OCR Text |
Show THE WILD HORSES OF AMERICA. At the time of the discovery of America there were no horses in any part of the continent, although the boundless prairies were admirably fitted for the support of countless herds. Soon, however, those imported by the settlers strayed away, and as a consequence are now to be met with in enormous numbers, in some cases amounting, it is said, to ten thousand in one troop. They appear to be under the ?? of a leader, the strongest and boldest of the herd, whom they implicitly obey. When threatened by danger, at some signal, understood by them all, they either close into a dense mass and trample their enemy to death, or, placing the mares and foals in the centre, they welcome him with their heels. The leader first faces the danger, and when prudence requires a retreat all follow his rapid flight. In the thinly inhabited parts of South America according to ?? it is dangerous to fall in with any of these troops. The wild horses approach as near as they dare; they call to the loaded horse with the greatest eagerness, and if the rider is not on the alert, and has not considerable strength of arm and sharpness of spur, his animal will divest himself of his burden, take to his heels, and be gone forever. |