114 A STAMPEDE. 



About an hour after the usual time to secure the horses 

 for the night, an indistinct sound arose like the mutter- 

 ing of distant thunder ; as it came nearer it resemhled the 

 lashing of a heavy surf upon a heach. On and on it 

 rolled towards us, and, partly from my own hearing and 

 partly from the confused communication of Joaquin, I 

 conjectured it must be the fierce gallop of thousands of 

 panic-stricken horses. As this living torrent drew nigh, 

 our horses and mules began to snort, prick up their ears 

 and tremble. Each of us seized his rifle and fired to 

 change the course of the herd. We succeeded so far as 

 to retain our mules and three horses ; but as the herd 

 dashed furiously past us, in full charge, five fine horses, 

 which Joaquin had broken, were carried away, and we never 

 saw them again. However, we were well satisfied with 

 our good fortune in escaping this tremendous onset, and 

 slept very well after we had secured our remaining animals, 



