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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Seaforth News, 1948-08-12, Page 2The Greatest orses 1 Ever Knew By A. F. TSCHIFFELY Although in my time I have known and ridden a great many horses, the two mustangs wlio car- ried meand my pack from Buenos Aires to Washington, certainly are• the greatest I ever knew, though I do not claim that they are the great- est which ever lived. No doubt, if Alexander the Great were brought back to life, and some could induce him to broad- cast about Bucephalus, he would say that he was the greatest horse he ever knew. Given the same op- portunity, most likely jockeys and trainers of racehorses would tell us the seine -about animals such as Eclipse, Brown Jack, Windsor Lad and a host of others, though perhaps unlucky punters would express very different opinions. Inthe field of fiction, Dick Turpin would sing praises to his Black Bess, and Don Quixote would hold forth about his Rosinante, despitethe fact that, according to Cervantes, the poor old nag's bones stuck out like cor- ners of a Spanish real. I must not omit to mention one horse which became a god. I am referring to Morcilto, Cortez's horse. In 1524, during the conquistador's expedition from Mexico to Honduras, when Cortez and his men were starving, they sighted deer. Giving chase, they succeeded in shooting a few. The awe-inspiring sight of bearded white men on horseback, dressed in full armour, and with thunderous noise and flashes killing deer which were held sacred among those In- dians, made them think that what they saw were divine beings, horse and rider being one. As it happen- ed, Cortez's Morcillo had run a splinter into one foot, so it was de- cided to leave the animal behind, in the care of the Indians. Under the impression that the horse was responsible for the terrifying noises the natives had heard when deer were being shot, they named Mar cillo "Tziminchac", meaning "god of thunder and lightning". No sooner had Cortez and his men de- parted than the Indians decorated the lame horse with flowers, and put him into a temple where chick- ens and other delicacies were placed before him as fodder, with the re- sult that soon poor Morcilto died of starvation. About a century later when a Spanish priest passed through those parts, to his amaze- ment he discovered in a temple an enormous statue of a horse, It represented the Indians' new god: Tziminchac, formerly Cortez's mount Morcilio. Mancha and Gato But to come to the two greatest horses I ever knew. Their names are Mancha and Gato. Both were named after their respective colours. In English "mancha" means "spot" or "stain". Ile was a skewbald, or "pinto" as the American cowboys call horses of this colour. The other I named "Gato", because in the Argentine he is known as a "gateado", or "eat -coloured" horse. "Cato" means "cat". Formerly both had been the property of a Pata- gonian Indian chief, and when I first rode them they were the wild- est of the wild. To turf men and frequenters of horse -shows Mancha and Gato would have appeared— to put it mildly—curious, but not so to old stagers from the Pampas or the United States—Mexican border- line regions. Old gauchos and cow- punchers still remember the today rare Spanish ponies, and some of the almost incredible feats of endurance performed by animals of this breed. A few words on the origin of the mustang—or "eriolto" pony, as he is called in South America—may help you to understand the reasons for his powers of resistance. Mus- tangs are the descendants of horses brought to the Americas by the early discoverers, These animals were of the finest Spanish stock, at the time the best in Europe, with a large admixture of Arab and Barb blood. That they were the first horses in America is borne out by history, tradition, and by the, fact that no, native American language or dialect contains a word for "horse". The imported animals, which were turned loose or escaped to wander over the country, lived and bred .by the laws of nature. They • were hunted by the Indians and wild animals, drought -would compel them to travel enormous distances in search of water, and the treacherous climate, with its sudden changes 'of temperature, killed off all but the strongest; in short, they were forced to obey the natural law Cif survival of the fittest: Thus in four centuries, nature without the interference of man developed the mustang. A Rugged Breed 1Vhat is most gratifying to me is the knowledge that, thanks to Mancha and Gato I was able to prove that this breed is worthy of the reputation it always held among those who really knew, namely of being second to none for continu- ous hard work