214 THE HORSE AND HIS RIDER. 



ceived a more spirited or a more picturesque scene 

 than was now presented to us. Let the furious beast 

 be imagined driven almost to madness by thirst and 

 a variety of irritations, and in the utmost terror at 

 the multitude of lassos whirling all around him ; he 

 rushes wildly forward, his eyes flashing fire, his nos- 

 trils almost touching the ground, and his breath 

 driving off the dust in his course. For one short 

 instant he is free, and full of life and strength, defy- 

 ing, as it were, all the world to restrain him in his 

 headlong course ; the next moment he is covered with 

 lassos ; his horns, his neck, his legs are all encircled 

 by those inevitable cords, hanging loose, in long fes- 

 toons, from the hands of the horsemen, galloping in 

 all directions, but the next instant as tight as bars 

 of iron, and the noble animal lying prostrate on the 

 ground motionless and helpless. He is immediately 

 despatched by a man on foot, who stands ready for 

 this purpose with a long sharp knife in his hand ; and 

 as soon as the body is disentangled from the lassos, it 

 is drawn on one side, and another beast is driven out 

 of the corral, and caught in the same manner. 



While the more serious business was going on, a 

 parcel of mischievous boys had perched themselves on 

 a pile of firewood close to the corral ; and being each 

 armed in his way, with a lasso made of a small strip 



