Children of the Mexican herders begin practicing with the lariat as soon as they can coil a rope. I have seen them catching cats and chickens with their little lariats, and their dexterity surprised me.
The lariat may be of any length from twenty to eighty feet. It consists of a long, strong, flexible rope, with a running noose at the end thrown. I have seen them made of hemp, horse hair and raw hide— the latter are by far the best, provided they are flexible and soft enough. The raw hide is cut and specially tanned, but for practice an ordinary thin rope will do.
The noose is made by fastening a small iron eyelet to an end of the rope, and through this the other end is drawn.
The greater part of the rope is held coiled in the left hand, while the noose is circled above the head with the right, and thrown when the proper swing has been reached.
A post makes a good target. It should be, to start with, not more than ten feet away. After a time the distance can be increased, and the nature of the target changed.
You will be surprised, if you try this, at the skill you will gain, and the pleasure the lariat will afford to yourself and companions.
CHAPTER XXI
THE OLD SCOTCH GAME OF GOLF-SOMETHING ABOUT HOCKEY AND SHINNY
In Scotland, where the game comes from, golf has been pronounced "goff" for more than five hundred years.
Now that our President and other great men have taken to golf, everybody reads about the popular game, but very few know anything about it but the name. To such, the following facts may be of use. The game is interesting, and its rules can be soon learned, but like everything else we do for pleasure or profit, it takes a good deal of practice before one can pose as an expert. Boys take to golf and soon excel their seniors.