52 HUNTING EXTINCT ANIMALS 



it. Then there was always water here, and none on either 

 side for a big day's journey. We had to give up all hopes 

 of getting ahead until it dried out a little; but the next 

 day Billy and I took the saddle horses and started to hunt 

 up a road. We found the canyon had two heads, one 

 outlet being blocked by the formation of a pond six feet 

 deep clear across the road, the other about ten miles longer 

 and leading out into a big swamp through which the road 

 lay. It looked dubious, especially as a sheep herder whom 

 we met assured us the swamp was the only way out. 



After two days the rain ceased. With the appearance 

 of the sun, our courage rose, and Billy decided to tackle 

 the shorter way. The baggage was divided into two 

 unequal parts, and the lighter load put on first. Then we 

 went ahead and built half a mile of road with brush and 

 flat stones, across one of the stickiest places. With the 

 four horses and frequent rests we ploughed through the 

 mud, often taking to the bed of the stream, until we got 

 to the pond. Here we did a fancy piece of road building, 

 laying a course up over a talus slope upon a rock spur. 

 The upper wheel track had to be dug out and a wall built 

 for the low wheel to run on. The load was shifted to the 

 upper side of the wagon. One horse went ahead to lead 

 the way and four were put on the wagon. Then with a 

 whoop the procession started. The wagon struck rocks, 

 swayed; Billy yelled "keep going"; the horses were down 

 and up; but in two minutes they stood panting and trem- 

 bling on the top. The descent was not so hard, though 

 the chances of an upset were the same. This obstacle 

 overcome, the rest was simply a slow pull up to the level 

 of the pampa, where the load was taken off, the wagon 

 stripped of its top box and every non-essential, and we went 

 back to repeat the operation. The second trip was even 

 better, for the horses had more confidence, so that by dark 

 we were out of the canyon and ready to go ahead again. 



Next morning found the horses back by the pond. They 



