Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1882-05-07
Capturing Wild Horses.

A large mob of wild horses is deserted
coming toward the riders over distant
rise. As they draw near and see them
selves headed by mounted men, they
wheel sharply on one side, and, with
names and tails streaming in the wind,
and their fanks shining with moisture,
they gallop off in another direction, but
only to find enemies wherever they turn.
At last, in desperation, they make
straight for the widest gap they see in
the circle. The two men between whom
they hope to escape leap off their hack
horses, which they quickly hobble and
leave loose, ard, mounting barebacked
on the spare one, wat for the right mo-
ment for closing in on the flying and al
ready distressed bagnales as they make
their final rush. If they do SO too soon,
of course the mob swerves to one side,
and passes 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 a good look
ing colt, whirls the balls round his head.
and, letting fly, entangles tnem round
both hind legs so effectua!ly that the vic
tim, after struggling onward some fifty
u
heavily over. After the first cast the
hunter presses on close to the heels of
the escaping mob, aud, loosening his
second pair from round his waist, often
secures another colt. Then he dismounts,
and, after tying the PROSTATE animals
fore hoofs close together with some OF
the many rawhide thongs about his per-
son 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 description of the boleadoras.
for it is these that are chiefly used-and
not the lasso, as Is commonly supposed
for catching the wild horses Of the
Pampa. Three double twisted thongs OF
raw horse-hide, each about three feet SIX
inches long, are softened by rubbing and
working them in the hands, and when IN
apliant state, are tiedtogetLer at one end.
At the other end of one is fastened a
stone ball, covered with hide, and shaped
so Us to fit the grasp Of the hands; and to
the other two ends are bound wooden
balls (of the size of d small croquet Cne),
also cased in hide. Grasping firmly the
stone one, the hunter whirls the others
around his head, and, when the right
moment has arrived, be lets go (as boy
does half his sling, and the three balls
twist the thongs around whatever they
are thrown ut. But to resume. After
all the baguales inelosed have escaped or
been caught, we look after the ostriches,
which have, as a lule, remained, hiding
themselves about the middle of 5he cir
Gle. Any who may have singly tried to
run off previously have been allowed to
do SO; but if a troop should have made
rush during the horse huut), 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 eorredores are too Eeen-sighted
and experienced, and, galloping up and
down, they beat the ground like spaniels,
shouting and whistlinp, until the birds
are flushed, one by one, and have to run
for it. On these expeditions any deeI
and guanacos "a species OF Hama) are
not hunted; only so when neither bagu-
ales nor ostrches have been inciosed.-
London Field.