CAMARGUE, COWBOY COUNTRY OF SOUTHERN FRANCE 



19 



various colors are twisted into the final 

 length, to form a pleasing pattern in 

 white, brown, and black. 



The projecting ends of horsehair give 

 the seden a rough and fuzzy appearance, 

 so that it does not look as if it would run 

 freely in the noose. But the gardian 

 handles it with ease and precision. 



Seldom does the gardian carry fire- 

 arms ; but the Camargue is a great game 

 country, and the owners of large estates, 

 who trust their herds to unarmed cow- 

 boys, hire well-armed gamekeepers to pro- 

 tect the birds and wild rabbits (see p. 31 ) . 



Upon the wide webbing from which 

 the gamekeeper's bag depends, there 

 glistens a big brass badge, which serves 

 as does the star of the constable in rural 

 drama to identify him as "the law." His 

 gun strap of plaited leather is a model of 

 pliant strength. 



THE DECEPTIVE CAMARGUE SADDLE MAY 

 BE AN INSTRUMENT OE TORTURE 



The cowboy saddle of the Camargue is 

 as deceptive in appearance as is the meek- 

 faced broncho. It looks like a deeply 

 upholstered armchair perched upon a 

 wide skirt of cowhide. One strongly 

 suspects it of concealing a pair of shock- 

 absorbers somewhere in its bulging sides. 



Its high back is deeply padded and 

 outlined with brass-headed nails in fancy 

 designs. The wide curved pommel has 

 no horn, but instead is tufted as luxuri 

 ously as is the cantle. 



A tenderfoot would imagine that on 

 such a saddle one need only worry about 

 how long his horse would last. But to one 

 unaccustomed to so soft a seat the Ca- 

 margue saddle can be an instrument of 

 torture whose pleasing appearance gives 

 little clue to its deadly effect. After one 

 has ridden the desert wastes for a few 

 miles, the novice pictures a broadly bulg- 

 ing hogshead as a comfortable seat and 

 fears that his legs are bowed for life. 



The large hand - made stirrups of 

 wrought iron are much more comfortable, 

 for they hang low and are covered over 

 in front with iron bars, so that the foot 

 cannot slide through and let the stirrup 

 branches bruise the ankles (see page 6). 



The hand-forged spurs are short, with 

 small rowels. From the high saddle-bow 

 hang two leather pockets and sometimes 

 two saquetouns, or bright-colored cloth 

 bags. 



The Camargue bridle is generally made 

 of black leather, without blinders, with a 

 hand- forged bit having long curved 

 branches. A sort of hackamore is used 

 to break in a horse. 



THE WOMEN RIDE HORSEBACK BEHIND 

 THE MEN 



Only on horseback does one traverse 

 the wild waste of marshes. 



The gardians' wives arid daughters 

 ride into the salt moor behind their 

 husbands or fathers. They sit securely 

 upon a little blanket bound to the crupper, 

 and with an arm around their chevalier 

 they ride great distances across the drab 

 landscape. 



From ancient times there have been in 

 the Camargue horsewomen passionately 

 fond of cattle-raising and of rough riding. 

 In the sixteenth century mention was 

 made by Pierre Quiqueran de Beaujeu of 

 horsewomen accompanying the gardians 

 during the jerrade, or cattle-branding. 



A few years ago there was in the Ca- 

 margue a very celebrated horsewoman, 

 Mile, de la Borse-Caumont. Her father 

 owned the bulls and horses of Mas dTcard. 

 Gardians called her the "Damisello," the 

 Miss, and almost worshiped her. 



Nowadays, especially in Languedoc, 

 the number of horsewomen is increasing. 

 They ride astride white Camargue horses 

 saddled in true cowboy style, wearing a 

 girl's riding skirt, a shirt of some bright 

 color, and a large sombrero. 



They are very fond of the cattle busi- 

 ness, follow the gardians at their daily 

 tasks, and are always to be found in the 

 thickest of the exciting charges of the 

 abrivado. 



THE VILLAGE SMITHY OE CAMARGUE's 

 CHEYENNE 



One of the humble heroes of the Ca- 

 margue would suit Longfellow better 

 than Daudet. He is the village black- 

 smith of Le Cailar, the focus of gardian 

 life, and the Cheyenne or Pendleton of 

 Provence (see pages 14 and 15). 



In his tiny smithy, this jolly Monsieur 

 Bonfort fashions the tridents for his cow- 

 boy friends or forges the brands with 

 which the roving herds are marked. 

 None can design a finer pair of stirrups 

 than he, and, with the modern encroach- 

 ments of irrigation and agriculture, he 

 will even mend a plowshare or make the 



