366 Recreations of a Sportsman 



him up to a small rizo chino, or curly willow. 

 Suddenly lie slid liis horse on his haunches to 

 the side, and as the grizzly came on threw the 

 riata. As it fastened onto the hind leg of the 

 animal he ran his horse around the tree, hauling 

 the grizzly close to it with a heavy drag, and 

 while it fell on its side rolling over and biting 

 at the rope, Don Jose ran his horse around the 

 tree several times and had the animal, which 

 had no idea of unwinding itself, completely in 

 the toils with one hind foot tight to the tree. 

 Don Jose now fastened the end of his riata to 

 a limb, and as the bear was trying to reach him 

 all the time he made a riata of his mecdte, or 

 hair rope, tossed the noose over the bear's head, 

 and with a few turns over the fuste hauled taut, 

 and so arranged the rope that the horse could 

 not turn tail to the bear and get wound up. 



During this time of excitement and quick ac- 

 tion Don Jose had made the fight from the 

 saddle, but he now proposed to leave it. So he 

 reached down and pulled his latigos (cinch 

 strap) as tight as the horse would stand, so the 

 saddle would not slip. He then left the well- 

 trained horse holding back hard, as in the case 

 of branding a steer, and preventing the bear 

 from moving. The grizzly had backed up 

 against the tree, the horse holding him in one 

 direction, the tree in the other. Don Jose now 

 took off his silk /a/a, or sash, which all the old 



