The White Chief: A Legend of Northern Mexico

by Mayne Reid

  CHAPTER THREE.

  The first exhibition on the programme was to be the _coleo de toros_,which may be rendered in English as "tailing the bull." It is only inthe very large cities of Mexico where a regular _plaza de toros_, orarena for the bull-fight, is to be found; but in every tillage, howeverinsignificant, the spoil of bull-tailing may be witnessed, as this onlyrequires an open plain, and as wild a bull as can be procured. Thesport is not quite so exciting as the bull-fight, as it is less perilousto those engaged in it. Not unfrequently, however, a gored horse or amutilated rider is produced by the "coleo;" and fatal accidents haveoccurred at times. The horses, too, sometimes stumble, and both horseand rider are trampled by the others crowding from behind, so that inthe pellmell drive awkward accidents are anything but uncommon. Thecoleo is, therefore, a game of strength, courage, and skill; and toexcel in it is an object of high ambition among the youth of a NewMexican settlement.

  The arrangements having been completed, it was announced by a heraldthat the coleo was about to begin. These arrangements were simpleenough, and consisted in collecting the crowd to one side, so that thebull, when let loose, would have a clear track before him in thedirection of the open country. Should he not be allowed this favour hemight head _towards_ the crowd,--a thing to be apprehended. In fear ofthis, most of the women were to be seen mounting into the rude_carretas_, scores of which were upon the ground, having carried theirowners to the spectacle. Of course the senoras and senoritas on theraised benches felt secure.

  The competitors were now drawn up in a line. There were a dozendetailed for this first race,--young men of all classes, who were, orfancied themselves, "crack" riders. There were rancheros in theirpicturesque attire, smart arrieros, miners from the hills, townsmen,hacendados of the valley, vaqueros from the grazing-farms, andciboleros, whose home is for the most part on the wide prairies.Several dragoons, too, were arrayed with the rest, eager to prove theirsuperiority in the _manege_ of the horse.

  At a given signal the bull was brought forth from a neighbouring_corral_. He was not led by men afoot,--that would have been adangerous undertaking. His conductors were well-mounted vaqueros, who,with their lazoes around his horns, were ready, in case of his showingsymptoms of mutiny, to fling him to the earth by a jerk.

  A vicious-looking brute he appeared, with shaggy frontlet and scowlinglurid eye. It was _plain_ that it only needed a little goading to makehim a still more terrible object; for he already swept his tail angrilyagainst his flanks, tossed his long straight horns in the air, snortedsharply, and beat the turf at intervals with his hoofs. He wasevidently one of the fiercest of a fierce race--the race of Spanishbulls.

  Every eye was fixed upon him with interest, and the spectators freelycommented upon his qualities. Some thought him too fat, others allegedhe was just in the condition to make a good run--as, in the coleo,speed, not courage, is the desirable quality. This difference ofopinions led to the laying of numerous wagers on the result,--that is,the time that should elapse from the start until the bull should be"tailed" and "thrown." The throwing of the bull, of course ends thechase.

  When it is considered that the brute selected is one of the strongest,swiftest, and fiercest of his kind, and that no weapon--not even thelazo--is allowed, it will be admitted this is a matter of no easyaccomplishment. The animal goes at full run, almost as fast as thehorse can gallop; and to bring him to the ground under thesecircumstances requires the performance of a feat, and one that demandsskill, strength, and the best of horsemanship. That feat is to seizethe bull by the tail, and jerk the animal off his legs!

  The bull was led out some two hundred yards beyond the line of horsemen,where he was halted, with his head turned to the open plain. Thelazoes, that held him by a leash-knot, were then cautiously slipped, twoor three fire-squibs, pointed and barbed, were shot into his hips, andaway he went amidst the yells of the spectators!

  Next moment the riders spurred after, each shouting in his own fashion.

  Soon the line was broken, and a confused spread of horsemen, like a"field" of fox-hunters, was seen scouring over the plain. Each momentthe troop became elongated, until what had started in line was nowstrung out in double and single file to a length of several hundredyards. Still on they went, whipping, and spurring, and urging theirsteeds to the utmost.

  The bull, maddened by the arrowy squibs, and terrified by their hissing,ran at the top of his speed in a nearly direct line. The start he hadbeen allowed was not so easily taken up, even by fast riders, and he hadgot a full mile or more before any one neared him. Then a dragoon,mounted on a large bay horse, was seen pressing him closely, and atlength laying hold of the tail. He was observed to give it a jerk ortwo, as though endeavouring to fling the brute by sheer strength. Itwas a failure, however; for the next moment the bull shot out in a sidedirection, and left his pursuer behind.

  A young hacendado, splendidly horsed, was next upon his flanks; but eachtime he reached forth to grasp the tail it was whisked beyond his reach.He succeeded at length in seizing it; but the bull, making a suddenlurch, whipped his tail from the rider's hands, and left him also in therear.

