86 P.AHIA. 



and goes off at full gallop over the open market-place or up the 

 street. Off gallop two or three vaqueiros, in full chase, with 

 outstretched arms, spurring their horses to the utmost. They 

 try to drive the beast back into the herd, and often succeed 

 forthwith ; but often it gets in amongst another herd, and then 

 it is wonderful to see how rapidly they manage to single it out, 

 get it on the outside of the herd, and start it afresh. 



Sometimes the animals are very fresh and wild, and make 

 off at full pace, and cannot be headed. The vaqueiros then 

 strain every effort to come up behind them, catch hold of their 

 tails, and spurring their horses forward so as to get up alongside 

 their beasts, give a sudden violent pull, which twists the animals 

 round, and throws them sprawling on their sides. 



The cattle, though they fall so heavily that this expedient is 

 resorted to as little as possible at the fair, because it bruises 

 the meat, are often up after a fall and off again in an instant ; 

 but two or three falls knock the breath out of them, and they 

 are then driven back to the herd quietly. Sometimes, even 

 this treatment does not subdue them, and then they are 

 lassoed round the horns and dragged back. 



The various herds were driven in compact bodies against 

 the walls bounding the market, and some of the vaqueiros dis- 

 mounted, and kept the cattle together by the use of their 

 thongs and shouting, but one at least at every herd remained 

 mounted ready to chase any animal which might break away. 

 The scene was most exciting. Often three or four cattle were 

 loose at once and careering madly in all directions, jumping 

 over obstacles like deer, and with two or three vaqueiros after 

 each, at full gallop, spurring their little horses to the utmost, 

 twisting and turning with wonderful dexterity. 



One wild cow went right up the main street. She was very 

 fast, and five vaqueiros had a sort of race after her ; now one 

 gained a little, now another, and it appeared as if the beast 

 were going to make off altogether ; but at last a big black 

 vaqueiro shot ahead, and threw her sprawling in the road. I 

 kept close to a sheltering corner, ready to retreat round it when 

 a beast came in my direction. 



The cattle dealers rode round from herd to herd, on their 

 mules and horses, and most of the dealing was done on horse- 

 back. As soon as a herd was sold, it was driven off, one or 

 more vaqueiros accompanying the drovers, according to the 

 wildness of the cattle. 



In the middle of the open space, horses and mules were 

 being sold. The sellers of the horses were mounted on them, 

 and were showing off their paces in an open lane formed 

 amongst a crowd of buyers and lookers-on. The sellers made 



