A Summer in a Canyon

atched the flicke

ether of the g

id, Polly!' exclaimed the boys

bowing profoundly to Bell and Polly in turn, and presenting the

it, too, my little daughter. I have some knowledge of Pancho's capabilities as a narrator,

have another story. Take one of t

found, out of the encyclop?dia,

you for an audience any m

not a

y sight, or I shall certainly shake her

the oldest Calif

aul?' asked the i

,' responded Philip,

terrupted Bell. 'Papa was here

lip. 'Margery and I are not only the oldest Californ

e cor

n, and was here on the first Admission Day, and was one of the Vigilantes-and I think tha

tee, if they had only waited for me; but they went straight ahead with the business, and when I was born there was nothing to do but stand

par

me along. The rodeos nowadays are neither as great occasions, nor as exciting ones, as they used to be; but this is the way a rodeo is managed. When the spring rains are mostly over, and the grass is fine,-say in April-the ranchero of a certain ranch sends word to all his ne

ng, having had a cup of coffee, and ride to the "rodeo-ground," which is any flat, convenient place where ca?ons converge. Many of the

os would there b

ranches and cattle represented. Some of the vaqueros form a circle round the cattle that they have driven

hought the mustangs were tough, hardy little b

ves separated from the rest. You can imagine what skilful engineering this takes, even though you never saw it. Two work together; they start a certain cow and calf and work them through the band of cattle until they near the outside, and then "

remember the time when they were branded themselves, and they don

for the cattle always stay more contentedly together as the group grows larger. Occasionally one "breaks" and runs off on

ghtful accidents,'

unless the vaquero is particularly skilful he will be gored and his horse too; but he gives a dexterous turn to the lariat, the animal steps over it, gets tangled and thrown. Frequently an animal breaks a horn or a leg. Sometimes one fall is

e reata very tightly round the pommel of his saddle to hold the steer, a

es them in with the ones to be branded, leaving in the rodeo-ground the cattle bearing the brands of all the other rancheros. There has been much drinking of aguardiente (brandy) and everybody by this time is pretty reckless. Then they drive this selected band to the home corral, the vaqueros yelling, the cattle "calling," and the reatas whizzing a

he branding is going to begin,

ngs that people have to bear every year of their lives. Animals n

den leg, or a cow with false teeth!

h cattle-owner having his special brand, which is properly recorded, and which may be any device not previously used. Two men now catch the calves; one lassoi

?' asked Bell. 'I've seen brands there,-yo

here in front of the fifth rib, and this constitutes what they call a venta, or sale. If you notice some of the little "plugs" ridden by Santa Barbara boys, you'll see that they b

was plenty of opportunity for cheating. For instance, a man would often see unbranded cattle when riding about, and there was nothing to prevent his dismounting, building

take my ri

y calve

brand them

l belon

d B

e. 'I can't imagine how the vaqueros can fling

ly 'the most ordinary people can learn it; why! your

' cried Bell; 'a hitching-post, or even a door-

rds for me. You see there was a bull, on Santa Rosa island, so wild that they wanted to kill him; but nobody could do it, though he was a terror to any one who ventured on the island. They called him "Antiguelo," because of his long horns and long tail. He was such a terrible fighter that all the vaqueros were afraid to lass' him, for he always broke away with the lariat. You see a horse throws a bull by skill and not by strength, of course. You can choke almost any bull; but this one

are, you lazy boy,' objected

eresting information concerning its old customs, can give you Spanish names for all the things that come up

ow, O great and wise

a big piece of raw hide, cuts a circle right out of the middle, and then cuts round and round this until he has one long continuous string, half

o,' retorted Jack, in an injured tone; 'but I kn

"braiding round" and lassoing of wild cattle is going

and I shall give charming little entertainments in my room

f keeping up with your cl

ll. They'll be a little more expensive, because I'll have to keep some wild cattle constan

shing you with a valet

r. I shall give exhibitions on the campus,

Polly, cuttingly; 'but what has it to

d about that I gained my marvellous skill in California? This will increase emigration. I don't pretend to

bank of violets,' laughed Dr. Paul. 'Now

has a horse in it, like Polly's; only hers was a snow-white mare, and mine is a coal-black

F JUAN

o pounce on these travellers on their way to the great cattle ranchos, kill them, and steal their money and clothes, as well as their horses and trappings. No one could understand h

man, and greatly looked up to by his brother vaqueros, because he was so strong, alert, and handsome, and because he was always d

his jaquima (halter) was made of a hair rope whose strands had been dyed in brilliant colours; his tapaderos (front of the stirrups), mochilas (large leather saddle flaps), and sudaderos (thin bits of leather to protect the l

not have buried their victim as successfully as usual, or else they were surprised, and had to escape, for the body was found; and Juan, whom the padres had begun to view with suspicion, was nowhere to be found about the Mission. Troops were sent out in pursuit of him, for this particular traveller was a high official, and it was necessary that his death should be avenged. They at last heard that Juan had been seen going towards Santa Ynez Mission, and, pursuing him thither, they came upon him as he was driving a band of horses into a corral, and just in the act of catching his own horse, a noble and powerful animal, called Azabache, because of his je

n sunshine that deepened the gorgeous colours of his trappings and danced upon his silver spurs till they glistened like two great stars! It was a broad, glittering stream of light such as no mortal had ever seen before and which almost blinded the eyes; an

camp-fire for bed, Bell jumped up impetuously and cried, 'Here, Philip, give me the castanets, please. Polly and Jack, you play "Las Palomas" for me, and I'll sing and show

LOMAS.

DOV

66

doubtless shining down upon a thousand lovely things. With all the brightness of her loosened hair rising and falling with the motion of her swaying figure-with her twinklin

s finally over. 'Was there ever such a dear, dear ca?on with such dear

rain, s

ain ano

sie wants

then everybody went