S2 



THROUGH THE HEART OF PATAGONIA 



MRS TRELEW 



camp and frightening all the other horses. On one occasion, 

 when it was judged well to give the Big Overo a lesson, Hughes 

 bolassed him and after a gallop of a couple of hundred yards he 

 came to the ground in an inextricable tangle.* The Gateado 



remained by his side 

 and allowed himself to 

 be caught without any 

 struggle. After a time 

 j the intimacy between 

 i these horses grew to such 

 ! a pitch that we gradually 

 dispensed with a rope for 

 the Gateado, knowing 

 \ that if the Big Overo was 

 once tied up his friend 

 would stand beside him 

 and allow us to put on his 

 cargo quietly. This odd 

 friendship finally reached such an extreme that when the Big 

 Overo was sogaed out for the night, the Gateado was in the habit 

 of giving up his hours of feeding in order to satisfy the claims of 

 friendship. The feeling was mutual, for the Big Overo manifested 

 almost as many proofs of his preference. 



Another case of friendship was struck up between two of the 

 madrinas, but this was an essentially feminine affection, all upon 

 one side. The Rosada would follow the Trelew mare, who was in 

 foal, and would hardly allow her to feed in peace. Mrs. Trelew, 

 as the men nicknamed the round -barrelled old black mare, 

 objected very strongly to the advances of her admirer, and once 

 they had a regular quarrel owing to Mrs. Trelew kicking the 

 Rosada with such force as to nearly break her ribs, which the 

 latter rather resented. The Rosada was a vicious unbacked brute 

 within five yards of whose heels it was unsafe to approach, and 

 she, in common with the long-maned Little Zaino, acquired the 

 execrable habit of attempting to kick any one who on horseback 



* Except in very rare cases the boleadores should not be used to catch horses. For 

 a kicking animal they are, however, a good corrective. 



