The quick eye of Topsie caught sight of him approaching. She had just bolased a horse which was struggling on the ground, but her lasso was still free. As the furious animal galloped forward, she whirled it round her head, and with a grand cast landed the noose right over his ears. A skilful jerk made it safe round his neck, and Topsie, double notching the other end round the bent stern of her saddle-bow, sat firmly awaiting the shock.
And it was a shock with a vengeance. As the noose tightened around his massive neck, the lord of the harem reared straight on end, and pawed the air furiously. Coming to the ground he stood on his forefeet, and lashed out with his hind ones. Then he threw himself down, and rolled over and over in his anger, and finally springing up, dashed off at a mad gallop across the plain, with Topsie holding tight to the lasso following in his wake, while beside the girl galloped the faithful Shag.
It must have been an hour later. Several horses had been secured, and Aniwee had despatched some of the Indians to fetch a troupiglia of tame horses to assist in driving the wild ones in, when Harry startled every one by exclaiming:
“I say, where’s Topsie?”
But though eyes were strained all round there was no sign of the missing girl.
CHAPTER VI.
When the stallion started forward on his mad gallop, he pointed once more for the narrow gorge, from which he had already been turned by the presence of Calificura and Lenketrou. But those Indians, no sooner had they seen their fellows come to close quarters with the baguales, had galloped forward to take part in the fray, and themselves secure, if possible, a prize each, leaving the gorge for the nonce unguarded.
With his head thrown back and his tail furiously lashing his sides, the stallion held on his way. Although Topsie clung to the lasso like grim death, and kept it as tight as possible, it seemed to have very little effect in checking the animal’s speed. His blood was up, and he evidently meant fighting it out to the bitter end.