He soon found his opportunity.

As they reached the first hill they saw a bull feeding on its summit.
"Aha!" cried the young don of the Rancho Encarnacion. "Now I will make
for you a little morning entertainment, my friends. Coliar! coliar!"

"No! no!" cried the boys. "The hill is too steep. It is like the side of
a house. You will break your neck, my friend."

Roldan said: "It is dangerous, but it could be done."

"I can do it," said Rafael, proudly, "and I shall."

The other boys, good sportsmen as they all were, shouted, "No! no!"
again; but Rafael laughed gaily, and forced his horse up the almost
perpendicular declivity, leisurely unwinding his lariat from the high
pommel of his saddle, and tossing it into big snake-like loops, which he
gathered one by one into his hand, the last about his thumb. The bull
fed on unsuspecting. for the early green of winter was very delicious
after eight months of unrelenting sunshine. When Rafael reached the
summit he rode back for some distance, then came at the bull full
charge, yelling like a demon. The bull, terrified and indignant, gave a
mighty snort and leaped over the brow of the hill. It was much like
descending the slightly inclined side of a cliff, but he kept his
footing. The boys held their breath as Rafael rode straight over the
brow in the wake of the bull. With one hand he held the bridle in a
tight grip, in the other he held aloft the coils of the lariat. It
looked like a huge snake, and quivered as if aware that it was about to
spring. There was no cheering; the boys were too much alarmed. A mis-