In the full foam of wrath and dread, 2. Away, away, my steed and I, jpon the pinions of the wind, And bounded by a forest black; 3. We neared the wild-wood--'twas so wide, We rustled through the leaves like wind, With their long gallop, which can tiro Nor left us with the morning sun. And perish, if it must be so, At bay, destroying many a foe! My heart turned sick, my brain grew sore, 4. The skies spun like a mighty wheel; 5. A trampling troop; I see them come! His first and last career is done! By instinct, from a human eye. They left me there to my despair, Linked to the dead and stiffening wretch, BYRON. Pûr'chase, a hold or force by | Cher'ished, loved; cared for. which bodies are moved. Ruse, a fraud; stratagem; deceit. Be trayed', made known; exposed. Do měs'ti ea'tion, the training of wild animals. The Ham'pered, restrained; impeded. Lăr'i at, a lasso; a leather rope. Străn'gu la'tion, the act of choking. Hob❜ble, to tie the feet together. THE Comanche warriors are probably the most thorough horsemen in the world. From the earliest infancy, the forest-born boy is taught to look upon the horse as the inseparable companion of his lifewhether it is to swoop with him, like an eagle, through the dust and thunder of the buffalo chase, or bear him gallantly on the trail of war. It is, in fact, their wonderful riding that has made the name of the tribe a terror on the wide plains of the southwest. 2. There is one warlike feat in which all the Comanche warriors are trained from boyhood. As the rider is dashing along with his horse at full speed, he will suddenly drop over the side of the animal, leaving no part of his person visible, except the sole of one foot, which is fastened over the horse's back as a purchase by which to pull himself to an upright position. 3. In this attitude he can ride for any distance, and, moreover, can use with deadly effect either his bow or his fourteen-foot lance. One of their favorite modes of attack is to gallop toward the enemy at full speed, and then, just before they come within range, to drop upon the opposite side of their horses, dash by the foe, and pour upon him a shower of arrows directed from under the horses' necks, and sometimes even from under their bodies the warriors themselves being wholly protected by the bodies of their flying steeds. 4. Sometimes the Comanches try to steal upon their 196440/ enemies by leaving their lances behind them, slinging themselves along the sides of their horses, and approaching carelessly, as though it were a troop of wild horses, roaming without riders. A quick eye is needed to detect this ruse, which is generally betrayed by the fact that the horses always keep the same side toward the spectator, which would seldom be the case were they wild and unrestrained in their movements. 5. Every warrior has one favorite horse, which he never mounts except for war or the chase, using inferior animals on ordinary occasions. Swiftness is the chief quality for which the charger is selected, and for no price could the owner be induced to part with him. Like all uncivilized people, he treats his horse with a strange mixture of cruelty and kindness. While engaged in the chase, for example, he spurs and whips him most ruthlessly; but the moment he returns, the horse is handed over to his women, who greet him with caresses and provide for his comfort, as though he were the most cherished member of the family. 6. The mode in which these Indians supply themselves with horses is bold and strange. In various parts of the country large bands of horses have run free for many years, so that they have lost all traces of domestication, and have become as truly wild as the buffalo or antelope-assembling in herds, which are headed by the strongest and swiftest animals. 7. It is from these herds that the warriors supply themselves with the horses which have of late years become absolutely necessary to them; and in most cases they are captured in fair chase. When a Comanche wishes to catch a fresh horse, he mounts his best steed and goes in search of the nearest herd. When he comes as near as he desires without being discovered, he |