under any 'condi- tions. Any kind of fodder they could rustle suited them, and al- though we had to traverse hot des- erts, steaming swamps and desolate rocky valleys, not once did they look sorry for themselves, where delicate thoroughbreds would inev- itably have perished. Over wind- swept Andean ranges, one as high as 18,000 feet, then down into jun- gles, along the entire length of the South American continent, up through Central America and Mex- ico, and from the Rio Grande on the Texan border, up to Washington, Mancha and Gato never jibbed at anything. Deep - chested, Mancha stood slightly under fifteen hands. He was always alert, an excellent watch -dog, distrusting strangers, and he would let no other man but myself ride him. Whenever he wanted something he nickered or neighed, or rubbed his broad fore- head against me, sometimes even giving me a playful nip with his teeth. He had fiery eyes, white rims showing, ears always moving. Whilst jogging along, his head was always held high, and with keen , eyes he would look towards the hor- izon. He was very fond of being spoken to, and often turned his head to look at me through the corner of an eye when I was riding hint. Gato's sturdy legs, short thick neck and Roman nose were as far removed from the points of a race- horse as the North Pole is from the South. He tamed down much quick- er than his companion who from the very beginning completely bos- sed him without ever meeting re- taliation. Gato was the type of horse that, if ridden by a brutal man, would gallop until dead. His eyes had a childish dreamy look, seeming to observe everything with wondering surprise. He had a rare instinct for bogs and quicksands. Owing to his over -confidence on giddy mountain trails he gave me several frights, without apparently worrying himself. When we were going along a narrow trail, and I went ahead on foot to hack down interfering creepers and twigs with my bush knife, Gato always had to follow behind his companion, who never allowed him to take first place. If my two horses had only had the faculty of human speech and understanding, I would have gone to Gato to tell my troubles and secrets, but if I wanted to go on a spree, I should certainly have taken Mancha with me. His per- sonality was stronger, and he was always game for a little devilment, Guided by Tail In rough, mountainous country it was much more tiring to go moupt- ed up and down steep rocky inclines, and the danger of a *tasty fall was ever present. Therefore, whenever I came to precipitous trails, and there were many, I divided the pack between the horses. If we had to go downhill I went ahead, but when climbing I put Mancha in front and caught hold of This tail. In this way he pulled me along without much effort. I always put him in front because he obeyed my com- mands, and I could guide him in any direction by pulling his tail one way or the other. Gato was much too eager to go ahead, and even if I tried to make him stop he went on until out of breath, which is very dangerous in high altitudes. The trick of guiding hint by the tail did OE.1ect church in Bruce County is the ]Dunblane Presbyterian Church, seven•niiles north of Paisley. Fourth generations of original pioneers still attend services conducted -by Rev. Wm, Quigley. ,fid; . They'll Build a Home Around It—This lovely stairway is all that remains of a Grosvenor Square, London, mansion that was built in 1750. The rest of the home was wrecked by Ger- man bombs in 1942, or demolished since then. But nobody has had the heart to tear down the sweeping stairway. So they'll build a new house around it. not work with him, and on the few occasions when I tried hint out as a leader, he often chose the worst foot -trail, obviously thinking that the straightest was the shortest. The crossing of giddy, hanging bridges, innumerable streamsand rivers offered serious and in some cases dangerous obstacles, but both my horses being excellent swimmers the worst that happened to us was several good frights. Once the horses got to know me, and we were out in the wilds, I never tied them at night, but let them graze toose. They always re- tained near nee, and in, the morn- ing came to be saddled without having to be called. This brings me to an important observation. If you realy want to know and understand a horse, you must be with him day and night, and, if posible, far away from human habitations and stables, in country that is strange to your animal, Having reached such re- gions, Mancha and Gato looked to me for everything, including pro- tection when they feared some dan- ger was lurkikng, Far be it from me to claim that my two equine companions had qualities no animal has ever possesed. At