The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1893-09-28
A MEXICANS DARING FEAT.
HOW NERVE AND MUSCLE OF MAN AND
HORSE CAN BE TRAINED.

unsatisfactory to the frery audience
and at the close the clown from tht
center of the ring, announced:
Tomorrow, at 2 o'clock, Senol
Cabalero will check his horse, while
riding at full gallop, on the brink Of
yonder cliff"
Within two lengths of the brow p
Came from the audience.
within two lengths-within five
feetr'
The astonishment created by this
announcement held the audience for
some moments in silence It was a
| proposal of such reckless daring that
it was difficult to believe the maker of
it was in earnest. Even these fearless
people were inclined to fancy Senor
Cabalero was not serious, but mock
ing them. The cliff to which the
clown had pointed was part of the
| bluff that hemmed in the valley 1t
was sort of promontory, however, that
jutted out from the general line, SO as
to be CONSPICUOUS object from the
plain below. Its brow was of equal
height with the rest Of the precipice-
of which it was sort of buttress; and
a grassy turf that appeared along its
edge was the continuation of the up
per plateau. Its front to the valley
was vertical. without terrace or ledge.
although horizontal seams traversing
| its face showed a stratitied formation.
From the sward upon the valley to
! that upon the heights was 1000 feet.
To gaze up the precipice was trial to
delicate nerves; to look down put the
stOutest to proof.
The next day at the appointed hour.
a surging crowd in the valley stood
watching Senior Cabalero on the cliff.
Every motion was noted He first
alighted from the saddle stripped off
manga and carried it back and placed
it out of the way. He next looked to
his spurs to see if the straps were
properly buckled. After this he re
tired his sash and set his sombrero
firmly on his head. He huttoned his
velveted olizoneros down nearly to his
ankles, So that their leather button
ings might not flap open and discom
mode him. His hunting knife, or dirk,
along with the whip, he gave to Don
Juan.
Senior Cabalero next turned to his
horse which stood at this time with
| his neck curved proudly, as though he
OWNED that he was to be called upon
for some signal service The great
bit, Mameluke, was carefully ex-
amined lest there be some flaw or
| crack In the steel. The head strap
was buckled to proper tightness. and
| then the reins were minutely scanned.
! These were made of the hair of
horses tail, closely and neatly plated.
The saddle now had its turn. Passing
from side to side the athlete tied both
stirrup feathers and examined the
great wooden blocks which formed
the stirrups. The girth was the last
as well as the most important object
Of his solicitude. He loosened the
buckles on both sides and then tight
ened them, using his knee to effect
his purpose. When drawn to his
liking, the tip of his finger could not
have been passed under the strong
leather band.
No wonder the horseman observed
all this caution, as the swapping Of a
strap or the slipping of buckle at
the critical moment might hurl him
into eternity. Having satisfied him
self that all was right, he gathered up
the reins and leaped gayly into his
saddle
He first directed his horse in a walk
along the edge of the cliff, within a
few feet of It's edge. This was to
steady the nerves of both himself and
the animal. Presently the walk be-
came trot, and then a gentle can
| ter Even this was an exhibition fear
tul to behold, and many a Mexican
gazed breathlessly.
After awhile he headed back toward
the plain, and then, stretching into a
gallop-the gait in which he intended
to approach the cliff-he suddenly
reined up, so as to throw his horse
nearly on his launches. Again he re
sumed the gallop, again refining up.
and this maneuver he repeated about
dozen times, now with his horses
head turned toward the cliff, and now
IN the direction of the plain.
At last Senor Cabalero was seen to
turn his horses head toward the pro-
jecting cliff, and take a firm seat in
the saddle. The determined pose of
his head showed that the moment
had come for the final trial A slight
touch of the spurs started the noble
steed and IN another moment he was
IN full gallop, straight toward the
brink of the cliff
The noisy Mexicans grew suddenly
silent, breathless. The suspense. how
ever, was of short duration The
swift strides had brought horse
and rider close to the verge-within
half a dozen lengths Yet the rein
still hung loose-the rider dared not
tighten it-a touch he knew would
bring the horse to stand, and that
before he had crossed the line would
be failure. Another bound and an
other-the two-iength line is crossed
Another, and, Great God. he will be
overl
But another WAS not taken.
just as the horse was to rise for the
final leap that would have carried them
over the fatal brink the reins sudden
! ly tightened the fore legs became
liked and spread, and the hips of the
noble animal sank to the plain. There
they poised, scarcely yard from the
edge of the cliff.
v hile in this attitude the horseman
raised his right hand, lifted his som
brero and waved it above his head.
1t was splendid spectacle from be
low The dark forms of both horse
and rider stood out strong against the
light background of the Sky. The
oval outlines of the steed, the trap
pings, every detail of the man in his
picturesque and dramatic pose, could
be seen distinctly, and for the moment
in which they were poised and mo