Endicott expressed it, and each wore his best riding
outfit, and had his horse and trappings "slicked up" to the last degree.
All wore their largest Mexican sombreros, and, taken together, they
formed a truly picturesque assemblage.
"Puts me in mind of gypsies," said Laura. "Only they haven't their wives
and children with them."
"And they aren't telling fortunes," added Jessie.
The sport began with some fancy riding in which eight of the cowboys,
four from each ranch, participated. The cowboys would ride like the wind
and leap off and on their steeds, turn from frontwards to backwards,
slide from the saddle under their horses' necks and up into the saddle
again, and lean low to catch up handkerchiefs and hats left on the grass
for that purpose. Then they did some fancy vaulting, over bars and
brushwood, and while riding two and even four horses.
"Good! good!" shouted Dave. "Isn't that fine!"
"Best I ever saw!" answered Roger, and everybody in the crowd applauded
vigorously.
After the fancy riding came some shooting while in the saddle, both at
stationary objects and at things sprung into the air from a trap. The
repeated crack! crack! crack! of the pistols and rifles scared some of
the girls a little, but the boys enjoyed the spectacle thoroughly, and
marveled at some of the shots made.
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