the risk of annoying' some people, I will be bold, and state that no animal has ever been endowed with intelligence or intellect, as I interpret the words. If animals possesed that something extra, I mean intelligence, intellect- ually man and beast would be equals, and possibly some species of animal would dominate the world, as man does today. Animals have instinct and sense and can be very clever; but, on the other hand, although some of our most eminent scholars, scientists and thinkers and odd politicians have been bless- ed with almost frightening intelli- gence, it not infrequently happens that some of these human marvels do not :possess one atom of sense, let alone horse sense. After Seven Years Having reached our goal, New York, we took a ship back to the Argentine, and there Mancha anti Gato spent a well earned rest on the ranch belonging to a friend of mine. After an absence of seven years, I left London to re -visit the Argen- tine, and, of course, to see how'my old equine companions were getting on. When I arived at the ranch where they were spending their old age, I found them in the corral. Within the circle of stout posts I at once recognised my horses' familiar forms and colours. Although still some fifty yards away, I shouted, 'Man'chol Gato!' Immediately both turned round and stared at me, their heads held high, cars pricked up, and nostrils dilated. I slowly ap- proached the corral and entered through the gate, and when "I touched Mancha's broad forehead, both he and .his companion sniffed me all over. To find out if they still remembered one or two simple tricks 1 had taught them years before, I stood in front of one, and snapped a finger. Immediately a foreleg was lifted, and I was allow- ed to inspect the hoof, and when I repeated the noise, this time snap- ping my finfiger under the horse, at once he lifted a hind -leg. These tricks the animals had learnt in the wilds, when I tried to make quite sure that no stone or other hard object was lodged in the hoof to lame them. There was no doubt they remembered me, but to satisfy myself fully in this respect, I return- ed to the corral later. On this oc- casion I did not show myself until the foreman of the ranch had called the animals. several tines. They made he response, but when 'I shouted their names, at once both lolced towards pie. I made other tests which left me in no doubt that both remembered me clearly. About three years ago, when Gato had reached the ripe age of thirty-four, he suddenly dropped down dead, and last Christmas, when Mancha was nearing his for- tieth year, he followed his com- panion, leaving me to mourn, not only for the two greatest horses I ever knew, but also for two faithful companions on whose chances of winning throught not even the most reckles punter would have gambled one farthing. From Alberta to C.N.E.—The 100 -foot -high rotary oil drilling rig which drilled the first pro- ducing well in Zone. 2 of Al- berta's Leduc field will be oper- ating in the CNE grounds this year. Poor Wife, ESood Friend Almost from the time they were married, Farmer Brown and his wife led a cat -and -.dog existence. At last he built himself a cabin in a field back of the barn and left his wife in the farmhouse. A man who was helping Brown in the woods one day went back with him to the cabin at noon. The cabin was neat and tidy, looking as though freshly swept; and on the table was a blue- berry pie and a pan of newly -baked •biscuits, "Olt, ,yes, Sarah conies in , now and, again, and cleans up a bit and brings a few hot biscuits and such," said Brown, in response to the visitor's- look of inquiry. "You know, no plan on earth could ever live with that woman. 111ut she sarc makes an awful good neighbor." * Selling War Weapons Big Via Veneto is Route's most fash- ionable street, It is also the spot where, according to ample evidence, you can buy slightly used weapons of war - ranging all - the way from a single rifle' to a submarine—com- plete with crew. And there are plenty of buyers. There is no particular secret about what goes on at the crowded little tables beneath the broad awnings of the elegant cafes which line the Via front the grounds of the United States Embassy to the Pincian Gate in the old Roman wall. Newspaper- men Government officials, and others more directly interested have known for many months that if you were considering starting a private little war or were interested' in sup- plying' an army. already in the field, you merely let the fact be known discreetly and sooner or later''you would meet the right person on Via ' Veneto, writes Joseph G. Harrison in The Christian Science Monitor. - - Handouts and Handshakes Quite understandably, recent