AGRICULTTJKE. 215 



m.ide their appearance, and are on the grourid, all mounted, 

 and prepared for the day's work. 



The ranchero who gives the rodeo is present to entertain his 

 visitors, and his men are instructed to keep the cattle together. 

 The herd may be very large. I have seen eight thousand head 

 of cattle in a rodeo, forming a solid body about a quarter of a 

 mile in diameter in every direction. The visiting rancheros 

 who have come from the greatest distance are permitted to 

 enter the mass first, select their cattle, and drive them out. 

 Each man has a position chosen at a distance of half a mile or 

 a mile, whither he drives his cattle ; and there are several men 

 there mounted, to prevent them from returning to the main 

 herd. When a ranchero sees one of his cows in the herd, he 

 calls to a friend, and the two chase her out. She does not 

 wish to go, and tries to hide herself among the other cattle. 

 The horses, accustomed to the rodeo, soon recognize the cow 

 that is to be parted out, and enjoy the work. They turn 

 with every turn of hers, and she is soon tired and compelled 

 to go out. If the cow be accompanied by a large unmarked 

 calf, the latter is often caught with the lasso, thrown down, 

 and then marked with the knife. ^Yhile these rancheros are 

 riding about among the herd and seeking their own, the cattle 

 are driven by a few vaqueros belonging to the ranch so as to 

 move about in a circular manner. As the cattle are thus 

 moving round in one direction, the rancheros of the immediate 

 neiirhborhood, whose time has not vet come for enterinsr the 

 centre of the rodeo, ride round in a direction contrary to the 

 course of the herd, and thus are enabled to see them to more 

 advantasre than if thev were standhio; still. After the ranche- 

 ros from a distance have parted out all their cattle, those of the 

 vicinity ride in, and the whole day is thus spent in racing and 

 chasing after cattle. 



The man who gives the rodeo does not attempt to examine 

 the cattle which are taken away. He takes it for granted that 

 every one will drive off only his own animals. Sometimes sev- 

 eral days are necessary to complete the general rodeo of a 



