Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1882-02-16

event of more than ordinary impor.
tance. They were mule and llama
drivers, herdsmen, shepherds, guides
pack men, and others, wild-eved
savage and independent-loolling fel
lows, from the great slopes and table.
lands i'll the neighborho0d of Quito
formed picturesque group with theil
bright blankets. sombreros, rude
weapons and enormous spurs.
''Bull-tighters, or horse-racers:"
! asked of my companion.
Neither the one nor the other
he replied. pausing that l might IN.
spect the scene at my leisure These
fellows arc preparing for the senorita.
chase that will take place on yondel
plain Immediately after the Other
games.
"A senorita-chase: l do not ull-
derstand.
You will presently. Do YOU mark
those three active young fellows, who
| are rubbing down their ponies 50 near
together, and who Yet eye each Other
darkly and malevolentlv:'' -
Yes: the two younger of the trio
are alike enough to be twin-broth-
ers.' -
They are so, and are 50 much
alike i'll appearance and disposition
as often to be mistaken for each 9th
err said Mr.. Provost. 1.-The other
and elder is called Easco. and is
something Of a desperate character, !
am told. The three have 50 long
been rivals for the affections of Ben
janina, one Of the pretticst and co,
! quetish of the Indian mountain-mai-
dcns hercaboutS. and have had sc
many quarrels on her account. that
their history is well known in the
Guayaquil district She leads then
a pretty race to-day, and, | believe
has signified her intention to reward
with her hand the one who catches
her, and thus put an end to the ri.
valry.''
a wife-hunt is. perhaps, the most
appropriate name that can be giver
it. The girl-rider is pursued by on,
or more of her admirers, in proper.
ton to her good looks and genera
! popularity with the opposite sex; and
! though the race is often an angry al
exciting one, she is mostly suppose,
to facilitate her own capture on the
part of the suitor whom she reall,
| prefers. which renders it Il mutua
, and bona-fide wooing, after all an,
| in this it NAV he said to be more
genuine affair of the heart and feel
ingS than many of the wifc-huts tina
are i'll vogue i'll more pretentiously
civilized countries.
Benjanina was sprightly an'
pretty young woman of apparentl,
unmixcd Indian blood. Her figur,
was slender and willowy her com
pleXion was clear. brilliant and am
! ber-tintcd. She had wonderful
grace of movement, bold black eyes
and longfowing, coarse. black hair
, which tlUated far below her lissOn
waist, as she lightly leaped into tn
saddle. amid the laughing good-wishe
of her female companions, who seeme'
as careless and Ii ight-hearted us she
Indeed, i'll her picturesque, DREAD
like costume, she looked such
tempting prize, as she clirveted bacI
and forth upon her small and under
bred, but mettlcsome steed, in antic
lipation for her lovers to start in pur
lsuit, that | even wondered ut ther
being but three competitors for he
hand.
There would he more after her
but for the reputation of these three,
said my companion. ''They are a
deemed by their fellows as wild an'
desperate men, and l suspect the.
can be robbers on occasion, quite a
conveniently as mule drivers. Blu
see. they are Off
1t was true. The word had bee
given and away had dashed the noun
tain-maiden, having been given fift
wards the start, with the rival lover
in mad pursuit.
Never had | witnessed finer horse
manship, even in Mexico. The pun
suers were dressed much alike, wit
all the bravery of gold-corded SON
breros, tight-fitting, hussar-like jack
cts and broadly-fringed trousers c
bleached llama skin, hung here an
there with tinkling little bells, wit
the single exception of the broa
sashes about their waists. Thes
were their marks of distinction. Maj
uelo's sash being yellow, Mario
blue and Vasco's red.
For several reasons it was a mos
exciting chase. In the first place
the marrow plateau was intersperse
with rocks and clumps of chaparra
: which allowed of any amount of del
ferrous dodging-making it a sort {
hide-and-seek on horseback, in fact
, and in the next place though the twill