122 A BOOK-LOVER'S HOLIDAYS 



horseback, the riders included several of the 

 gentry, the great landed proprietors. These 

 took part in the sports, precisely as in our own 

 land men of the corresponding class follow the 

 hounds or play polo. Two of the most skilful 

 and daring riders, who always worked together, 

 were a wealthy neighboring ranchman and his 

 son. 



The first feat began by two of the horsemen, 

 acting together, cutting out an animal from 

 the bunch. This was done with skill and pre- 

 cision, but differed in no way from the work I 

 used formerly to see and take part in on the 

 Little Missouri. What followed, however, was 

 totally different. The animal was raced by the 

 two men out from the herd and from behind 

 the little semicircular fence, and was taken 

 at full speed round the edge of the great corral 

 past the closed gate on the other side, and al- 

 most back to the starting-point. One horse- 

 man rode behind the animal, a little on its 

 inner side. The other rode outside it, the 

 horse's head abreast of the steer's flank. As 

 they galloped the riders uttered strange, long- 

 drawn cries, evidently of Indian origin. Round 

 the corral rushed the steer, and, after it passed 

 the door on the opposite side and began to 

 return toward its starting-point and saw the 



