70 WILD CATTLE. 



The preparations for bed are few and simple in 

 tlie ' sunny South.' The Mexicans, after smoking a 

 cigaritta or two, and taking a final look at the horses, 

 rolled themselves up in their blankets, their heads 

 resting on their saddles, and were soon in ^ the land 

 of dreams.' Lonus, the stock-raiser, sat and chatted 

 with me long after his swarthy followers were asleep ; 

 but even we did not make it late. So, lending him 

 a bear-skin to spread beneath his under blanket, I 

 saw him coil himself up for the night, and then 

 retired to my moss-bed in the shanty. 



Betimes in the mornino:, and loner before the sun had 

 given even a warning of his appearance, our breakfasts 

 had been cooked and eaten, and the horses saddled 

 and mounted. We held our way up the edge of the 

 timber, riding in silence, every ear strained to catch a 

 distant sound, or the bellowing of a cow as she called 

 her calf, and we tried to catch a taint of the bovine 

 smell on the balmy morning breeze which blew directly 

 into our faces, and which scent, under favourable cir- 

 cumstances, can be discerned for a very long distance. 

 My companions had, for their weapons of the chase, a 

 good stout lasso each, made of sun-dried hide, strong 

 enough, almost, to hold a frigate ; but my own was a 

 short, heavy, double gun, with an ounce ball in each 

 barrel. At last we could hear the distant lowing of 

 the herd, and caught ' upon the tainted gale ' nasal 

 assurance of their whereabouts. We then sought the 



