A GAUCHO^S TESTIMONY 149 



one meets with instances of the sense as acute and 

 efficient as in the lower animals. 



I heard a good deal said on this subject early in 

 life; as a boy it interested me because when I took 

 to long solitary rambles, on foot or horseback, I made 

 the discovery that I had a rather poor sense of direc- 

 tion, and when I got lost, which happened from time 

 to time in a fog or at night and even in broad daylight 

 when I was out of sight of all known landmarks, 

 it had an extremely distressing effect on me and 

 appeared to be a danger. Later, when I had grown 

 up, I had some discussion on the subject with a young 

 gaucho friend. One day in company he told us of a 

 day spent in a search after lost horses at a long dis- 

 tance from the ranch where he had his temporary 

 home. He had a companion with him, and when they 

 were from nine to ten leagues from home night came 

 very suddenly on them, with a black cloud covering 

 the whole sky and rain in torrents. His companion 

 cried out that there was nothing to do but dismount 

 and spend the night sitting on their saddles and 

 trying to keep themselves dry by wrapping their 

 skin horse-rugs and ponchos round them. My friend 

 laughed at such a proposal and said that they would 

 go back and would be at home in about four hours 

 or so, and would then be able to dry their clothes 

 and get something to eat. The other was incredulous ; 

 it was all a flat plain with no road and not a star to 

 show them the way. Nevertheless, they set out and 

 arrived before midnight at the hovel which was their 

 destination, and only when they dismounted and 



