CHAPTER IV 



THE BATTLE OF THE HORSES— {continued) 



First march with pack-horses — Difficulties — Friendship among horses — The 

 melancholy Zaino — Revolt of an old philosopher — Shifting cargoes — Reach 

 River Chico — Guanaco-shooting — A glimpse of a puma — Pumas and sheep — 

 Arrival at Colohuapi — Hospitality of pioneers — The value of horse-brands. 



Morning (19th) came to us very grey with a pallid sun, and 

 ushered in the first day of the new system. We found it necessary 

 to use sixteen horses as cargueros or pack-horses. In the early 

 dawn we caught the chosen animals, and tied them up to 



the smashed wa^o-on. It is 

 " one of the inconveniences of 

 pampa travel that bushes 

 stronor enough to hold a horse 

 which is at all restive are few 

 and far between. In that 

 particular spot there was ab- 

 solutely nothing in the way 

 of a bush, however small, 

 which could by any chance 

 have borne the strain. 



So we tied them up to the 

 waggon and they immediately proceeded to tie themselves and 

 their headropes into still more complicated knots : they made cats' 

 cradles, reef-knots, sliding nooses, a dozen knots one knew and a 

 dozen one had never dreamed of. Of the sixteen horses, half had 

 never had a cargo on their backs until that day ; we had meant to 

 break them in, but the waggon succumbed too soon to the hardships 

 of the way, and before we had had time to carry out our intentions. 

 During" the three days we remained in campamono- the stronor- 



Kl,Ali\ 1'- 



. CAKCiOKU 



