BEAR HUNTING IN MEXICO. 55 



dead^ and his hide is almost impenetrable, being exces- 

 sively tough, loose, and shaggy. 



Our sport having been thus unexpectedly put an end 

 to, we all adjourned to the open country, and spent the 

 afternoon in witnessing horseracing and feats of horse- 

 manship. I do not think much of the former ; the 

 principal object appeared to be to win anyhoiv, every 

 advantage that the jockeys took of each other being 

 considered the principal attraction of the sport. Some of 

 their feats were worth seeing. To drop a sombrero on 

 the ground, wheel round, and pick it up again when 

 going by at full gallop, was a common performance ; 

 while many of the vaqueros performed the more diffi- 

 cult one of picking up pieces of silver which were 

 thrown to them by the rancheros. The evening was 

 spent in the usual riotous manner, the more so as 

 every senorita for miles round had been hunted up 

 for the fandango which Don Miguel and his brother gave. 

 Several fights took place, and one man was mortally 

 stabbed from behind — an occurrence which appeared to 

 be quite a matter of course, and the senorita who '^ be- 

 longed ^^ to the man who tickled the ribs of the other 

 seemed rather proud of her admirer^s performance. 

 One or two Americans were present, and they told me that 

 there was more talk than anything else in their bragga- 

 docio, and that, unless they had a decided advantage 

 over you, they very seldom did anything more than talk. 

 One of them, who wore the " lone star ^^ of Texas 

 embroidered on the lappet of his coat, informed me that 

 he " guessed that he could clear out half the shanty, and 

 that Judge Tyler over there '* (pointing to a lank indi- 

 vidual playing poker with remarkable success) ^^was 

 good for the balance. ^^ 



