This Matter Having Been Settled, We Heard Some Talk About "Caballos"
And "Carrera" And Seeing The People All Streaming Off In One Direction,
We Followed, And Came Upon A Level Piece Of Ground, Just Out Of
The Town, Which Was Used As A Race-Course.
Here the crowd soon
became thick again; the ground was marked off; the judges stationed;
and the horses led up to one end.
Two fine-looking old gentlemen
- Don Carlos and Don Domingo, so called - held the stakes, and all
was now ready. We waited some time, during which we could just see
the horses twisting round and turning, until, at length, there
was a shout along the lines, and on they came - heads stretched
out and eyes starting; - working all over, both man and beast.
The steeds came by us like a couple of chain-shot - neck and neck;
and now we could see nothing but their backs, and their hind hoofs
flying in the air. As fast as the horses passed, the crowd broke
up behind them, and ran to the goal. When we got there, we found
the horses returning on a slow walk, having run far beyond the mark,
and heard that the long, bony one had come in head and shoulders
before the other. The riders were light-built men; had handkerchiefs
tied round their heads; and were bare-armed and bare-legged.
The horses were noble-looking beasts, not so sleek and combed as
our Boston stable-horses, but with fine limbs, and spirited eyes.
After this had been settled, and fully talked over, the crowd
scattered again and flocked back to the town.
Returning to the large pulperia, we found the violin and guitar
screaming and twanging away under the piazza, where they had
been all day. As it was now sundown, there began to be some
dancing. The Italian sailors danced, and one of our crew exhibited
himself in a sort of West India shuffle, much to the amusement of
the bystanders, who cried out, "Bravo!" "Otra vez!" and "Vivan
los marineros!" but the dancing did not become general, as the
women and the "gente de razón" had not yet made their appearance.
We wished very much to stay and see the style of dancing; but,
although we had had our own way during the day, yet we were,
after all, but 'foremast Jacks; and having been ordered to be on the
beach by sundown, did not venture to be more than an hour behind
the time; so we took our way down. We found the boat just pulling
ashore through the breakers, which were running high, there having
been a heavy fog outside, which, from some cause or other, always
brings on, or precedes a heavy sea. Liberty-men are privileged
from the time they leave the vessel until they step on board again;
so we took our places in the stern sheets, and were congratulating
ourselves upon getting off dry, when a great comber broke fore and
aft the boat, and wet us through and through, filling the boat
half full of water.
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