The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1894-12-08

great grove of
iive-oaks in the San Gabriel valley,
California. They came from a large
ranch down the country, and were 60
ing to Los Angeles for the annual
fiesta. Their saddles were of leather,
richly chased, after the Spanish FASH
ion. The pommel of one was of silver.
the rim of the saddle of the same, and
even the bride was of silver, the bit
being handsomely inlaid.
The riders wore big. broad-brimmed
hats, or sombreros, with silver bands,
richly colored trousers and botas,
while each carried a gay blanket, or
serape, which had a hole for the neck,
to be used if occasion required. This,
with a long horsehair reata, or lariat,
tied near the pommel. made up as
picturesque a costume as one could
imagine.
The country was a succession of
parks, with clumps of fine old oaks,
whose long branches and limbs offered
grateful shade. Occasionally there
were patches of bush and chaparral,
giving way again to the open spots
where the yellow fox-tail grass
CLEANED like gold, or the wild a
rippled in the summer sun. Through
such scenes of pastoral beauty the
light-hearted horsemen were riding,
passing the time with jokes and ban
ter. when suddenly lose Salvadea,
who was ahead. stopped SO abruptly
that his horse fell back on his
launches, and motioned to the others
for quiet. All drew rein, and. follow
ing the direction of his pointed finger,
saw a singular sight
In a little clearing. where the alfi-
laria had been green and rank in win
ter, but was now a chocolate-colored
mass upon the ground, under four or
five large trees, were two gigantic
birds, so tall, so black and ugly with
al, that they might have been carica-
lures of birds. One was tearing at a
sheep, while the other, evidently hav-
ing dined to its content, stood by, its
enormous wings extended, showing a
spread of nine or ten feet. 1t vas one
of the rarest birds of America-the
great California condor-caught in the
very act of filching from the owners of
the sofia bird that has the reputa-
ton of devouring a sheep a day when
opportunity offered.
The loss of a sheep, or a dozen,
amounted to little, butt was the sport
of taking the great bird that attracted
the horsemen, and as quietly as posi-
BILE they united their reatas. released
and enlarged the coil, and waited fog
the word.
They held the rope in the right hand.
so that the moose, about four feet in
length, hung free. and at the word.
given by Juan, they put spurs to their
horses and dashed at the birds.
The latter were taken completely by
surprise. One clumsily attempted
flight and rose a few feet from the
ground, when a reata went whirling
through the air, dropping over its
neck, a pull bringing it to earth. The
other bird, stupefied by its stolen
feast, fell an easy victim. two reatas
falling over it, one dropping over its
head, the other securing its wing. As
the ropes fell the men raised a shout
The horses, trained in their runs after
stock, braced back, expecting the
hard pull which a bullock gives when
lassoed; but instead came a remark
able series of struggles. The condor
caught by the head ran a short dis
lance with a curious, hopping motion,
ao,hen with a violent effort beat the
iround and the air with its powerful
k. ings. raising itself several feet into
,air. The sight of the enormous