THE BATTLE OF THE HORSES 37 



arrival in my camp of a compatriot and erstwhile companion, 

 Hans Hollesen, who had applied to join the expedition. I took 

 them both along, for, having paid Master Fritz's way from Buenos 

 Aires, I did not relish the notion of obtaining no return for the 

 outlay, and I knew that, once we passed Colohuapi, I should be 

 master of the situation. 



I heard months afterwards from a New Zealander, who had 

 been on board the Primei'O de Mayo with h>itz, that that gentle- 

 man was looking forward to a soft job, and had boasted that he 

 would certainly desert us if we marched more than ten miles a 

 dav. 



Our first march was about three leagues, and we made our camp 

 beside a small shallow lagoon upon which a couple of ashy-headed 

 geese (Bernicla poliocephala) were swimmiiig. I shot them both 

 for the pot. 



It was about six o'clock w^hen we camped, and Burbury, who 

 was in charge of the horses, took every possible precaution to 

 prevent their straying, a very likely contingency upon their first 

 night in the open pampa. In spite of the fact that the horses were 

 watched all night, morning found us with but thirty-seven out of 

 the whole number. Soon after daylight Burbury, with some of the 

 men, rode out to recover them. They returned unsuccessful. 

 Durino- the mornino- a wandering- Gaucho came into camp and 

 said he had seen some horses in a canadon near by. The \\ elsh- 

 men rode out there but came back disappointed, as the horses were 

 not ours. At eleven o'clock next mornino- I sent three of the men 

 back to Mr. Haddock's, from v\hose estancia the lost troop had 

 been acquired, the probabilities being thai Lhc\ had headed back 

 for home. But shortly after Burbury and the Germans returned 

 with the horses, which had travelled about nine miles, and were 

 discovered calmly feeding in a canadon. It w^as Burbury who dis- 

 covered them by a smart piece of Gaucho work. 



Next niofht, October 6. we watched the horses in tin-ns. It 

 was a cold night lit by a moon. We had some reasc-in to belie\-e 

 that our (iaucho friend of the day before had not bcm .iltogether 

 innocent in connection with thc^ straying ot ilie horses. Such a 

 man will ride quietly through ihc scattered horses feeding in tlu' 



