Middletown transcript., 1878-03-23
Hunting Wild E1orses.

lGdIus
Hunting wild Horses.
The wild horse can run away from
a man; but this protection fails at
times. The horse-catchers-or Eva
queros,' as they are called-are fa-
nous riders, and to see them capture
wild mustang is better than to go to
a circus. The vaquero puts Spanish
saddle on a tame horse, and starts out
to see what he can find. In front, on
the high pommel of the saddle, he
hangs in large coils leather rope, a.
bout hundred feet long, and called a
lasso. 1t is made of strips Of raw
hide, braided by hand into smooth,
hard and very pretty rope. One end
is secured to the saddle, and the other
end has a slip-knot making slidding
moose.
The yaquero has not long to wait,
for there are droves Of horses canter-
ing or walking about over the swells
and hollows of the prairie, with here
and there smaller group looking on,
or watching battle between two
horses who wish to be captains of their
bands or companies: Presently, there
is strange sound of tramping hoofs,
like the sound of a squadron of cayal-
~, except that it has a grand, wild
rush and swing such as no cavalry
ever had, and cloud of dark heads
rises over a swell Of the land. The
leader sees the vaquero, and he halts
suddenly, and the others pull up in
confused crowd, and toss their heads,
and sniff the air, as if they scented dan
GER near. The leader does not like
the looks of things, and turns and
slowly eanters away, followed by all
the rest, tramping in confusion through
the yellow grass and wild barley.
Presently they become frightened, and
away they fly in dusty throng.
The vaquero's horse seems to think
his chance has come, and he pricks up
his ears, in his eager for the glorious
fun of dash after the mustangs. A.
way they 60 pell-mell, in panic, and
the tame horse galloping after them.
Down they tumble-some knocked
over in the confusion, snorting and
finging great fecks of fsam from their
dilated nostrils, trampling over each
other in mad haste, each for himself,
and the American horse sweeping af-
ter them. Now the vaquero stands
up in his saddle, and the lasso swings
round and round in a circle over his
head, Swish! 1t sings through the air
with a whirring sound, and opens out
in great rings, while the loop spreads
wider and wider, and at last dreps
plump over the head Of a mustang.
The vaquero's horse pulls up with a
sudden halt, and sinks back on his
launches, and braces his fore feet out
in front. All! How the dust flies =!
The mustang is fast, held by the slip
knot, and he rears up and plunges in
wild frantic terror. The rope strains
terribly, but the vaquero watches his
chances, and takes in the rope every
time it slackens It is Of no use The
poor mustang is hard and fast. Per-
haps another rider comes up and filings
another lasso over his head. Then
they ride round him, and the mustang
is twisted and tangled in the ropes till
he can hardly move. He falls, and
rolls, and kicks furiously, and all in
vain. Painting, exhausted and con-
quered, he at last submits to his fate.
His free days are over, and he seems
to know it. A few more struggles, and
he recognizes that man is his master,
and, perhaps, in one or two days he
submits to bit in his mouth, and be-
comes a tame horse for the rest of his
life. If, by any chance, he escapes
before he is broken in, and runs away
to join his wild companions, he seems
never to forget that terrible lasso, and
if he sees the vaquero again, he will
stand, trembling and frightened, too
much terrified to even run away
From "The Wild Austang," by Charles
Barnard, St. Nicholas for april