Page:Don Coronado through Kansas.djvu/304

287 EXPERT LASSOING. 287 rings, which are really valuable, having settings in them! These are placed on the fingers of the chief, then a cloak with a red lining, and several other im- portant men are given clothing, aU of which pleases the Indians, but a dagger is what gives the Pawnee the greatest satisfaction. In turn the Spani'irds are presented with several beautiful robes, some colored feathers, as weU as a gaudy head-gear; this the chief insists putting on the head of Coronado, standing back to admire the showy thing. Of course, the aris- tocratic soldier felt as though he was a popinjay, and got an excuse as soon as possible to remove the gew- gaw. For the amusement of the natives, about the same things were gone through as at Manhattan, but just a little change to make up for the tournament that was not given. The Spaniards were among the finest horsemen in the world at that time, as now their descendants are, for the Mexican at present is the peer, if not excelling any other people, not excepting the Arabs. The reason for the Spaniards being such proficient horsemen was owing to the Moors and Arabs having control of affairs of Hispaniola from 711 tm the fall of Grenada in 1492, or over 700 years. One thing done to make up the day's progrr.ai was for ten horsemen, aU experts with the rope, to enter a large ring formed by the spectators, and each try to lasso the other, it heing understood that care should be taken to avoid accidents. Each man was on the alert, but owing to aU of the horses having been unbroke, except Alonso's, who was one of the ten, when the expedition started, our hero had such an