THE BATTLE OF THE HORSES 59 



east. I was fortunately mounted upon the Cruzado, who had by 



this time learned to stand to shot and to remain standing- when his 



reins were dropped over his head. He was infinitely the best 



shooting-horse in the troop, and 



I used always to ride him when 



game was wanted, although, 



owinof to his beincr a lars^e horse, 



his canter was not suited to 



riding behind the tropilla. He 



had come to us with a very bad 



name for throwing himself back, |^^i^»5^j^^^fii\j ' m 



which is one of the nastiest llR«B^^|BSi|^|| U 



tricks a horse can possess. But ' '^ T WTT H ** — 



this he soon gave up, and ex- >t^'^ ■^^-C?li>^^'^J>. 



cept that he always remained 



rather hard to catch in the 



mornings, was what an adver- 



11 11 i( ..1 11 THK author's two BKST H0K.->E», THE CRL'ZADO 



tiser would call a thoroughly ..-,.„,,... 



o J AND ALA/AN 



confidential horse." I am glad 



to think that when I left Patagonia he became the property of 



Burbury. 



The Cruzado seemed to enter into the spirit of the chase, and 

 in the present instance went off at a fast canter towards the hills. 

 The guanaco had moved from his point of vantage upon the top of 

 a conical hill of mud, and had probably, according to the custom of 

 these animals, sought another eminence. I thought he had seen me, 

 in which case he would at once have made for the highest point 

 within reach, but, as I came into the throat of the gorge where there 

 were some mud hills, I saw him again upon the side of a large 

 hummock one hundred feet or so in heiirht. I immediately tied up 

 mv horse. 



The guanacos of the valley of the Chico were very wild owing 

 to the fact that the Tehuelche Indians hunt them ihere during the 

 months of October and November. This valley was once celebrated 

 for the abundance of its game, but of recent years the herds seem 

 to have moved westwards and northwards. This *'uanaco was the 

 first we had seen that day. 



