west she has been regularly in the stock
business, and has practically lived, eaten,
and slept in the saddle, as it is necessary for
those to do who go into the business of round-
ing up the troublesome Texas steer as a
means of livelihood. For weeks and months
she has ridden the range alone, far from any
buman companionship, and endured all the
privations and hardships of the frontier, ex-
posed to death or captivity at the hands of
the bloodthirsty Sioux, or that worse
death and hopeless captivity which comes
to the one far from help taken
down by fever or laid low by disabling ac-
cident. Through all these Miss Hutchinson
has passed without serious mishaps, and ex-
cept for the tan of an outdoor life and the
flash of an eye which never knew fear she
would pass as a quiet and withal cultured
young woman of the west who has been
reared beneath the parental roof tree.
Something Like a Horsewoman.
Miss Hutchinson has made many long
rides, but the longest one as yet was one in
Montana several years ago, when with a
single string of horses she covered 450 miles
in seven days. During much of this ride the
range was heavy and the streams swollen by
rain, and for four of the nights and days she
rode and slept shelterless in a constant
storm.
Among the Sioux Indians she has a great
reputation, and many is the brave who has
MISS EMMA HUTCHINSON.
found himself badly beaten and his boasted
pony badly blown after he had tried a race
after the "lightning squaw." Miss Hutchin-
son is pronounced to be one of the best off-
hand judges of horseflesh in the west, and,
given a bunch of horses, can usually pick the
winner for a race. On challenge she has
beaten the finest racers of the Crow Indians,
and on one occasion drew down the praises
of "Curly" Custer's scout by distancing his
boasted flyers.
In the cowboys' tournaments held occa-
sionally in the west Miss Hutchinson often
appears and will mount the worse "outlaw"
bucker in the corral. She is never thrown,
and during the wildest plunges and pitchings
of the bronco keeps her seat in easy grace.
Dr. Carver, in whose tournaments she some-
times rides, says he can do no better himself.
Miss Hutchinson when in town rides on
an ordinary side saddle, but when out round-
ing up stock or diving them on the trail
uses a regulation man's stock saddle and
rides astride. For this she uses the divided
skirt.
It is not only as a rider that Miss Hutchin-
son excels, but in handling the lasso and
using the rifle and pistol she is altogether at
home.
She Means to Win.
The horse which Miss Hutchinson will ride
on the thousand-mile race is itself a noted
"outlaw" or man killer of vicious spirit and
of yet unconquered nature. But as it is a
fine animal weighing 1,200 pounds and well
muscled, she has selected it as her mount,
and is gradually bringing it under subjec-
tion, she being the only woman whom the
outlaw has ever allowed to touch him.
"I shall leave Denver almost a fortnight
before the race starts from Chadron," said
Miss Hutchinson to your correspondent.
"The distance to Chadron is nearly 300
miles, and I will put the horse through this
at the rate of about twenty-five miles a day
just to toughen him up a little and put him
in good shape for the thousand-mile race
which is to follow.
"Do I expect to win the race? I most cer-
THE START.
tainly do. My weight is only 90 pounds,
and with my saddle and blanket my weighing
in will not exceed 120. I have a good horse,
but what I expect to win the first prize of
$1,000 on is the fact that I will ride from
fifty to 100 pounds lighter than any other
rider in the race. In the care of myself and
my horse I will follow out my usual plan. I
will aim to eat only the simplest fare, and in-
stead of any stimulants will drink only milk.
Oats will be the bulk of my pony's feed with
a very little hay."
"The horse will be thoroughly rubbed down
every night, and if I have reason to fear that
he will be 'salted' or in any other way dis-
abled by my contestants or anyone
else I shall sleep in the stall
with him. In riding I shall get out
and on the road each morning as early
as I can see and ride until 10 or 11 o'clock,
when I will rest and refresh the horse for
three or four hours, taking the road again
and riding until dusk. I do not like night
riding, for it makes a horse nervous.
"I am counting on seeing Col. Cody in Chi-
cago in twenty days after leaving Chadron.
This is fifty miles a day, but for the first few
days I will not go so fast as that. In long
rides I start off very easily, and I suppose I
will be left far behind by the other riders
when we start. But look out for my little
bay to cover the ground after I get into the
state of Illinois. That is where I will do my
hard riding and there is where I will begin
to give the horse whisky if he is badly fagged,
which I do not think he will be with my
riding weight and the care I give him.
"I expect to win by [endurance]
