

 turf. The mare stopped immediately, turned round and 

 stood by my side, waiting until I had risen and adjusted 

 the saddle. As soon as I mounted she started off again, 

 as if my sudden and unexpected descent had been inten- 

 tional. At another time, when driving a small cariole 

 over the frozen waters of Eed River, the horse, an Indian 

 one, not being roughshod, slipped and fell, but without 

 an effort to rise remained perfectly quiet until I had 

 loosened the harness, when he scrambled up, gained a 

 rough portion of ice, and quietly waited to be harnessed 

 afresh. 



Indian horses are excellent watchers by night ; our 

 half-breeds were accustomed to note with care the aspect 

 of the horses before retiring to rest ; if they showed the 

 least signs of uneasiness, such as staring about them in- 

 stead of feeding quietly, or, when feeding with the " bite " 

 in their mouth, stopping to listen, or snuffing the air, or 

 approaching the fires when the Hies where not trouble- 

 some, they would look for the cause and sometimes set 

 watchers. When during the night, however dark, the 

 horses suddenly approached the carts, the half-breeds 

 would go to them, caress them, and watch the direction 

 in which they fed or looked, knowing that their heads 

 would be turned towards the danger, whether of Indians, 

 or bears, or wolves. 



One more instance will suffice to show the docility and 

 training of Indian horses. I was riding a small horse 

 which we had procured from the Crees on the Qu'appelle, 

 in company with a Blackfoot half-breed, some distance 



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