352 WILD SCENES AND WILD HUNTERS. 



or security, on an expedition such as this, depended very 

 much upon the character and mettle of our horses. It was 

 in vain to regret the noble fellow I had lost, for he would be 

 across the Rio Grande in the shortest possible time. I could 

 only mutter vengeance against Mexican horse thieves in 

 general, and hope he might be at least tolerably replaced.. 

 It will be seen in the event, that we did not attach too much 

 importance to this circumstance. 



When the detachment arrived, I was agreeably surprised 

 to find a powerful, wild-eyed, fine-looking animal assigned to 

 me ; but my pleasure was not a little dashed at discovering, as 

 soon as I undertook to handle him, that he had never had a 

 saddle on his back ! Here was a poser with a vengeance ! 

 What was I to do with an untamed Mustang, as strong as a 

 bufialo, and vicious as a wild cat? After enjoying a laugh 

 at my chap-fallen, chagrined look, on realizing this astounding 

 fact, my tormentors suggested to me the only alleviation, 

 which was to pay one of our Mexican guides a dollar, mount 

 his horse, and let him take mine in hand for a day or two, in 

 which time he would make him ^^ cabello de huena rienda" 

 ibr me. 



In a little while the copper-skinned knave was careering 

 like the wind over the plains on my frantic steed, while the 

 mischievous Rangers comforted me with the assurance, that 

 we would probably catch up with him "in a day or two!" 

 However, he came into camp late at night, with the horse 

 sweltering in foam, and nearly exhausted by a run of some 

 ten miles and back, and assured me that he was " muey buena" 

 — very good ! — that is, he had been able to stand this tremen- 

 dous race, without falling dead in his tracks, which constituted 

 the Mexican standard of excellence in these cases. I was 

 eager to mount him myself next morning, for I did not fancy 

 the idea of having his wind broken, by this Mexican and 

 summary process of taming. 



I was approaching him incautiously, without paying any 



