At times, when the herd is large, the horses scatter over the open country and are irrecoverably lost.
"A favorite policy of the Indian horse thieves is to creep into camp, cut loose one animal and thoroughly frighten him.

This animal seldom fails to frighten the remainder, when away they all go with long ropes and picket-pins dangling after them.

The latter sometimes act like harpoons, being thrown with such impetus as to strike and instantly kill a valuable steed from among the brother runaways.

At other times the limbs of the running horses get entangled in the ropes, and they are suddenly thrown.
Such seldom escape without broken legs or severe contusions, which are often incurable.

The necessity of travelling on, without delay, renders it an impossibility to undertake the cure, when it might be practicable under other circumstances." The next day the party of trappers travelled fifty miles, till they thought themselves beyond the reach of the hostile savages.