HUNTING IN THE ANDES. 47 



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 captivity, captive/* 

 This state of warfare with man has developed both acute- 

 ness 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 their seclusion is more than likely to be charged at 

 close quarters. 



With the exception of man the bulls have of course no 

 enemy of whom they need take account, though a certain 

 number of calves are probably killed by pumas. In fact, 

 when any herd, wild or tame, comes upon the track of one 

 of these animals they will often follow it lowing for a certain 

 distance. 



In an unfenced and unpopulated country like Pata- 

 gonia numbers of cattle escape and run wild for months 

 at a time. These for the most part make towards the 

 mountains, and gauchos have often remarked to me that 

 when they have come across strayed cattle on the plains 

 they were nearly always heading for the west. This may 

 be accounted for, as the animals would naturally travel 

 up against the prevailing winds, and so in time they reach 

 the rampart of the cordillera, where they find shelter and 

 good food and can foregather with their wild-bred kindred. 



At one time I believe the Falkland Islands were famous 

 for wild-cattle shooting, the animals being driven by gauchos 

 to posted guns. In those good days British naval officers 

 were sure of exciting and interesting experiences when they 

 visited the realms of the " King of the Penguins/' as the 



