58 



CHAPTER V. 



HUNTING. — THE LASSO. — WILD CATTLE. 



A N Indian in this country has no idea of 

 sport ; he neither knows the name or the 

 thing, and when he hunts it is, very unHke 

 the Enghsh foxhunter, either for the purpose 

 of replenishing his purse or, in the shape of 

 food, his interior. The first he manages by 

 sometimes catching horses or mules, that 

 have gone astray, and joined a troop of wild 

 horses {cimarron^ as they are called), by kill- 

 ing a panther or puma, for which a certain 

 sum is paid besides the skin, or by hunting 

 bees, the wax selling at about sixpence the 

 pound to make tapers to place before the 

 Virgin and the legion of saints ; the second 

 he gratifies by killing deer, turkeys, wild 

 pigs, &c., for his own consumption, and in 

 some cases to protect his maize-field. But 

 an Indian never hunts for mere sport ; he 

 may be excited by a gallop over hill and dale 

 and through forest and stream, but he always 

 keeps in view the inain chance ; and he would 

 no more think of hunting or shooting for the 



