THE LASSO. 



151 



undertake to kill him. As soon as they discover 

 their prey, they remove the coil of the lasso from 

 behind them, and, grasping it in the left hand, 

 prepare the noose in the right, and dash off at 

 full gallop, each swinging his lasso round his 

 head. The first who comes within reach aims 

 at the bulFs horns, and when he sees, which he 

 does in an instant, that the lasso which he has 

 thrown will take effect, he stops his horse, and 

 turns it half round, the bull continuing his 

 course, till the whole cord has run out. The 

 horse, meanwhile, knowing, by experience, what 

 is going to happen, leans over as much as he can 

 in the opposite direction from the bull, and stands 

 trembling in expectation of the violent tug which 

 is to be given to him by the bull when brought 

 up by the lasso. So great indeed is the jerk 

 which takes place at this moment, that were the 

 horse not to lean over in the manner described, 

 he would certainly be overturned ; but standing, 

 as he does across the road, with his feet planted 

 firmly on the ground, he offers sufficient resistance 

 to stop the bull as instantaneously as if it had been 

 shot, though the instant before he was running at 



