Piebald; King of Bronchos the Biography of a Wild Horse (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos, missing text or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1912. Not illustrated. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER VI THE RACE AT FORT BLANCO CHAPTER VI THE KACE AT FORT BLANCO Fort Blanco was not really much of a fort, but rather a military post by means of which the United States government dominated that lawless northeastern portion of Arizona, north of Tucson. Sometimes the post was occupied, but more often it was empty. If the times were lawless and it was necessary it was occupied, but not otherwise. The chief marauders were several scattered bands of restless Indians, who frequently got too much snake juice and went on the war-path, taking one another's scalps as a matter of course, but frequently varying the program with a white man's scalp. When such outbreaks occurred the soldiers had to go after the Indians and punish them. The red men were so well armed with modern firearms that it was too much of an undertaking for the average posse. When occupied, Fort Blanco was the social centre of that forlorn desert portion of Arizona. The soldiers were all young men and when not on duty usually saw that there was something doing. The chief event of the year however was a horserace, which was usually held upon the parade grounds in November, after harvesting was well out of the way. Horse-racing is a common diversion of frontier countries, --not trotting, but running races. There are no fancy trotting horses among these rough and ready frontier equines, but each community can usually boast a running horse upon which the local sports are ready to bet their last dollar. The horse-race at the fort was always advertised for two or three weeks in advance by means of hand-made posters, the work of Rembrandt Charlie, which were posted in all the frontier towns for a hundred miles around. In addition to that it received much mouth to mouth advertising, as it was the one thin...