ge of the
drain. Of course the bank was quite firm, else the accomplishment of
such a feat would have been impossible.

Many succeeded in doing it to perfection; and an admirable piece of
horsemanship it was. The horse, suddenly checked in his impetuous
gallop, upon the very brink of the zequia, and drawn back on his
haunches, with head erect, starting eyeballs, and open smoking nostrils,
formed a noble picture to look upon. Several, however, by way of
contrast, gave the crowd a ludicrous picture to laugh at. These were
either faint-hearted riders, who stopped short before arriving near the
bank, or bold but unskilful ones, who overshot the mark, and went plunge
into the deep muddy water. Either class of failure was hailed by groans
and laughter, which the appearance of the half-drowned and dripping
cavaliers, as they weltered out on the bank, rendered almost continuous.
On the other hand, a well-executed manoeuvre elicited _vivas_ of
applause.

No wonder that, under such a system of training and emulation, these
people are the finest riders in the world, and such they certainly are.

It was observed that Carlos the cibolero took no part in this game.
What could be the reason? His friends alleged that he looked upon it as
unworthy of him. He had already exhibited a skill in horsemanship of a
superior kind, and to take part in this would be seeking a superfluous
triumph. Such was in fact the feeling of Carlos.

But the chagrined Comandante had other views. Captain Roblado as well--
for the latter had seen, or fancied he had seen, a strange expression in
the eyes of Catalina at each fresh triumph of the cibolero. The two
"militarios" had designs of their own. Base ones they were, and
intended for the humiliation of Carlos. Approaching him, they inquired
why he had not attempted the last feat.

"I did not think it worth while," answered the cibolero, in a modest
tone.

"Ho!" cried Roblado, tauntingly; "my good fellow. You must have other
reasons than that. It is not so contemptible a feat to rein up on the
edge of that `zanca.' You fear a ducking, I fancy?"

This was uttered in a tone of banter, loud enough for all to hear; and
Captain Roblado wound up his speech with a jeering laugh.

Now, it was just this ducking that the militarios wished to see. They
had conceived hopes, that, if Carlos attempted the feat, some accident,
such as the slipping or stumbling of his horse, might lead to that
result