Document text
words 7
61/17,X,RieL Fehid) COPY
by
Mrs. Florence Angermiller, P. W.
Fr ;m F. C. by Mrs. Letitia Charlton, V. A.
I'ioneer exeerlences
of '1.de :;eddle Jnys
Jel e; cee TIL De T. el0.
PP
e 1
"eede, jOhN" and e0MY.
He wns a buckskin with black points. He wns medium size, beputifully
formed and very graceful. ee wets so gentle he secesd a depdheed when
wenderine about the rench. leho hrd trained elm, I dont know. My brother
bout hiq when the nJimpl was three years old. He could sInglefoot, epee
or trot.
els one greet eassion Wes running eettle. Every cettlemen neer him
knew him to be the beat horse in that section. When on a round -up end
eech mnn was separating his cattle from the others, pony would work
tirelessly whirling, timing end tossing his heed nt everyone dis ,ocee of.
ey sisters and I rode hia everywhere. But inter on, he develoeed a
qunlity, nrieing from his being hick' etrung, that made him exceedinely
herd heeued. At times, becoming excited, he viuld take the bit in els
teeth end do he eleesed unless he was ridden by n nan end sometiries
then iC would give the fellow unite n ride :Ettore he) could oull the horse
down.
The ceuntre vies all °nen then. There were no pasture fences. My
fether's reneh et this tiee was fifteen miles north of Barksdale in
Edwerds County, en Ceder Creek. It was the roughest, c untry imaginable.
There were t-lok- groves of ceder tree every ew hundred yprds. A winding
rund ren tleee-h the creek around immense boulders and teen ceders with
eow end then, a tiny, ernesy :lot and then wore eeders.
Pioneer Experienoes Mrs. Letitia Charlton.
Page 2
252
Into this seotion had wandered large, blue, steer. He belonged to
some ranchman futher west. He was,* longhorn, tether heavy and an utter
outlaw when it came to putting him into a corral.
My sisters and I had named him Blue John. He showed no disposition to
fight. On the contrary, he always ran at sipht of mankind,.
One morning my father, pressed for 1104, told me to saddle Pony and go
to town for s)me important mail he was expecting. Hurriedly, he warned me
to go around all oattle on the first part of the trip--- that was, until
Pony became too tired to be ",peppy."
I started off riding one of those foolish oldtime side saddles. It was
held in place by a girth and a aireingle.
.I watched for cattle. Pony kept tossing his head impatiently. suddenly,
it bappened. There was Blue John about twenty fea away.
The steer snorted and turned to run. Then began for me gruelling
experience. Pony took the bridle bit in his teeth and in high glee, followed
Blue John in spite of all I could do. The first leap he made caused the
saddle blanket to start slipping. Remember, I was riding a aide saddle,
Blue John took to the cedar brake, Pony enthusiastieally followed.
A short time after, the blanket went and thereafter, it required all my wits
to keep the saddle from slipping. I knew not what direction we were taking.
All my time was taken up in keeping the saddle on the horse's back. In feet,
did not 'ride the horse, I rode the saddle. Sometimes it was on Pony's
withers and sometimes on his hips. I saw notheing and knew nothing but
trying to hold that saddle in pleas. Still, there was no abating of the
chase. Down hills, over mountain points, across slippery roeks we went.
I was growing exhausted. my long hair boom* unbraided and whipped around
projecting limbs of trees but I jerked it loose, loing many strands.
Down a hill through dangerous limbs of cedars we went. itt last, we crime
to a road. I was too exhausted to recognize it. And then we reached my father's
Pioneer ,Aperienees Mrs. Letitia Charlton
Pegs
232
field fence. Dimly, I seemed to remember it Put I wns too tired and. unctertmi
if the outcome t tie ilpromtu chase. ks we went ov.r the lnst rise and
O4wn it I Lol, fPther hurry fo onen the corral mite. He knew the danger
Weyond the coma. The 0untry mbnVe'liffis to wilt .or swift ridig.
Blue John went i&o the ()omen'. I hnd nenned him*
leather Loaned me from the horse and the saddle Game off with ne.
"I should not have sent T:ou -n that horse," he said, regretfully. I
lidn't answer. 7,, heir WAs full of eednr nnrigs,.y dress vas torn to
shreds. Mother bound un m2f wounds nnd fed r.e.
ny, young lndy," sPid ;v father nresontly, "did you 1-11-w you nenned
Plue Join?"
"9cnned nothingi" I anid disgustedly. "It was thnt horse. he could
ten Pn antelope*" Dear little Pony.