en, which were wanted for the market
at New Orleans. As the kind of chase which takes place after these animals
is very interesting, and rarely dangerous, we willingly accepted the
invitation to accompany him, and having dressed and breakfasted in all
haste, got upon our mustangs and rode of into the prairie.

The party was half a dozen strong, consisting of Mr Neal, my friend and
myself, and three negroes. What we had to do was to drive the cattle,
which were grazing on the prairie in herds of from thirty to fifty head,
to the house, and then those which were selected for the market were to be
taken with the lasso and sent off to Brazoria.

After riding four or five miles, we came in sight of a drove, splendid
animals, standing very high, and of most symmetrical form. The horns of
these cattle are of unusual length, and, in the distance, have more the
appearance of stag's antlers than bull's horns. We approached the herd
first to within a quarter of a mile. They remained quite quiet. We rode
round them, and in like manner got in rear of a second and third drove,
and then began to spread out, so as to form a half circle, and drive the
cattle towards the house.

Hitherto my mustang had behaved exceedingly well, cantering freely along
and not attempting to play any tricks. I had scarcely, however, left the
remainder of the party a couple of hundred yards, when the devil by which
he was possessed began to wake up. The mustangs belonging to the
plantation were grazing some three quarters of a mile off; and no sooner
did my beast catch sight of them, than he commenced practising every
species of jump and leap that it is possible for a horse to execute, and
many of a nature so extraordinary, that I should have thought no brute
that ever went on four legs would have been able to accomplish them. He
shied, reared, pranced, leaped forwards, backwards, and sideways; in short,
played such infernal pranks, that, although a practised rider, I found it
no easy matter to keep my seat. I began heartily to regret that I had
brought no lasso with me, which would have tamed him at once, and that,
contrary to Mr Neal's advice, I had put on my American bit instead of a
Mexican one. Without these auxiliaries all my horsemanship was useless.
The brute galloped like a mad creature some five hundred yards, caring
nothing for my efforts to stop him; and then, finding himself close to the
troop of mustangs, he stopped suddenly short, threw his h