  One condition of the "coleo" was, that each competitor, after havingonce failed, should retire from the ground; so that the hacendado andthe dragoon were now actually _hors de chasse_.

  These were seen riding back, though not directly in front of thespectators. They preferred making a roundabout thing of it, so thattheir fallen faces might not be too closely scanned on their return.

  On went the bull, and after him the eager and excited horsemen. Anotherdragoon soon tried his "pluck," and also failed; and then a vaquero, andanother horseman, and another, with like success--each failure beinghailed by a groan from the crowd. There were several tumbles, too, atwhich the spectators laughed heartily; and one horse was badly gored,having headed the bull and got entangled upon his horns.

  In less than ten minutes eleven out of the twelve competitors were seenreturning from the chase.

  Only one now remained to make his trial. The bull had proved a splendidfellow, and was already in high favour, and loudly applauded by thespectators.

  "_Bravo, toro! bravissimo_!" was heard on all sides. All eyes were nowturned upon the enraged animal, and his one remaining pursuer. Bothwere still near enough to be well observed, for the chase had ledhitherto, not in one line, but in different directions over the plain;so that the bull was actually no farther from the crowd than when firstovertaken by the dragoon. He was at this moment running in a crosscourse, so that every movement of both pursuer and pursued could be wellobserved from the stand.

  At the first glance it was plain that the bull had now behind him thehandsomest horse and horseman upon the field--would they prove the best?That was to be tried.

  The horse was a large coal-black _mustang_, with a long full tail,pointed at the tip, and carried like the brush of a running fox. Evenwhile in gallop, his neck slightly curved, and his proud figure,displayed against the smooth sward, called forth expressions ofadmiration.

  The rider was a young man of twenty or over; and his light curling hairand white-red complexion distinguished him from all his competitors--whowere, without exception, dark-skinned men. He was dressed in fullranchero costume, with its rich broidery and trappings; and instead ofthe usual "serape," he wore a purple _manga_--a more graceful, as wellas costlier garment. The long skirts of this he had flung behind him,in order to have his arms free; and its folds, opening to the breeze,added to the gracefulness of his carriage in the saddle.

  The sudden appearance of this splendid horseman--for, hanging in therear with folded manga, he seemed not to have been noticed before,--caused unusual attention, and many were heard inquiring his name.

  "_Carlos the cibolero_!" cried a voice, loud enough to satisfy all atonce.

  Some evidently knew who "Carlos the cibolero" was, though by far thegreater number on the ground did not. Of the former, one was heardinquiring--

  "Why
hasn't he come up before?--He could have done so if he had wished."

  "_Carrambo_! yes," added another. "He might have done so. He only hungback to give the others a trial. He knew none of them could throw_that_ bull. _Mira_!"

  The speaker's conjecture was, no doubt, correct.

  It was plain, at first sight, that this rider could easily overtake thebull. His horse was still in a gentle gallop, and, though his ears wereset and his red nostrils staring open, it was only through theexcitement of the chase, and chafing at being hitherto checked. Thebridle-rein was, in fact, still tightly drawn.

  As the speaker uttered the cautionary phrase "_Mira_!" a change wassuddenly observed in the manner of the horseman. He was about twentypaces from the chase and directly in the rear. All at once his horsesprang forward at double his former speed, and in a few stretches laidhimself alongside the bull. The rider was observed to grasp the longoutstretched tail, and then lean forward and downward. The next momenthe raised himself with a sudden jerk, and the huge horned creatureturned sprawling upon his back. The whole thing seemed to cost him nomore effort than if the bull had been a tom-cat. Loud "_vivas_!" brokefrom the spectators, and the victorious horseman rode back in front ofthe stand, modestly bowed his thanks, and then retired into the depth ofthe crowd.

  There were not wanting those who fancied that in bowing the eyes of thecibolero were directed on the fair Catalina de Cruces; and some went sofar as to assert that she smiled and looked content; but that could notbe. The heiress of the rich Don Ambrosio smile to a compliment from acibolero!

  There was one, however, who _did_ smile. That was a fair-haired,fair-skinned girl, who stood upon one of the carretas, by the side ofwhich the victor had placed himself. Side by side those two facesseemed one. They were of one blood,--one colour,--one race: were theynot brother and sister? Yes,--the fair girl was the sister of thecibolero. She was smiling from happiness at the thought of herbrother's triumph.

  A strange-looking woman was seated in the bottom of the carreta--an oldwoman, with long flowing hair, white as flax. She was silent, but hersharp eyes were bent upon the cibolero with a triumphant expression.Some regarded her with curiosity, but most with fear, akin to awe.These knew something of her, and whispered strange tales to one another.

  "_Esta una bruxa_!--_una hechicera_!" (She is a witch! a charmer!) saidthey.

  This they muttered in low tones lest they might be heard by Carlos orthe girl. _She was their mother_!