196 THE HORSE AND HIS RIDER. 



hanging on one side he was seen patting the horse's 

 head,, and talking to him. The pursuers urged every 

 effort in the chase ; the commandant three times 

 changed his horse, but all in vain : the old Indian 

 father and his son escaped, and were free. What a 

 fine picture one can form in one's mind ; the naked 

 bronze-like figure of the old man with his little boy, 

 riding like a Mazeppa on the white horse, thus leaving 

 far behind him the host of his pursuers ! 



Colt-breaking is managed by the Guachos, or 

 Quassos, as they are called in Chili, with the lasso, 

 much in the same way as by the Kalmucks. Their 

 skill in the use of this instrument is extraordinary, 

 and it was a weapon of great power in their hands 

 during the war of independence. They never failed 

 to dismount cavalry with it, or to throw dawn the 

 horses of those who came within their reach. There 

 is a well-authenticated story of eight or ten Guachos 

 who had never seen a piece of artillery until one 

 was fired at them in the streets of Buenos Ayres. 

 Notwithstanding the effect of the fire, they galiop- 

 ped fearlessly up to it, placed their lassos over the 

 cannon, and by their united strength fairly overturn- 

 ed it. 



Another anecdote is related of them, which does 

 not rest on such good authority. A number of armed 

 boats were sent to effect a landing at a certain point 

 on the coast guarded solely by these horsemen. The 



