BUENOS AYRES. 



107 



and soon skilfully noosing the object of his 

 pursuit by the horns. Upon this the horse 

 was suddenly wheeled short rounds and down 

 came the poor captive, with a shock apparently 

 rude enough to break all his bones. When 

 he rose again, the gaucho did not give him an 

 instant to think, but dragged him at a quick 

 pace back to the coral ;* the horse strain- 

 ing every nerve to pull along his prisoner. 

 Arriving in a breathless state of rage and fear, 

 the animal was again thrown down, his legs 

 secured, and a man with a hot iron branded 

 him on the flank. Being thus stamped as his 

 master's property, he was suffered to join the 

 herd on the plain. 



Horses are so cheap in this country, that I 

 was informed by our Spanish friend, Castellote, 

 that it would be taken ill if I refused a pressing 



* Vide plate. 



