American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1875-01-23
Tanning a Wild Horse in Mexico.

| wild horse; no easy task, for in order TO
saddle him it was necessary to keep him
on his legs; and, as if he guessed the
object of the vaqueros, he began to kick
up furiously. A lasso was passed under
the fetlock of the left hind leg and fast
ened tightly to the breastleather of the
horse, so as to press the thigh against the
belly
The right front leg was bent by the
same means, and thus kept in equilib-
riu II the horse was condemned to I'M
mobility.
Benito seized his heavy saddle by the
pummel and threw it over the back of
the horse, who shook and trcmbled when
his loins felt the burden and the large
wooden stirrups rebounded against his
side. The girth was violently frightened
under the belly, and the vaquero seated
himself on the ground to fasten the
spurs on his feet.
At this moment l glanced toward the
stand. Maria Antonio was motionless,
but her large black eyes, Immediately
open, sparkled in her now pale face, and
the agitation of her bosom betrayed her
agony.
| Don Ramon himself seemed fright
ened, and once l hoped he was about
| to recall the permission which exposed
! the intrepid young man to almost GER
tain death. But he said nothing.
When Benito had fastened his spurs,
the bonds which kept the horses legs
were loosened and the leathern bandage
tied over his eyes.
Yet, though held by the rope which
twisted his lip, the furious leaps of the
animal prevented his being mounted.
He was forced down on his knees, and
two vaqueros, each biting one of his
| ears, kept him thus a second. Bcnito
sprang on the horses back
"Let him CO." he exclaimed in firm
voice.
back whilst the wild animal started up
as if moved by some concealed mechan
ism.
Owing to tine leathern bandages that
blinded him, he at first stood on his lie gs
trembling, with upturned nostrils.
Benito availed himself of this short
respite to seat himself firmly in the sad
die, leaned forward, and raised the
bandage that covered the animals eyes
Then commenced truly admirable
struggle between the man and the
beast
Frightened at the sudden light which
dazZled his bloOdshot eyes, shaking his
| tangled name, which stood erect with
rage, the fiery animal neighed terribly
and bounded toward the four points of
the compass as If to scent the wind.
Benito, without seeming shaken by
these mpetuous bounds, still kept on
the defensive, roughly kicking away at
the beasts mouth, as it tried to bite his
legs. The foiled animal reared suddenly
on his launches. In vain the spurs
running into his groins made him rear.
Instead of falling on his legs he threw
himself violently on his back.
The spectators all screamed, but the
pummel of the saddle alone knocked
against the earth with lugubrious
sound Benito, foreseeing the shock,
had sprung rapidly to the ground.
In the midst of a cloud of dust the as
tonished spectators soon beheld the
horse-tamer leap into the saddle by the
off side, against all equestrian rules, at
| the moment when the bewildered horse
got up neighing. The vaquero, in his
turn, appeared mad with fury. For the
first time in his life he had been I'M
horsed. Impatient to revenge this insult
his legs never ceased pressing the horse S
legs but to trace bloody burrows with the
spurs under his belly his hands only left
hold of the horse-hair snatfie but to
shower down blows on the enraged ami
malls bruised skin.
| But as yet neither had the advantage
and, after a few minutes of furious strug
| gle, the two antagonists stood still tor a
moment.
| Applause IcSOuuucQ on all anu
| certainly to meet the admiration of those
centaurs it was necessary to have accom-.
plished more than it is usually given man
to accomplish.
Either the vaquero was one of thOs
whom danger or applause intoxicated, or
he thought himself able to do still more,
for he profited by this truce to draw a
sharp knife out of the garter OF his
boot
"Hollo" exclaimed Don Ramon, less
passive spectator of IA struggle in which
apparently, the life of horse was in
question; is the rascal going to cut the
horses throat?"
Indignation flashed from Maria Anto-
MOS black eyes at the suppositiOn that a
man whom she had distinguished could
be a onward, and a superb smile of pride
lighted up her features at the sight OF
Benito, who, in a fit Of wild temerity,
intoxicated, no doubt, by the presence OF
his beloved, had cut the horses snaffle
and thus placed himself, without bride
At the mercy of an untamable animal.
| Freed from the boZal which com
pressed his nostrils, the horse noisily
breathed the air of the forests, shook the
waves of his golden name, and set off il
the direction of the Topped tree.
Such was the impetuosity of his ca
Ieer that it seemed impossible to pre-
vent his dashing against the obstacles in
his way. Nothing, therefore, could pre-
vent the rider from the fate awaiting
him.
The horse was only few yards off the
fatal trunk when by sudden and un
expected movement Benito pulled of
his broad brimmed hat, and, at the mo
ment when final bound was about to
end the struggle, the hat, interposed be.
tween the tree and the horse, made the
| latter spring with terror in another di
rection. We then witnessed the singular
spectacle of rider without bride
guiding his unmanageable horse, which
sprang from side to side as the bugbeaI
passed from one eye to the other.
| The horse, shuddering with rage,
passed thus beneath the stand, where
Maria Antonio rewarded Benito's fortu-
nate temerity with glance.
| The pride of triumph which brought
| out the energetic and masculine beauty
| of the horseman, and lighted up his
| brow, over which the wind waved his
floating hair, wonderfully justified the
young girls choice.
Giving fresh impulse to the horse,
| which was painting and disconnected by
| this unexpected resistance, Eenito al
lowed him to take the direction of the
| forest We beheld him for few sec
| onds shaken like reed by the furious
| bounds of the animal, but we soon lost
sight of him.
A few horsemen followed him; but
his course was so rapid that they soon
returned to the stand, giving up the pur-
suit useless.
He returned in less than an hour,
1,sc Al