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Horse Raising Up His Master

(261) somewhat public, and light-fingered gen- to advance. His calling-so primitive in tlemen of elastic consciences and ques- character-is doomed, and the time cantionable morals are to be found in the not be far distant when, with the inroads West, as in the East; and partly, perhaps of the railways into the Western cattlemainly, because such choice articles of raising country, the Cow-boy will vanish. adornment are somewhat rare in Cow-boy It is surprising what endurance the land! However, many a Cow-boy drops horses have in the southwestern part of his letters things over which a terrible our continent. The Mexican mustangs amount of hard labor has been expended are famous for their toughness. These -into the prairie pillar-box, and chances horses are capable of being taught to do their reaching their destination. many things, and seem to be on the As I have already hinted, the Cow-boy's most intimate terms with their riders. life is a hard one, calling for many manly The horse is wonderful for his intelligence. qualities. He must make his home wher- An instance is given where a gentleever he may happen to be; steady perma- man fell one day from his noble animal, nent home he cannot have. He must and, being seriously injured, was unable expose himself to all kinds of wind and to rise. The horse, understanding the weather; it is a rough, wild life that he situation quite well, turned around to his lives on the plains, but he enjoys it. master, took hold of his coat-collar with The Cow-hoy, as we see him to-day-- his teeth, and actually tried to lift him to strong, alert, and self-reliant-is but the his feet. A representation of this you remnant of those gallant hosts of old-time may see in the accompanying engraving. pioneers; and like them he must yield to It is a beautiful testimony to the sagacity that very civilization which he has helped and fidelity of the horse.