Mustangs and Cow Horses Page: 85
xi, 429 p. : ill., maps ; 24 cm.View a full description of this book.
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FIFTY THOUSAND MUSTANGS
the cattle we were after belonged to another outfit, over on
the Quitaque. We staked and hobbled our horses and settled
down to spend the night. Payne had killed only a few buffalo
during the winter and had taken to poisoning wolves for
their pelts. Horse meat makes the best wolf bait in the world,
and Payne had been shooting mustangs for bait.
That night we all got to talking about mustangs, always
a subject for conversation and yarns in camp. Payne said:
"There is a young white stallion running from the headwater
of this branch to the Black Water Draw south, and over to
the Tierra Blanca north. He's the fastest and wildest animal
on the plains. He's no native mustang-he's a Thoroughbred;
I have been close to him and tried for two years to catch him.
I killed his mother near my camp at the head spring."
Here is his account of the Ghost of the Llano Estacado.
He was a big stout man of about forty-five--always wore
a full beard. No one ever doubted his word.
"I was hunting on this water the winter of 1877. There
was a big band of mustangs running near Spring Lake. I
noticed particularly a white mare and her yearling, also white.
She always seemed to run near the lead but a little to one
side. Later she left this bunch of horses and seemed to stay
alone most of the time-just her and her white yearling horse
colt. I got fairly close to her several times; got a good look
at her through my glasses. I then saw she was a saddle mare.
The main color was white, but she was 'flea-bitten'--red
specks all over her. You could not call her a paint, just
speckled all over. She didn't belong to this mane-to-the-knees,
tail-dragging-the-ground stock. She looked like a Thorough-
bred-thin mane and tail, good legs and feet, a little under
fifteen hands. Her yearling was snow white and well-grown
for a yearling past-just like the mare-tail thin, short ears,
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Mustangs and Cow Horses (Book)
Collection of popular folklore of Texas and Mexico, including folktales, folk songs, ballads and other information about mustangs and horses. The index begins on page 425.
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Dobie, J. Frank (James Frank), 1888-1964; Boatright, Mody C. & Ransom, Harry H. Mustangs and Cow Horses, book, 1940; Dallas, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc67653/m1/97/: accessed April 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Press.