LASSOING CATTLE. 



99 



" Eveiy beauty free 

 To sink or swell as Nature pleases." 



The ball broke up too soon, when I was but begin- 

 ning to reap the fruit of my hard day's work. There 

 was an irruption of servants to carry home the chairs, 

 and in half an hour, except along a line of tables in 

 front of the audiencia, the village was still. For a 

 little while, in my quiet chamber at the convent, the 

 gentle figures of las Mestizas still haunted me, but, 

 worn down by the fatigues of the day, I very soon 

 forgot them. 



At daylight the next morning the ringing of bells 

 and firing of rockets announced the continuance of 

 the fiesta ; high mass was performed in the church, 

 and at eight o'clock there was a grand exhibition of 

 lassoing cattle in the plaza by amateur vaqueros. 

 These were now mounted, had large vaquero saddles, 

 spurs to match, and each was provided with a coil 

 of rope in hand ; bulls of two years old were let loose 

 in the plaza, with the bull-ring to double round, and 

 every street in the village open to them. The am- 

 ateurs rode after them like mad, to the great peril of 

 old people, women, and children, who scampered out 

 of the way as well as they could, but all as much 

 pleased with the sport as the bull or the vaqueros. 

 One horse fell and hurt his rider, but there were no 

 necks broken. 



This over, all dispersed to prepare for the bayle 

 de dia, or ball by dayhght. I sat for an hour in the 

 corridor of the convent, looking out upon the plaza. 



