by
bringing the noose round its neck.

And now the struggle began. Dick knew well enough, from hearsay, the
method of "breaking down" a wild horse. He knew that the Indians choke
them with the noose round the neck until they fall down exhausted and
covered with foam, when they creep up, fix the hobbles, and the line
in the lower jaw, and then loosen the lasso to let the horse breathe,
and resume its plungings till it is almost subdued, when they
gradually draw near and breathe into its nostrils. But the violence
and strength of this animal rendered this an apparently hopeless task.
We have already seen that the hobbles and noose in the lower jaw
had been fixed, so that Dick had nothing now to do but to choke his
captive, and tire him out, while Crusoe remained a quiet though
excited spectator of the scene.

But there seemed to be no possibility of choking this horse. Either
the muscles of his neck were too strong, or there was something
wrong with the noose which prevented it from acting, for the furious
creature dashed and bounded backwards and sideways in its terror for
nearly an hour, dragging Dick after it, till he was almost exhausted;
and yet, at the end of that time, although flecked with foam and
panting with terror, it seemed as strong as ever. Dick held both
lines, for the short one attached to its lower jaw gave him great
power over it. At last he thought of seeking assistance from his dog.

"Crusoe," he cried, "lay hold, pup!"

The dog seized the long line in his teeth and pulled with all his
might. At the same moment Dick let go the short line and threw all
his weight upon the long one. The noose tightened suddenly under this
strain, and the mustang, with a gasp, fell choking to the ground.

Dick had often heard of the manner in which the Mexicans "break" their
horses, so he determined to abandon the method which had already
almost worn him out, and adopt the other, as far as the means in his
power rendered it possible. Instead, therefore, of loosening the lasso
and re-commencing the struggle, he tore a branch from a neighbouring
bush, cut the hobbles, strode with his legs across the fallen steed,
seized the end of the short line or bridle, and then, ordering Crusoe
to quit his hold, he loosened the noose which compressed the horse's
neck and had already well-nigh terminated its existence.

One or two deep sobs restored it, and in a moment it leaped to its
feet with Dick firmly on its back. To say t