KAWEAH'S RUN. 12!) 



whose powerful run was already distancing their fatigued 

 mustangs. As we bounded down a roll of the plain, a 

 cloud of dust sprang from a ravine directly in front of 

 me, and two black objects lifted themselves in the sand. 

 I drew my pistol, cocked it, whirled Kaweah to the left, 

 plunging by and clearing by about six feet. A thrill of 

 relief came as I saw the long white horns of Spanish cat- 

 tle gleam above the dust. 



17. Unconsciously I restrained Kaweah too much, and 

 in a moment the Mexicans were crowding down upon me 

 at a fearful rate. On they came, the crash of their spurs 

 and the clatter of their horses distinctly heard ; and as I 

 had so often compared the beats of chronometers, I un- 

 consciously noted that while Kaweah's, although painful, 

 yet came with regular power, the mustangs' respiration 

 was quick, spasmodic, and irregular. I compared the in- 

 tervals of the two mustangs, and found that one breathed 

 better than the other, and then, upon counting the best 

 mustang with Kaweah, found that he breathed nine breaths 

 to Kaweah's seven. In two or three minutes I tried again, 

 finding the relation ten to seven. Then I felt the victory, 

 and I yelled to Kaweah. 



18. The thin ears shot back flat upon his neck ; lower 

 and lower he lay down to his run. I flung him a loose 

 rein and gave him a friendly pat on the withers. It was 

 a glorious burst of speed; the wind rushed by and the 

 plain sw T ept under us with dizzying swiftness. I shouted 

 again, and the thing of nervous life under me bounded on 

 wilder and faster, till I could feel his spine thrill as with 

 shocks from a battery. I managed to look round a deli- 

 cate matter at speed and saw far behind the distanced 

 villains, both dismounted and one horse fallen. 



19. In an instant I drew Kaweah into a gentle trot, 

 looking around at every moment lest they should come on 







