San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1882-04-20
Capturing Wild Horses.


A large mob of wild horses is do
scribed coming toward the riders over
q distant rise. AS they draw near and
see themselves headed by mounted
men, they wheel sharply on one side,
and, with names and tails streaming in
the wind, and their TANKS shining with
moisture, they gallop off in another
direction, but only to find enemies
wherever they turn, At last, in, des-
peration, they make straight forrthe
widest gap they see in the circle. The
two men between whom they hope to
escape leap of their hack horses, which
they quickly hobble and leave loose,
and, mounting barebacked on the spare
one, wait for the right moment for
closing in on the flying and already
distressed baguales as they make their
final rush. Ii they do SO too soon, Of,
course the mob swerves to one side, end
pass behind the hunter; but, if they
manage well, the two Simultaneously
close in on the drove, boleadoras in
hand, ready to cast; and at the moment
the horses pass each singles out good
looking colt, whirls the balls round his
head, and letting fly, entangles them
round both hind legs so efiectually that
the victim, after struggling onward
some fifty yards, is obliged to submit,
and falls heavily over. After the first
cast the hunter presses on close to the
heels of the escaping mob, and, loosen
ing his second pair from round his
waist, often secures another colt. Then
he dismounts, and, after tying the
PROSTATE animals fore hoofs close to-
gether with some of the many rawhide
thongs about his person or his horse,
he leaves it, struggling but secure, and
resumes his place in the circle as before,
in case there is more game still within
it, And here let me give brief de-
scription of the boleadoras, for it is
these that are chiefly used-a and not
the lasso, as is commonly supposed
for catching the wild horses of the Pan
pa. Three double-twisted thongs OF
raw horse-hide, each about three feet
six inches long, and softened by rub
bling and working them in the hands,
and when in plant state, are tied to-
gether ut one end. At the other end of
one is fastened n stone ball, covered
with hide, and shaped 80 as to fit the
grasp of the hands; and to the other
two ends are bound wooden balls (of
the size of a small croquet one), also
cased in hide. Grasping firmly the
stone one, the hunter whirls the others
around his head, and, when the right
moment has arrived, he lets go Cos
boy does half his sling), and the three
bars twist the thongs around whatever
they are thrown at. But to resume. At
ter all the baguales inclosed have es-
capped or been caught, we look after the
ostriches, which have, as rule, re-
NAMED, hiding themselves about the
middle of the circle. Any who may
have singly tried to run off previously
have been allowed to do SO; but if
troop should have made rush during
the hunt three or four Of the men pursue
and generally bag one apiece. Many
others will drop into the low grass,
hoping not to be seen, but the CORE
dores are too keen.sighted, and, gallop-
ing up and down, they beat the ground
like spaniels, shouting and whistling,
until the birds are flushed, one by one,
and have to run for it. On these expedi-
tons any deer and guanacos "a species
of Ilama) are not hunted only SO when
neither baguales nor ostrichcs have
been inclosed. London Field.