THE BA rXLE OF THE HORSES 43 



with some toil from tiie marsh, and before diniiLr loaded it uj> 

 again, 



" By evening- we reached the cahadon of the Rio Chico and 

 camped upon the banks. 



" October 12. — With an effort oot away by nine o'clock. I rode 

 on down the cahadon, as we had no meat and some was wanted. 

 We appear to be now entering- a good game country. Saw five 

 ostriches. I rode the big Tostado. He loped lazily across stony 

 ridges, which crawl to the foot of th(^ purple hills that are on the 

 other side of the Chico. Two herds of Q^uanaco tied while I was on 

 the horizon. I cantered a lono- way, it seemed yery far, oyer the 

 rolling ridges of [jebble and thorn-bush. Mirages smoked and 

 danced on the horizon. I came at lencjth to the wao-o-on- track 

 which runs through the wild gorge of the Chico, and is only used 

 about once or twice a year. I rode down this track, and at the 

 side found a single ostrich ^^^. Shortly after I sighted the horses, 

 which Jones had tied up here and there. I left my belt and the 

 ^&rt' "^^^^ went back into the scrub to seek for that game which I 

 could not find. Saw one guanaco, but it had seen me first, cmd 

 would not let me approach within a quarter of a mile. Sighted the 

 horses and waggon far away on the high ground and rode to meet 

 them. Put them in a new troop and got away again at one o'clock. 

 Found that if I could not shoot a guanaco we must open our 

 reserve of tinned meat, and 1 did not wish to begin upon it so soon. 

 Rode on ahead of the troop revolving these matters. .M\ horse 

 was extra lazy. I was thinkinof of the ostriches I had observed when 

 I saw over a ridge to the left the ears of a guanaco. There was a 

 dry nullah-bed which curved in beneath the ridge. It was jiebbly 

 and sparsely set with thorn. I lay down and crawled until 1 came 

 to some water, and then I looked again. I could see the first 

 guanaco, an old buck, peering with his long neck swa\-ing. and 

 looking at the Tostado which I had tied up. To tie up \ our horse 

 in view is the most successful thing you can do in this countr\- of 

 lonof-necked crame, and of o-ame which is so often inirsued w ith 

 dogs and on horseback. Sometimes the most ordinary game takes, 

 from tlic circumstances surrounding its j)ursuit. a reflected interest 

 not its own. So it was in this case; nor, indeetl. is the guanaco 



