AGRICULTURE. 215 
made their appearance, and are on the ground, all mounted, 
and prepared tor the day’s work. 
‘The ranchero who gives the rodeo is present to entertain his 
visitors, and his men are instructed to keep the cattle together. 
The herd may be very large. I have seen eight thousand head 
of cattle in a rodeo, forming a solid body about a quarter of a 
mile in diameter in every direction. The visiting rancheros 
who have come from the greatest distance are permitted to 
enter the mass first, select their cattle, and drive them out. 
Each man has a position chosen at a distance of half a mile or 
a mile, whither he drives his cattle; and there are several men 
there mounted, to prevent them from returning to the main 
herd. When aranchero sees one of his cows in the herd, he 
calls to a friend, and the two chase her out. She does not 
wish to go, and tries to hide herself among the other éattle. 
The horses, accustomed to the rodeo, soon recognize the cow 
that is to be parted out, and enjoy the work. They turn 
with every turn of hers, and she is soon tired and compelled 
to go out. If the cow be accompanied by a large unmarked 
calf, the latter is often caught with the lasso, thrown down, 
and then marked with the knife. While these rancheros are 
riding about among the herd and seeking their own, the cattle 
are driven by a few vaqueros belonging to the ranch so as to 
move about in a circular manner. As the cattle are thus 
moving round in one direction, the rancheros of the immediate 
neighborhood, whose time has not yet come for entering the 
centre of the rodeo, ride round in a direction contrary to the 
course of the herd, and thus are enabled to see them to more 
advantage than if they were standing still. After the ranche- 
ros from a distance have parted out all their cattle, those of the 
vicinity ride in, and the whole day is thus spent in racing and 
chasing after cattle. 
The man who gives the rodeo does not attempt to examine 
the cattle which are taken away. He takes it for granted that 
every one will drive off only his own animals. Sometimes sev- 
eral days are necessary to complete the general rodeo of a 
