The Great Lone Land: A Narrative of Travel and Adventure in the North-West of AmericaButler, William Francis, Sir
History
The Great Lone Land: A Narrative of Travel and Adventure in the North-West of America
Butler, William Francis, Sir
Northwest, Canadian -- Description and travel
other two men and the six horses jogged on far in advance; when they had
disappeared altogether behind some distant ridge of the prairie my little
horse would commence to look anxiously around, whinnying and trying to
get along after his comrades; and then how gamely he trotted on when I
remounted, watching out for the first sign of his friends again, far-away
little specks on the great wilds before us. When the camping place would
be reached at nightfall the first care went to the horse. To remove
saddle, bridle, and saddle-cloth, to untie the strip of soft buffalo
leather from his neck and twist it well around his fore-legs, for the
purpose of hobbling, was the work of only a few minutes, and then poor
Blackie hobbled away to find over the darkening expanse his night's
provender. Before our own supper of pemmican, half-baked bread, and tea
had been discussed, we always drove the band of horses down to some
frozen lake hard-by, and Daniel cut with the axe little drinking holes in
the ever-thickening ice; then up would bubble the water and down went the
heads-of the thirsty horses for a long pull at the too often bitter
spring, for in this region between the Assineboine and the South
Saskatchewan fully half the lakes and pools that lie scattered about
in-vast variety are harsh with salt and alkalis. Three horses always
ran loose while the other three worked in harness. These loose horses,
one might imagine, would be prone to gallop away when they found
themselves at liberty to do so: but nothing seems farther from their
thoughts; they trot along by the side of their harnessed comrades
apparently as though they knew all about it now and again they stop
behind, to crop a bit of grass or tempting stalk of wild pea or vetches,
but on they come again until the party has been reached, then, with ears
thrown back, the jog-trot is resumed, and the whole band sweeps on over
hill and plain. To halt and change horses is only the work of two minutes
--out comes one horse, the other is standing close by and never stirs
while the hot harness is being put upon him; in he goes into the rough
shafts, and, with a crack of the half-breed's whip across his flanks,
away we start again.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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