hich direction to make their escape;
when the men galloped forward, lasso in hand, each singling out an
animal, round whose neck he seldom failed to throw the noose. The horse
would then dash forward, but was as speedily brought up by the rope; and
the well-trained steed of the Llanero, throwing itself back, and
pressing its fore, feet against the ground, effectually checked it, and
threw it upon its haunches, or right over on its back. Another Llanero
would then dexterously cast his lasso round the animal's fore-feet, and
by a jerk bring it round its legs. By slightly slackening the rope
round its neck, the horse was enabled to get up, when its first impulse
was to dash forward; but it was brought to the ground by the lasso round
its legs, with a jerk sufficient, it would seem, to break every bone in
its body. The horse would then lie motionless while its hind feet were
secured.

The first horse I saw caught in this manner, I thought was dead; but
after a time it regained its consciousness, and, giving some convulsive
plunges, again got on its legs. Before it had even time to look about,
it was led off by some of the Llaneros to a post near the farm, where,
in spite of its desperate struggles, it was saddled and bridled. Its
strength regained, it began to bite, plunge, and kick in all directions,
the Llaneros nimbly getting out of the way. One of the more experienced
riders, watching his opportunity, then leaped into the saddle, and
signed to one of his companions to cast off the lasso from its legs.
The animal, finding itself free, darted off, and then commenced to back,
plunge, and whisk round and round, sometimes dashing on for a few paces
at a furious pace, and then recommencing its eccentric movements. The
rider, however, stuck on; and another Llanero coming behind,
administered a lash with his long cutting whip, which made the poor
animal start off with a snort like a scream. No one but a well-trained
horseman could have kept his seat in the way our men did. As it darted
ahead, two other Llaneros rode on either side to keep the wild animal
straight. Off it went across the level country for a league or more,
occasionally stopping to back and kick; each time its efforts grew
fainter, until at last we saw it come back, its eyes bloodshot, its
whole body covered with foam and blood, and perfectly bewildered. It
was then unsaddled and tied to a post, there to remain until hunger made
it willing to accept t