THE PAMPAS OF PATAGONIA. 19 



run up into hard, bare, sun-baked earth towards their 

 summits. 



I leave the cruzado to feed while I scramble to the top 

 of the nearest hummock, and I almost immediately become 

 aware that my horse's movements are being watched by 

 an animal that can only be a guanaco buck. It stands at 

 gaze about six hundred yards from me, but so far has not 

 seen me against the hillside, for I have not yet reached the 

 summit-line. As I see no chance of getting nearer, I lie 

 down and consider the position. The guanaco stands 

 directly facing me, and was evidently in the act of descend- 

 ing a hollow between two of the small hills when his sus- 

 picions were aroused. I soon find him with my telescope 

 to be as I expected a very large dark-faced buck, and seeing 

 that he is on the alert I have just picked up my rifle when 

 another buck walks over a ridge within seventy yards on 

 my right. I quickly get the sights in a line with the last 

 comer's shoulder and pull the trigger. He at once makes 

 off at a gallop, giving no sign whatever of being hit, but my 

 second bullet cuts him down. Then I turn my attention 

 to the first guanaco and find that he has climbed to the 

 higher of the two summits above him, where he pauses for 

 a moment broadside on, clearly outlined against the sky. 

 I fire, but my bullet falls short, knocking up a spurt of sand 

 beneath his body. The old buck gives me no second chance, 

 but vanishes in a twinkling over the brow of the hummock. 



Walking down to the guanaco I have killed, I soon 

 satisfy myself that the first shot had taken effect, as well 

 as the second, and that either would have proved fatal. 

 After gralloching the animal, I collect dry thorns and grass 

 and light a fire, in the hope that the smoke may be ob- 

 served by one of my gauchos, who would in that case 

 instantly ride it down. Even had I not left orders to that 

 effect at the camp, they would not fail to ride down a smoke, 

 for the gaucho's most strongly marked characteristic is 



