Stephens City star. (Stephens City, Va.) 1881-1883, 1882-02-25
Capturing Wild Horses.


serted, coming toward the riders, over
a 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 eallop off in
another direction, but only to find enc
mics wherever they turn. At last, ir
desperation they make straight for the
widest gap they see in the circle. The
two men between whom they hope tc
escape leap off their hack horses, which
they quickly hobble and leave loose,
and, mounting bare-backed on the
spare one, wait for the right moment
for closing in on the flying and already
distressed baguales as they make theil
final rush. If they do so too soon, Of
course the mob swerves to one side,
and passes behind the hunter; but, il
they manage we'll, the two simultane.
ously close in on the drove. boleadoras
in hand, ready to cast; and at the mo.
ment the horses pass, each singles out
a good-looking colt, whirls the balls
round his head, and, letting fly, entan
giles them round both hind-legs so of.
fectually that the victim, after strug-
Cling onward some fifty yards, is OBJ
liged to submit, and falls heavily over.
After the first cast the hunter presses
on close to the heels of the escaping
mob, and, 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 raw-hide 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 description of the
boleadoras, for it is these that are
chiefly used-and not the lazo, as il
commonly supposed-for catching the
wild horses of the Pampas. Three dou
BILE twisted thongs of raw horse hide
each about 3 feet inches long, arc
softened by rubbing and working then
in the hands, and when in plant
state are tied together at one end. A
the other end of one is fastended {
stone ball, covered with hide, an6
shaped so as to fit the grasp of the
hand; and to the other two ends are
bound wooden balls, (of the size Of Q
small croquet one, also cased in hide
Grasping firmly the stone one, the hun
ter whirls the others round his head
and, when the right moment has arrived,
he let's go. las boy does half his sling,
and tae three balls twist the thongs
around whatever they are throwing at.
But to resume. After all the baguales
inclosed have escaped or been caught,
we look after the ostriches, which have,
as rule, remained hiding themselves
about the middle q the circle. ANY
who may have singly tried to run of
previously, have been allowed to do So
but if troop should have made rush,
during the horse hunt, three or fou,
of the men pursue, and generally bag
one apiece. Many others will dror
into the low grass, hoping not to be
seen; but the corredores are too keen
sighted and experienced, 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 ex.
petitions any deer and guanacos IA
species of llama) are not hunted; only
SO when neither baguales nor ostrichet
have been enclosed. 10 ndon Field.