a Bill-horse, mountain-bred and raised.
He was a beautiful beast, proud, high-stepping--one you would be glad to
be seen on. He would have been worth considerable money, and would have
afforded much solid satisfaction if I had wanted him for cow work, or
pleasure riding in the lower country. But it was absolutely impossible
to catch him, even hobbled, without a corral. One day I saw him leap
from a stand and with hobbles over a fence and feed trough. So I traded
him for another, not near so much of a horse, as a horse, but worth two
dozen Bill-horses.

[Sidenote: Gun Shyness]

[Sidenote: What One "Sam Fat" Did]

One other thing you must notice, and that is whether or not the beast is
gun shy. A great many stampede wildly at the report of firearms. I once
owned a pack horse named Sam Fat, on which for some time I
congratulated myself. He was a heavy animal, and could carry a
tremendous load; and yet he was sure-footed and handled himself well on
rough country. He was gentle and friendly. He took excellent care of his
pack, and he followed perfectly. No one needed to ride behind him to
keep Sam Fat coming. I used to turn him loose when I started, and pay no
more attention to him until I stopped. No matter how rich the feed
through which we passed, Sam Fat was always on hand when the halt was
called. And, very important point, he was a good rustler--he kept fat
and sleek on poor food where other horses gaunted. Altogether Sam Fat
was a find. Then one day one of the party shot off a harmless little
twenty-two caliber popgun. Sam Fat went crazy. He squatted flat, uttered
a terrified squeal, and departed through the woods, banging his pack
against trees and hanging limbs. We chased him a mile, and finally
brought him back, but all the rest of the day he was panicky. I tried to
get him accustomed to shooting by tying him near our target practice,
but it was no use. Finally, though reluctantly, I sold him.

So when the natives bring in their horses for your selection blind your
eyes to the question of looks and points until you have divided the
offering into two parts--those that are sure-footed, courageous, gentle,
tractable, easy to catch, good grub rustlers, and if pack horses, those
that will follow and will take care of their packs, and those that lack
one or more of these qualifications. Discard the second group. Then if
the first group contains nothing but blemished or homely horses, make
the best of it, perfectly s