Page:Don Coronado through Kansas.djvu/236

THE PELL-ilSLiL, EUSH. . . 223 ' erful animal rushes pell-mell to meet his antagoniist. It is soon over; but the trick of the trained animal is ■worth more than the power and niassiveness of the other; in fact, Coronado's armor is many pounds heavier than Alonso's, so he cannot handle himself with such agility as the other. But the thing which Perez is relying upon is the care of the steed's feet, thus he can swerve so desterously that it is impossi- ble for the other rider to foresee such an event. On comes each for the other. Alonso's reins are not in his hands. ' They are fastened to the pommel of his saddle; the animal responds to the slightest pressure of the thighs and legs; the spear is held firmly in both hands by Alonso. He is m ecstacy, sitting on his beloved horse flying towards his friendly adversary, but whom he is anxious to unsaddle; and now they are within speaking distance. The moment to the spectators is thrilling, for it seems as though one or both would be killed by such a 3hock; now Coronado comes straight for his young subaltern, and now is the crucial moment for the sagacious mount of Alonso: When his opponent behoves he is about to reach his person, by a sudden swerving of the body^ the horse of Alonso springs sideways, thus taking his master out of harm's way, aJl of which is as planned and con- templated by our young soldier, hence he is prepared to act at the right moment, for now his tilting spear comes in contact tvith the bod^ bf'hi's opponent, but not with such force as it would have been by a head- end collision, as it were. But the knack acquired by Alonso was by a slight of hand to take his adversary from the side, thus compelling him to lose his balance