HUNTING IN THE ANDES. 41 



evening and feeding to a great extent by night. As 

 to drinking-places, their range in the woodland is well 

 supplied with streams. 



If the wild bull only possessed a better trophy, few 

 beasts would stand higher in the category of dangerous 

 game, for he passes his life amidst surroundings of great 

 natural beauty, among the forests and peaks on the 

 frontiers of the cordillera, though sometimes the herds 

 push right up to the snowline. Added to the fact that 

 they occupy very difficult country, experience has made 

 them extraordinarily wary. If attacked or wounded 

 they invariably charge, and are agile enough to be 

 exceedingly dangerous antagonists. 



All the hills and high ground about Lake Argentine 

 are scored by the paths and trails made by the wild 

 herds, many of them leading over the open summits. 

 During the spring and summer the cattle remain upon 

 the heights. 



In autumn and winter, driven downwards by the 

 snow, they descend to the lower forests and wander out 

 upon the pampas, at which season they are much followed 

 and persecuted by wandering gauchos, if any such 

 happen to be in the vicinity, who catch the cows and 

 calves with their lassoes and "lead them into cap- 

 tivity, captive." This state of warfare with man has 

 developed both acuteness and extreme caution in the 

 cattle, so that a whole herd will disappear at once on the 

 slightest alarm and seek a fresh ground. Again and 

 again I have been very near to herds in the blinding 

 cover of the forests, but each time only to find by their 

 tracks that they had eluded me. Yet one is apt to 

 come upon old bulls, either singly or in twos and threes, 

 when still-hunting. In this case the intruder upon 



