102 THE HORSE AND HIS RIDER. 



of their princes. The following is her account of an 

 equestrian entertainment she witnessed : 



" The moment we were perceived, five or six 

 mounted men, armed with long lassos (strong flexible 

 thongs with running nooses), rushed into the middle 

 of the taboon (herd of half-wild horses), keeping their 

 eyes constantly fixed on the young prince, who was 

 to point out the animal they should seize. The 

 signal being given, they instantly galloped forward 

 and noosed a young horse with a long dishevelled 

 mane, whose dilated eyes and smoking nostrils be- 

 tokened inexpressible terror. A lightly-clad Calmuck, 

 who followed them on foot, immediately sprang upon 

 the stallion, cut the thongs that were throttling him, 

 and engaged with him in an incredible contest of 

 daring and agility. It would be impossible, I think, 

 for any spectacle more vividly to affect the mind than 

 that which now met our eyes. Sometimes the rider 

 and his horse rolled together on the grass ; sometimes 

 they shot through the air with the speed of an arrow, 

 and then stopped abruptly, as if a wall had all at once 

 risen up before them. On a sudden the furious 

 animal would crawl on its belly, or rear in a manner 

 that made us shriek with terror, then plunging forward 

 again in his mad gallop, he would dash through the 

 taboon, and endeavor in every possible way to shake 

 off his novel burden. 



