THE BATTLE OF THE HORSES 43 



with some toil from the marsh, and before dinner loaded it up 

 again. 



" By evening we reached the canadon of the Rio Chico and 

 camped upon the banks. 



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

 on down the canadon, 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 the purple hills that are on the 

 other side of the Chico. Two herds of guanaco fled while I was on 

 the horizon. I cantered a long way, it seemed very far, over the 

 rolling ridges of pebble and thorn-bush. Mirages smoked and 

 danced on the horizon. I came at length to the waggon-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 

 egg, and went back into the scrub to seek for that game which I 

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

 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 I did not wish to begin upon it so soon. 

 Rode on ahead of the troop revolving these matters. My horse 

 was extra lazy. I was thinking 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 pebbly 

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

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

 guanaco, an old buck, peering with his long neck swaying, and 

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

 in view is the most successful thing you can do in this country of 

 long-necked game, and of game which is so often pursued with 

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

 from the circumstances surrounding its pursuit, a reflected interest 

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



