were dumb.
The steeds rush on in plunging pride;
But where are they the reins to guide?
A thousand horse--and none to ride!
With flowing tail, and flying mane,
Wide nostrils--never stretch'd by pain,
Mouths bloodless to the bit or rein
And feet that iron never shod,
And flanks unscarr'd by spur or rod,
A thousand horse, the wild, the free,
Like waves that follow o'er the sea.
On came the troop....
They stop--they start--they snuff the air,
Gallop a moment here and there,
Approach, retire, wheel round and round,
Then plunging back with sudden bound,
They snort--they foam--neigh--swerve aside,
And backward to the forest fly."

The capture and breaking in of wild horses in America are described by
Miers as follows--

"The lasso is used by the natives of South America. It is a very strong
braided thong, half an inch thick, and forty feet long, made of many
strips of rawhide, braided like a whip-thong, and made soft and pliable
by rubbing with grease.

"It has at one end an iron ring, about an inch and a half in diameter,
through which the thong is passed, forming a running noose.

"The herdsmen--gauchos, as they are called--are generally mounted on
horseback when they use the lasso. One end of the thong is attached to
the saddle; the remainder is coiled in the left hand, except about
twelve feet belonging to the noose end, which is held in a coil in the
right hand.

"This long noose is then swung around the head, the weight of the iron
ring at the end of the noose assisting in giving to it, by a continued
circular motion, a sufficient force to project it the whole length of
the line.

"The gauchos drive the wild horses into a corral, which is a circular
space surrounded by rough posts firmly driven into the ground. The
corral," relates Miers, "was quite full of horses, most of which were
young ones about two or three years old.

"The chief gaucho, mounted on a strong, steady horse, rode into the
corral, and threw his lasso over the neck of a young horse and dragged
him to the gate.

"For some time he was very unwilling to lose his companions; but the
moment he was forced out of the corral his first idea was to gallop
away; however, a timely jerk of the lasso checked him.

"Some of the gauchos now ran after him on foot, and threw a lasso over
his fore legs, and jerking it, they pulled his legs from under him so
suddenly that I really thought the fall had killed him.

"I