events in the Middle East have con- tributednot a little to the .rush of activity now engulfing the half doz- en or so small -tine Basil Zaharoffs who whisper mysteriously of stock- piles, shipments, and prices while toying with a granite. di Gaffe con panne or a gelato misto. Agents for both Jews and Arabs are no strang- ers on Via Veneto, and while some ragged beggar may be receiving a five -lire handout at one table, at the next a 'handshake may be sealing a deal for weapons running into the tens of millions. Recently, a reasonably reliable Italian weekly, magazine, L'Europ- eo, took a careful loolc at this arms traffic and came.: up with some in- teresting discoveries. Although there is no way of checking oh the complete accuracy of L'Europeo's facts and figures, yet they are close enough in line with things this cor- respondent has heard and seen to strike hint as being fairly depend- able. And they are startling enough to find a place in an E. Phillips Op- penheini novel or an Alfred Hitch- cock movie. Many Bargains According 'to L'Europeo, once a person has established' his identity as a serious arms buyer and not as a police spy, he may find himself offered almost anything in the way of weapons—although to date there is no record of an atomic bomb hav- ing changed hands after a half hour's conversation on the Via. Are you looking for armored cars? The arms agent has three different models, capable of going 40 to 80 miles an hour, ready for immediate delivery for 000,000 lire (roughly $880). What is more, thesellers will usiness also give you any kind of a'camou- liege paint job you wish For an outlay of $5,000,000 you can, according to L'Europeo, get the folowin g: 1,000• heavy machine guns, 1;000 light machite guns, 10,000 rounds for the former and 22,000 for the latter. If anyone, doesti'.t think that such a purchase for such a price isn'tla' real bargaiut.tnilitarily speaking, just let hint write to the War Department and ask. Heavy. Weapons, Too Someone may say, however, that armored cars and machine guns are. understandable, but ' what about heavier weapons? What about artill- ery, fighter planes, and transports? Such a question does -not stump the Market on Via Veneto, . any ,more than it stumps the similar markets in Prague, Belgrade, Marseille, and elsewhere. If you wish to buy the big weapons of warfare and have the money, you can find them. Thus, for 30,000,000 lire (around $53,000) you can buy a good Doug- las C-47, called by the British a Dakota, This famous plane is equal- ly adaptable for eithtrr troop trans- port or light bombing, and there are apparently dozens upon dozens available for those who have the hard cash, And what about the sub- marines, yes, submarines in the plural, which we spoke about earlier' in the story? They, too, have been offered for sale on Via Veneto, com- plete with a trained crew. No price is quoted; that is settled only after a dicker between seller and buyer. Secret Stockpiles Perhaps the most interesting thing about this traffic in arms is where they come from. Of this no - one can be absolutely sure. Certain- ly, many of the lighter arms, main- ly rifles, mortars, and machine guns, come from the secret stockpiles built up by the Communist -led partisan brigades during the last years of the war in Italy. When the war ended, these arms were hidden "just in case." Now, ltpwever, with the Ital- ian police showing themselves really determined to uncover such cao7tes and with stiff jail terms being meted out to offenders, these .arms are being thrown on the open market at bargain prices. It has also been suggested that some of these awns are being sold by the Italian and by the interna- tional police with a view of making a final, big haul of clandestine arms traffickers. Whether or not this is true, it is a fact that so far no large- scale arrests of arms salesmen have yet been made, although vast quan- tities or arms have changed hands. Actually, the Italian police may not be too unhappy over this state- of affairs, since the more arms leave the country, the fewer will remain for them to be concerned over. Shanghai Sees 'Bend -Down' Strike—Newest technique in the fine art of striking is exhibited in Shanghai. Striking bus drivers and conductors, who walked out in sympathy with 200 who were fired, chalk their protests on the streets. The walk- out left China's largest city without bus service. • Berliners Line Up for Bread—Undaunted by the \veathet, "• Germans in the Allied sector of Berlin line up in front of a hvkery for their rations of white bread, the first in many months. The bread was flown in by Allied planes in defiance of Soviet attempts to isolate Berlin frotu the 1\'ash•