THE PAMPAS. 



269 



away for some distance, and then breaking into a 

 trot, as they seek their safety, snort and Iqok be- 

 hind them, first with one eye, then with the other, 

 turning their nose from right to left, and carrying 

 their lonfj tails hio-h in the air. As soon as the 

 poor horse reaches the post he is often quite ex- 

 hausted ; he is as wet as if he had come out of a 

 river, and his sides are often bleeding violently ; 

 but the life he leads is so healthy, his constitution 

 is so perfectly sound, and his food is so simple, that 

 he never has those inflammatory attacks which kill 

 so many of our pampered horses in England. It 

 certainly sounds cruel to spur a horse as violently 

 as it is sometimes necessary to do in the Pampas, 

 and so in fact it is, yet there is something to be 

 said in excuse for it ; if he is worn out and ex- 

 hausted, his rider also is — he is not goaded on for an 

 idle purpose, but he is carrying a man on busi- 

 ness, and for the service of man he was created. 

 Supposing him to be ever so tired, still he has 

 his liberty when he reaches the goal, and if he 

 is cunning, a very long time may elapse before 

 he is caught again; and in the mean while the 

 whole country affords him food, liberty, health. 



