The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-03-28
Hunting Wild Horses.

The wild horse can run away from a
man but this protection fails at times.
The horse ca:chers-or "yaqueros," as
they are called-are famous riders, and
to see them capture wild mustang is
better than to 10 to q circus. The vaqu-
ero puts spanish sadd.. on tame horse,
and starts out to see what he can find.
In front on the high pommel of the sad
die, he hangs in large coils leather rope,
about a hundred feet long, and called q
lasso. 1t is made of stripes of raw hide,
braided by hand into smooth, hard and
very pretty rope. One is secured to the
saddle, and the other end has slip.not
making sliding moose.
The yaquero has not long to wait, for
there are droves of horses cantering OF
walking about over the swells and hol-
lows of the prairie, with here and there
a small group looking on, or watching a
battle between two horses who wish to
be captains Of their bands or companies.
Presently there is a strange sound OF
trampling hoofs, like swift charge
of cavalry, except that it has o grand,
wild rush and swing such as no cavalry
ever had, and cloud of dark heads rises
over 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 danger near. The
leader does not like the looks of things, and
slowly canters away, followed by all the
rest, tramping in confusion through the
yellow grass and wild barley. Present.
" they become frightened, and away
they fly in dusty rhrong.
The yaquero's horse seems to think his
chance has come, and he pricks up his
ears, and is eager for the glorious fun Of
q dash after the mustangs. Away they
90 pell.mell, in a panic, and the tame
horse galloring swiftly after them.
Down they tumble-some knocked over
in the confusion, snortiug and finging
great Aecks of foam from their dilated
nostrils, tra'npling over each other in
mad haste, each for himself, and the
American horse sweeping after them.
Now the vaquero stands up in his sad,
die, and the lasso swings round and round
in circle over his head. Swish 1t
sings through the air with whirring
sound, and opens out in great rings,
while the loop spreads wider and wider,
and at last drops 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 feel
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 and
frantic terror. The rope strains terribly,
but the vaou ero watches his chances, and
takes in the rope every time it slackens.
1t is of no use! The poor mustang Is
hard and fast. Perhaps another ride.
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 could hardly move.
He falls, ano rolls, and kicks furiously,
and all in vain. Painting, exhausted and
conquered, he at last submits to his fate.
His free days are over, and be 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 a bit in his mouth. and becomes a
tame horse for the rest of his life. II,
by chance, he escapes before he is broken
in, and runs away to join his wild com.
panions, he seems never to forget that
terrible lasst, aud if he sees the vaquero
again, he will stand, trembling and
frightened, too much terrified to even
run away.-,T. Nicholas for April.