THE LASSO. 167 



that time arrived, and, with much kicking at each other, 

 were all eating corn from their canvas troughs. The owner 

 of the mules then told me to pick out those that I approved 

 of. I wanted seven, and I proceeded to walk past and 

 inspect them from the rear, attended by two sable fellows, 

 each bearing a lasso, and here for the first time I witnessed 

 the exactitude with which that coil of rope was thrown. 

 One of these men had but one arm, and yet he used the 

 lasso, in the limited way I saw it tried, to perfection. 

 Having pointed out six fine large mules, they had the 

 noose at once thrown from behind over their heads, and 

 they were led out in a little group by themselves. 

 " Those are the mules I like," I said to their owner, "so 

 tell me their price ?" "I cannot afford to part with any 

 of them,' 7 was the unexpected reply; "they are my best 

 wheel mules for the heavy waggons, and I could not re 

 place them. You will see they are wheelers by the marks 

 on their quarters." 



" Then, why," I replied, "did you give me all this unne 

 cessary trouble ? or, perhaps," I continued, "I can answer 

 that question myself. You thought the Englishman na 

 judge of mules, and you did not expect that he would be 

 able to pick out the best ? " We both laughed ; when, at 

 my suggestion, he accompanied me in an inspection, and 

 showed me all the mules that he was willing to dispose of. 

 From these I desired them to lasso six, which they did, 

 and for five of them I paid 110 dollars each, and for 

 another 135 dollars, and six better mules I never desire 

 to see in harness. There was one, a young mare, that 

 had not been in harness much, with action and figure good 

 enough to have been driven in the parks in London, and, 

 with her fine but hasty spirit, we vrere obliged to be very 

 careful. Having completed my bargain, and seen one of 



