The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1859-08-11

each other into . compact body to avoid the dreaded
borsemen. Now and then some monstrous pun,
| sswith front Of Jove.'' or q vicious COW. excited 'or
her calf. would face about as if to attack the Pur-
suers. But the cayote-like yells Of the natives ana o
tv;rl or two of the lassc. of which they appear to have
an intuitive dread, quickly drove them in terror 70
;oin the Hying herd. Mixed up with the cattle. and
driven along with them, were probably not far from
n tbousand wild hogs, who, disturbed in their interior
baunts. had got into the trap designed for nobler
game Their piercing soueals as, kicked and tossed
bv the frantic cattle, they rolled over in the dust
added no little to the amusement of the scene. But
now, as the herd approached the narrower part OF
the trap and found themselves gradually hemmeo in'
came the most exciting part of the chase. A bull ana
two cows, catching sight of US who stood Dy the OUT
side of the pen, suddenly wheeled and dashing PAST
the line of vaqueros, made off for the mountain again.
Three horsemen put after them at full speed. Inc
foremost, named Komo, Cor Tom.) was one OF the
best riders and most skihful with the hsso mat l
have ever seen, though his little squat figure and
apathetic countenance would lead one TO expect less
Mounted on a tall and noble looking gray, he soon
outstripped the others, and with unerring aim threw
his moose over the horns of the bull. AS quick as q
fash. the moment he felt the lasso, the bull turned,
and before the horse could brace himself drove his
charm horn into his flank and tumbled horse and rider
to the ground. 1t hardly seemed, though, that Tom
had fallen, so soon was he on his feet and on the look
out for his fierce antagonist, who, regardless of the
nrostrate horse. now made a rush for Tom Thought
II was all over with the poor native, for he ran, as ~
70 trv to escape. But it was for only a few steps, TO
draw the bull away from the fallen horse, when,
inst az the creatures horns were apparently within a
an inch or two of his body, Tom sprang aside like a
cat, and, as the bull went by him on his headlong
plunge, brought his keen hunting knife down, and
hanstrung both legs. The next instant, the little
fellow was again astride the noble gray, who had re-
covered his feet. and stood, like an intelligent creature
as he was, with a firm strain on the lasso, one end of
which was fast to the loggerhead of the saddle and
the other around the bulls horns. All this occurred
in less time than l have taken to relate it. The bull,
though dragging his hind legs on the ground. was
still a formidable and dangerous enemy; but another
vaquero coming up threw a lasso which caught him
by the heels, and while he was thus held between the
two horses, Tom dismounted and giving one seeming
ly delicate touch of his knife just behind the horns,
severed the sspith'' or spinal cord, and, with but a
slight CULVER of his huge frame. the "lordly bull'
was dead. In a few minutes more the hide was OIL
and the carcass left, as a perquisite for the wild hogs
and dogs.-of which last there are a great many in
the mountain, but very shy.
The work of 8 driving in being finished, the pen
was closed by tying a hide across the entrance, and,
after q half hours amusement in lassoing hogs, our
p,rty returned to camp, with two or three horses
laden with the fat meat of the two cows that had
bolted with Toms friend, the bull, but had both fall
len under the vaquero's knife. The next day. and
for several days after. the party returned to the pen
and at their leisure lassoed the cattle one at a time
and slaughtered them outside the enclosure, until the
plain was dotted with the carcases and the air rem
dered fetid from the decaying animal matter. Though
the atmosphere was very dry at this place. yet de-
composition takes place in a very short time. This
is no doubt caused in Fart by a species of large fly,
which has the peculiar faculty of ro!ding a living
maggot, n quarter of an inch long, which immediate
ly commences to prey ON fresh meat as soon as it is
exposed. l shot a hog one day towards evening in a
gulch some distance from the camp, and returning
the next day Mt noon, I found these interesting crea-
lures had dumped my claim and were in full pos
session of 'sthe entire swine"
1 have spun this yarn quite long eSough, imagine,
to suit your space or the patience of your readers. L
will conclude by mentioning that | saw some of ny
mountain acquaintance among the hide hunters on
my arrival at Waimea, whittier they had come to dis
pose of about 800 hides, and, after spending the pro-
ceeds. would HE to the mountains for more. That's
the way the cattle 90. HUALALAI.