50 RAMBLES APTER SPORT. 



like whipcord. Don Miguel now tried his hand, and at 



the second try he made a beautiful cast over his head_, and 



away he spurred his horse,, dragging the bear some little 



distance. No sooner had the animal regained his legs 



than he was immediately jerked down again, and nearly 



throttled ; and, after the second tumble, a vaquero 



approached quite close, and got his lasso over his head. 



Both horsemen now spurred away at their horses, jerking 



and dragging the bear, who was perfectly furious in his 



struggles to regain his legs. A third vaquero now 



approached, and easily lassoed him round the neck, and 



they all three formed a triangle round him, the horses all 



bearing with their full force against the tightened cord. 



The bear gave a furious struggle now and then; but 



there he was — "a gone ^coon/'' and in a short time 



ceased his struggles. 



The dogs were now called off, and the net was brought 

 from the waggon ; a vaquero dismounted and threw this 

 over the bear, the ends were secured, and another one 

 thrown over that, and we had him safe ; the whole affair 

 lasted about two hours. What we did with him will be 

 seen further on. We had not done, however, as the 

 female bear was almost sure to be about somewhere; 

 and so it proved, for, after an hour's hot and tiresome 

 hunting, we came up with her in a small ravine, in an 

 uncommonly awkward place to get at. Nothing would 

 induce her to bolt — showing remarkable sense on her 

 part, I thought — till I was asked to fire a shot 

 at her with my carbine. I could have killed her per- 

 haps, but I did not want to, as I particularly 

 wished to see the way in which they killed them, 

 especially as the old vaquero who was detailed off to 

 me had, so Don Miguel informed me, killed several. 



