Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
I noticed that the betting on the last race was not nearly so brisk as on the earlier ones, and
on enquiring the reason was informed that one of the horses engaged belonged to the local
comisario
(chief of police) and therefore was unlikely to lose.
The racing over, everyone who possessed or could borrow a horse took part in a contest
of
sortija
. For this a sort of gallows is erected and from the crossbar a ring, not much if any
larger than an ordinary finger ring, is suspended by a hook. Each competitor is armed with a
pencil or small stick and attempts to carry off the ring while galloping at full speed. This is
very popular, and, with the galloping and the dust and the shouting, the horses seem to get as
excited as their riders. Anyone who is successful - and these are not many - is a popular hero
for at least two minutes, and the
patron
usually puts up a prize of one or two pesos for each
success.
At length night began to close in and an adjournment was made for dinner, but the fun was
not by any means over yet. When dinner was finished the whole family came over to a large
galpon
(shed) which had been cleared and cleaned, and was lit up with candles and lanterns.
Along one side were seated all the ladies of the community, while the men occupied the other
side: in one corner was the
musica
, two guitars and an accordion. Everyone was deadly sol-
emn as befitted the seriousness of the occasion.
The appearance of the
patron
was the signal for the orchestra to strike up, and after a few
awkwardmomentsoneofthemenpluckedupcouragetocrosstheroomandheldouthisright
hand to the girl of his choice. She at once got up and the couple began to walk slowly round
the room arm in arm. This broke the ice and soon there were seven or eight couples follow-
ing one another in slow procession. At last they decided to start the dance, while the
patron
made doubly sure by leading off with the washerwoman, a sprightly young damsel of about
forty-five who looked seventy. The dance finished, each man solemnly led his partner back
to her seat, dropped her like a red-hot coal, and returned to his place. To avoid soiling the
pretty dresses of the girls every man carried a clean handkerchief in his right hand. The round
dances, the waltz and polka, were slow and stately affairs, but the
jota
and
gato
were fast and
furious. Foxtrots and tangos were other favourites, and a couple of men gave a clever display
by dancing the
Malambo
, which is an old gaucho dance that is danced with heavy spurs on,
making them drum on the floor very much as in a tap-dance.
I had an amusing experience. The
patron
and his family had retired but I had stayed on
to watch what was a novelty to me. I must have been looking lonely or forlorn, for suddenly
one of the girls came over to me and held out her hand, evidently taking pity on my rawness.
Accordingly we danced, and when the music ceased my pretty partner led me back to my seat
andleft me.Thisabsolute reversal ofthegeneral law,thoughitmusthavesurprisedmany,did
not cause even a smile; they were much too polite.
At another
estancia
I had the opportunity of witnessing a
domada
, or horse-breaking. The
domador
(breaker) was occupied in taming a troop of
potros
(broncos), from three to four
years old, some of them as wild as cats. He was a tall, slim young fellow, about twenty-four
