62 PATAGONIAN EXPEDITIONS I NARRATIVE. 



little way together we separated, and seeing a small band of guanacos on the 

 great bed of shingle that lies just above the mouth of the river I immediately 

 directed my course toward them and walked deliberately up until within 

 eighty or one hundred yards, when, selecting a pair that appeared especially 

 fine, I fired two shots in rapid succession from my 45-90, bringing both to 

 earth almost in their tracks, while the others, startled by the report of my 

 weapon, made off across the bed of shingle in their peculiar swinging 

 gallop, continually dodging first in one direction and then another and all 

 the while swaying their long willowy necks up, down, and sidewise, at one 

 moment raising their heads high in air, while an instant later they would 

 duck suddenly until the nostrils were brought almost on a level with the 

 ground. After watching their peculiar antics for a moment, I proceeded to 

 the scene of my destruction in order to get a closer view of their dead or 

 dying companions. Lying almost side by side on the surface of the clean 

 and polished shingle were the two splendid beasts, representatives of the 

 largest of the Patagonian animals. As I approached they stretched their 

 long necks toward me, while at the same time from their strikingly large and 

 beautiful eyes they looked up, as though imploring mercy. I almost wished 

 I had not fired the fatal shots. Since, however, I had been the cause of 

 their destruction, I would not be unnecessarily cruel and leave them to a 

 lingering death, so, reaching for my knife, I drove the glistening blade 

 between the atlas and occiput quite through the spinal cord and deep into 

 the cranial cavity of each. In either instance there was a sudden convul- 

 sion of the entire body, followed instantly by a stiffening of the limbs and 

 all was over. My mission of mercy finished, I looked about me and saw 

 that already a number of carranchas had gathered. Several of these were 

 standing about on the shingle within only a few feet of me, anxiously 

 watching the operation, and, judging from their countenances, carefully 

 calculating the length of time I should require before yielding the floor to 

 them. Unfortunately I was forced to do this earlier than I had antici- 

 pated, for, on preparing to skin the guanacos, I discovered to my chargin 

 that I had nothing with me with which to make the necessary measure- 

 ments of the dead animal before removing the skin. While considering 

 the proper course to pursue I saw Mr. Peterson walking at a distance of 

 only a half mile, and signalling him to stop, I drove away the carranchas 

 and walked over to him in order to borrow his tape line. We immedi- 

 ately returned together only to find that in this incredibly short time the 



