HORSEBACK-RIDING
AFTER the people had finished eating, Don Secundini rode out in front of them. He leaned over from the saddle and picked up a leaf from the ground as he galloped along.
“Well done, Don Secundini!” said Don Francisco. “Here is a rooster for us to practise on to-day.”
As they came closer, Shecol saw the head of a live rooster sticking out of the ground. Just then he heard a shout and saw the oldest son of Señor Soto come on a gallop toward the rooster. As he passed the rooster, he leaned down and tried to seize it by the head, but he missed it. All the people laughed, and young Soto laughed too, as he turned his horse around and came back where they were.
“Better luck next time,” he said.
Pedro then tried to seize the head, but he, too, missed.
“You boys cannot ride so well as your fathers yet,” said Señor Sanchez. “Many a time have I seen Don Secundini ride for the rooster, and never yet have I seen him fail.” At this he seized Pedro playfully by the leg and pulled him down out of the saddle. Then he added, “Show the boys how it should be done, Señor Robles.”
So Don Secundini rode away a little distance, and then came galloping back. Suddenly he bent down, and in a moment more was holding the kicking, flopping rooster up in the air.
“Bueno, bueno!” they all cried.
“Let’s have the game of rods,” said the Señor Martinez. All the men and boys were on horseback,so they made a ring with the horses facing inward. Señor Soto rode around the outside of the ring with a thick stick in his hand. Soon he passed the stick to Pedro and then rode quickly away. Pedro chased him as fast as his horse could go, for if he caught up it was fair for him to whip the Señor Soto over the back with the stick.
Several times Pedro came very close to Señor Soto, but the Señor would give his horse a sudden pull and turn quickly to one side, so that Pedro could not hit him. Once, however, the Señor, instead of dodging, turned around to see how far away Pedro was. In a moment more Pedro was close beside him whipping him as fast as he could.
One of the blows happened to hit the Señor’s horse by mistake, and the horse gave such a jump that Señor Soto was able to get in Pedro’s old place in the ring before he could catch up again. Then the Señor was safe, and Pedro had to give the stick to some one else and be chased in turn.
By and by it was home time. Shecol was playing near and Pedro noticed him look wistfully at them as they turned to ride away.
“Would you like to go with us?” Pedro asked.
“Yes, I would,” was Shecol’s answer.
“But how could you take him? He can’t ride yet,” said Don Secundini.
Don SecundiniDon Secundini
Don Secundini
Don Secundini
“I could put him on a blanket on the ground and tie the blanket to my saddle with a lasso, the way Antonio does with his little brother,” said Pedro. “Run off and tell your mother while I get the blanket,” continued Pedro.
In a few minutes they had started. At first Pedro went very slowly and carefully, for fear Shecol would tumble off, but after a little, Shecol said, “You may go faster if you like. I can stick on all right.” So Pedro let his horse begin to gallop.
Suddenly he heard a shout. He looked around and saw Shecol sitting on the ground quite a distance behind. The blanket was bumping over the ground at his horse’s heels. He stopped his horse and waited until Shecol caught up with him, and after that he went more slowly, for he did not want to lose Shecol again.