Dick becomes a horse tamer--Resumes his journey--Charlie'sdoings--Misfortunes which lead to, but do not terminate in, the RockyMountains--A grizzly bear. There is a proverb--or a saying--or at leastsomebody or book has told us, that some Irishmanonce said, "Be aisy; or, if ye can't be aisy, be asaisy as ye can."Now, we count that good advice, and strongly recommendit to all and sundry. Had we been at theside of Dick Varley on the night after his taming ofthe wild horse, we would have strongly urged thatadvice upon him. Whether he would have listenedto it or not is quite another question; we rather thinknot. Reader, if you wish to know why, go and dowhat he did, and if you feel no curious sensationsabout the region of the loins after it, we will tell youwhy Dick Varley wouldn't have listened to that advice.
Can a man feel as if his joints were wrenchedout of their sockets, and listen to advice--be thatadvice good or bad? Can he feel as though thesejoints were trying to re-set and re-dislocate themselvesperpetually, and listen to advice? Can he feel as ifhe were sitting down on red-hot iron, when he's notsitting down at all, and listen to advice? Can he--butno! why pursue the subject. Poor Dick spentthat night in misery, and the greater part of the followingday in sleep, to make up for it.
When he got up to breakfast in the afternoon he feltmuch better, but shaky.
"Now, pup," he said, stretching himself, "we'll goand see our horse. Ours, pup; yours and mine: didn'tyou help to catch him, eh, pup?"Crusoe acknowledged the fact with a wag and a playful"bow-wow--wow-oo-ow!" and followed his masterto the place where the horse had been picketed. Itwas standing there quite quiet, but looking a littletimid.
Dick went boldly up to it, and patted its head andstroked its nose, for nothing is so likely to alarm eithera tame or a wild horse as any appearance of timidity orhesitation on the part of those who approach them.
After treating it thus for a short time, he strokeddown its neck, and then its shoulders--the horse eyinghim all the time nervously. Gradually he strokedits back and limbs gently, and walked quietly roundand round it once or twice, sometimes approachingand sometimes going away, but never either hesitatingor doing anything abruptly. This done, he went downto the stream and filled his cap with water and carriedit to the horse, which snuffed suspiciously and backeda little; so he laid the cap down, and went up andpatted him again. Presently he took up the cap andcarried it to his nose. The poor creature was almostchoking with thirst, so that, the moment he understoodwhat was in the cap, he buried his lips in it and suckedit up.
This was a great point gained: he had accepted abenefit at the hands of his new master; he had becomea debtor to man, and no doubt he felt the obligation.
Dick filled the cap and the horse emptied itagain, and again, and again, until its burning thirstwas slaked. Then Dick went up to his shoulder, pattedhim, undid the line that fastened him, and vaultedlightly on his back!
We say lightly, for it was so, but it wasn't easily, asDick could have told you! However, he was determinednot to forego the training of his steed on accountof what he would have called a "little bit pain."At this unexpected act the horse plunged and reareda good deal, and seemed inclined to go through the performanceof the day before over again; but Dick pattedand stroked him into quiescence, and having done so,urged him into a gallop over the plains, causing the dogto gambol round in order that he might get accustomedto him. This tried his nerves a good deal, and no wonder,for if he took Crusoe for a wolf, which no doubt he did,he must have thought him a very giant of the pack.
By degrees they broke into a furious gallop, andafter breathing him well, Dick returned and tied himto the tree. Then he rubbed him down again, andgave him another drink. This time the horse smelthis new master all over, and Dick felt that he hadconquered him by kindness. No doubt the tremendousrun of the day before could scarcely be calledkindness, but without this subduing run he never couldhave brought the offices of kindness to bear on so wilda steed.
During all these operations Crusoe sat looking onwith demure sagacity--drinking in wisdom and takingnotes. We know not whether any notes made by thecanine race have ever been given to the world, butcertain are we that, if the notes and observations madeby Crusoe on that journey were published, they would,to say the least, surprise us!
