she had seen the Cossacks and Tatars of the Russian
steppes. They were swift, graceful, daring; they never failed to catch
a running steer, and the lassoes always went true. What sharp dashes
the horses made, and wheelings here and there, and sudden stops, and how
they braced themselves to withstand the shock!

The cowboys, likewise, showed wonderful horsemanship, and, reckless as
they were, Madeline imagined she saw consideration for steed and cattle
that was wanting in the vaqueros. They changed mounts oftener than the
Mexican riders, and the horses they unsaddled for fresh ones were not so
spent, so wet, so covered with lather. It was only after an hour or more
of observation that Madeline began to realize the exceedingly toilsome
and dangerous work cowboys had to perform. There was little or no rest
for them. They were continually among wild and vicious and wide-horned
steers. In many instances they owed their lives to their horses. The
danger came mostly when the cowboy leaped off to tie and brand a calf he
had thrown. Some of the cows charged with lowered, twisting horns. Time
and again Madeline's heart leaped to her throat for fear a man would be
gored. One cowboy roped a calf that bawled loudly. Its mother dashed in
and just missed the kneeling cowboy as he rolled over. Then he had to
run, and he could not run very fast. He was bow-legged and appeared
awkward. Madeline saw another cowboy thrown and nearly run over by a
plunging steer. His horse bolted as if it intended to leave the range.
Then close by Madeline a big steer went down at the end of a lasso.
The cowboy who had thrown it nimbly jumped down, and at that moment his
horse began to rear and prance and suddenly to lower his head close to
the ground and kick high. He ran round in a circle, the fallen steer on
the taut lasso acting as a pivot. The cowboy loosed the rope from the
steer, and then was dragged about on the grass. It was almost frightful
for Madeline to see that cowboy go at his horse. But she recognized the
mastery and skill. Then two horses came into collision on the run. One
horse went down; the rider of the other was unseated and was kicked
before he could get up. This fellow limped to his mount and struck at
him, while the horse showed his teeth in a vicious attempt to bite.

All the while this ceaseless activity was going on there was a strange
uproar--bawl and bellow, the shock of heavy bodies meeting and falling,
the shrill jabbering o