1 1 6 Life and Sport on the Pacific Slope 



at an earlier date. The vaqueros delighted in it, 

 and proved amazing players, although it was im- 

 possible to teach them team play. Each played 

 for his own hand, and each rode as if he had a 

 dozen lives. I can remember one memorable game 

 when four of us Englishmen played against four 

 vaqueros. Half the county witnessed the match, 

 and the excitement was tremendous: the women 

 standing up in the spring waggons and shouting, 

 and the men betting and cursing. The umpire had 

 a sorry time of it, for our opponents broke every 

 rule, written or unwritten. The game was drawn : 

 each side winning two goals. We should have won 

 hands down had our antagonists ridden ponies like 

 ours under standard size. But we had conceded to 

 them the odds of riding what horses they pleased, 

 and as many as they pleased. So they outgalloped 

 us from first to last. But it was a glorious match ! 

 Every man who played was more or less hurt ; but 

 no bones were broken, and no money changed 

 hands. Some people imagined that we made the 

 game a draw on purpose. I, as captain, can testify 

 that we played to win, and were within an ace of 

 losing. 



We had plenty of fun apart from polo, breaking 

 our ponies and training them to jump. And we 

 practised throwing the lariat, although we never 

 became skilful with it. There were no race- 

 meetings in our county till the County Fairs were 

 organised; but one man would match his horse 

 against another's, and these matches would gener- 

 ally take place upon the Pizmo sands, a magnificent 

 race-course fifteen miles long and fifty yards wide. 



