I never put myself up as a crack riata man, and I am out of practice now, but I can lay the noose on the ground at my feet and kick it around your neck, or pick it off the ground from my horse and land it around you while the horse is going at full speed, and do lots of things like that, but none of them is any good.

That backthrow has been used by the Mexican highwaymen to considerable advantage.

You see, in that country the traveler always looks out for danger from the rear and is prepared for it, but when a pleasant horseman rides past him, playing with his riata, and wishing him 'Good-day' as he passes, he is likely to consider the danger as gone by, as well as the man.
That has caused the death of a good many.

The bandit gets the right distance ahead and then lassoes him as I did you.

A touch of his spur jerks his victim from the saddle and that ends it." "How is the lasso as a weapon of defence ?" "Good.