128 SPORTING ADVENTURES 



On this occasion several hundred young 

 mares were driven into a corral, where they 

 were lassoed, thrown, and branded. Several of 

 these poor beasts were very roughly handled by 

 the natives, who had no regard whatever for 

 the feelings of the animals. There was one 

 half-wild mare, which had never had saddle or 

 bridle put upon her, and looked as if she never 

 intended to have. One of Lozada's chiefs, who 

 happened to be present, volunteered to mount 

 this creature for our especial edification. She 

 was in the corral with the others, when three 

 or four Indians lassoed her, and after some 

 desperate struggles threw her down, with such 

 force that blood poured from her nose. The 

 next operation was to get the bridle on, which 

 took about a quarter of an hour, when she was 

 allowed to rise. Another display of kicking 

 and biting then took place, but at last the 

 heavy Mexican saddle was firmly secured and 

 the mare was led forth. Meanwhile, the Indian 

 who was to ride her had strapped on a pair of 

 spurs as big as a saucer, and was smoking his 



