Run Away Dugan

Dugan was a big bay horse with black legs and hooves as hard as iron. I broke him at two years old and he never tried to buck, but did run with me twice and I just let him go till he got tired. He was shy but not spooky and when three years old was turning into a good saddle horse. That year I was short on hay and took him and a few cows out to Clay who was working for Jay Hunt on the old Robinson Ranch. He ranged with Jay's horses for two years and in that time got hard to catch and also scattered a city feller across the country on a runaway. This experience spoiled him for being a reliable horse and always after he watched for the chance to run.

Clay bought the old ranch and he ran with both Clay and I whenever a feller wasn't watching him close. One day when Bethany was about 18 months old I rode by the house where the boys were playing with Bethany out on the lawn. They wanted me to take her for a "horsey ride." I really knew better but thought I could control him under any condition, so they handed her up and I reached with my left hand and grasped her upper arm and lifted her into the saddle in front of me. We went here and there for awhile then I brought her back and lowered her to Royce in the same way. His hands were lifted up about to take her when Dugan whirled away and was running at top speed in a second.

There she was, flying along at the end of my arm which held to her little arm next to the shoulder. Dugan was running full tilt toward a barb wire fence about 100 yards east from the house. When he ran he throwed his head up which gave me slack in the reins and with only one hand I could not take up the extra sufficient to pull him to a stop. I was able to lift Bethany up in front of me, still holding only to her arm. My right hand was pulling on the reins up by my ear. Neither hand could help the other. If he hit the fence we'll stay with him as he goes over or if he falls I will throw myself to the side and hold her so I land first with her on top. But at the last second he made a hard turn to the right and now there is another fence ahead not too far away. All the while this action is going on my fingers are working their way along the reins.

He is still running hard and the south fence has a big ditch just beyond it and it will be a miracle if he stays on his feet if he tries to go over. Again at the last instant he makes another hard turn to the right. Now we are going back toward where the clothes line is. He is still running fast, but not as hard as the first two stretches. I knew that if he went under the clothes lines we could be yanked off hard, but my right hand was getting a shorter grip on the reins and I pulled him to a stop within a couple of feet from the clothes lines and stepped off quickly, still holding that little baby by the arm.

Raychelle, her mother, was there to take her. That entire action probably didn't last over a half a minute, but in a way it lasted a life-time. Royce said they were praying for us all the time the run was on and I know that it was He who turned Dugan at the fence each time.