THE HORSE AND HIS RIDER. 209 



js a well authenticated story of eight or ten Guacho 

 who had never seen a piece of artillery until one was 

 fired at them in the streets of Buenos Ayres. Not- 

 withstanding the effect of the fire theygallopped fear- 

 lessly up to it, placed their lassos over the cannon, 

 and by their united strength fairly overturned it. 



Another anecdote is related of them, which may 

 be true, though it does not rest on such good autho- 

 rity. A number of armed boats were sent to effect a 

 landing at a certain point on the coast guarded solely 

 by these horsemen. The party in the boats caring 

 little for an enemy unprovided with fire-arms, rowed 

 confidently along the shore. The Guassos meanwhile 

 were watching their opportunity, and the moment 

 the boats came sufficiently near, dashed into the 

 water, and throwing their lassos round the necks of 

 the officers, fairly dragged every one of them out o 

 their boats. 



The idea of being thrown, let the horse do what 

 it likes, never enters the head of a Gaucho : a good 

 rider, according to them, is a man who can manage 

 an untamed colt, or who, if his horse falls, alights 

 unhurt on his own feet. " I have heard," says 

 Mr. Darwin, " of a man betting that he would throw 

 his horse down twenty times, and that nineteen out 

 of these he would not fall himself. I recollect seeing 

 R 2 



