THROWING THE SQUAW HITCH 



443 



We will now refer to diagrams of a real horse 

 with the real cinch trappings: Fig. 8 shows a 

 horse with real cinch trappings hanging loosely 

 under it, and Fig. 9 shows the cinch. When 

 the line is thrown over the horse, as in Fig. 8, 

 you run it through the hook as in Fig. 10, cinch 

 up, then bring it up alongside of the pack as in 

 Fig. 11 j slip the loop of the string that is in 

 your hand under the one that crosses the pack, 

 as it is shown in Fig. 12; bring the loop back 

 as in Fig. 13, then under again as in 14. "A" 

 in all of the figures represents the loose end of 

 the line. Fig. 15 shows the opposite side of 

 the horse and you may see that the loose end 

 of the line there is brought down over the pack 

 under the aparejo. In Fig. 16 the line is brought 

 forward and under the aparejo, then up 

 through the loop as shown in the diagram. 

 In Fig. 17 it again shows the other side of the 

 horse and also how the line of Fig. 16 is brought 



forward again and under the corner of the 

 aparejo; then back and again under the rear 

 corner of the alforjas and then up to the loop, 

 or diamond, on the pack, pulled tight and made 

 fast. Fig. 18 shows a diagram of the squaw 

 hitch. Fig. 19 shows a diagram of the diamond 

 hitch. The hitch first described is not the regu- 

 lar diamond hitch, but one known as the squaw 

 hitch and much used by packers and travelers. 

 Study this out so that you may be able to 

 throw this hitch, and if you have a horse you 

 can practice putting a pack on its back in this 

 manner and see if you can fasten it tightly 

 so it will not fall off. Then if the occasion 

 requires that you at any time have to pack a 

 horse, even if you cannot throw the celebrated 

 diamond hitch with the celerity of the United 

 States scout packer, you can, at least, make 

 the squaw hitch which will hold your dunnage 

 on the animal's back. 