Next day Dick gave the wild horse his second lesson,and his name. He called him "Charlie," after a much-lovedcompanion in the Mustang Valley. And long andheartily did Dick Varley laugh as he told the horse hisfuture designation in the presence of Crusoe, for it struckhim as somewhat ludicrous that a mustang which, twodays ago, pawed the earth in all the pride of independentfreedom, should suddenly come down so low as to carrya hunter on his back and be named Charlie.
The next piece of instruction began by Crusoe beingled up under Charlie's nose, and while Dick patted thedog with his right hand he patted the horse with hisleft. It backed a good deal at first and snorted, butCrusoe walked slowly and quietly in front of himseveral times, each time coming nearer, until he againstood under his nose; then the horse smelt him nervously,and gave a sigh of relief when he found thatCrusoe paid no attention to him whatever. Dick thenordered the dog to lie down at Charlie's feet, and wentto the camp to fetch his rifle, and buffalo robe, andpack of meat. These and all the other things belongingto him were presented for inspection, one by one,to the horse, who arched his neck, and put forward hisears, and eyed them at first, but smelt them all over,and seemed to feel more easy in his mind.
Next, the buffalo robe was rubbed over his nose, thenover his eyes and head, then down his neck and shoulder,and lastly was placed on his back. Then it was takenoff and flung on; after that it was strapped on, and thevarious little items of the camp were attached to it.
This done, Dick took up his rifle and let him smell it;then he put his hand on Charlie's shoulder, vaulted onto his back, and rode away.
Charlie's education was completed. And now ourhero's journey began again in earnest, and with someprospect of its speedy termination.
In this course of training through which Dick puthis wild horse, he had been at much greater pains andhad taken far longer time than is usually the case amongthe Indians, who will catch, and "break," and ride awild horse into camp in less than three hours. ButDick wanted to do the thing well, which the Indiansare not careful to do; besides, it must be borne in remembrancethat this was his first attempt, and that hishorse was one of the best and most high-spirited, whilethose caught by the Indians, as we have said, are generallythe poorest of a drove.
Dick now followed the trail of his lost companions ata rapid pace, yet not so rapidly as he might have done,being averse to exhausting his good dog and his newcompanion. Each night he encamped under the shadeof a tree or a bush when he could find one, or in theopen prairie when there were none, and, picketing hishorse to a short stake or pin which he carried with himfor the purpose, lit his fire, had supper, and lay downto rest. In a few days Charlie became so tame and soaccustomed to his master's voice that he seemed quitereconciled to his new life. There can be no doubt whateverthat he had a great dislike to solitude; for on oneoccasion, when Dick and Crusoe went off a mile or sofrom the camp, where Charlie was tied, and disappearedfrom his view, he was heard to neigh so loudly thatDick ran back, thinking the wolves must have attackedhim. He was all right, however, and exhibited evidenttokens of satisfaction when they returned.
On another occasion his fear of being left alone wasmore clearly demonstrated.
Dick had been unable to find wood or water that day,so he was obliged to encamp upon the open plain. Thewant of water was not seriously felt, however, for hehad prepared a bladder in which he always carriedenough to give him one pannikin of hot sirup, andleave a mouthful for Crusoe and Charlie. Dried buffalodung formed a substitute for fuel. Spreading his buffalorobe, he lit his fire, put on his pannikin to boil, andstuck up a piece of meat to roast, to the great delightof Crusoe, who sat looking on with much interest.
Suddenly Charlie, who was picketed a few hundredyards off in a grassy spot, broke his halter close by theheadpiece, and with a snort of delight bounded away,prancing and kicking up his heels!
Dick heaved a deep sigh, for he felt sure that hishorse was gone. However, in a little Charlie stopped,and raised his nose high in the air, as if to look forhis old equine companions. But they were gone; noanswering neigh replied to his; and he felt, probablyfor the first time, that he was rea............