54 THROUGH THE HEART OF PATAGONIA 



neighing of horses, and was surprised to see seventeen of our 

 troop hurrying off, as it were, upon some unknown errand. And 

 well in front of them — could I believe my eyes ? — was the horse we 

 knew as the Asulejo, but his eye was brighter and he neighed in 



HE ASULEJO 



the joy of his heart as he trotted friskily along ! He was the 

 obvious leader of the revolt. No sooner did he see me than he 

 fell behind, trying to look as though one of the younger animals 

 had lured him from the path of duty, but that pretence did not 

 serve, and after driving him back into camp we put maneas on 

 him, upon which he recognised with the philosophy of age that he 

 could not fight against the inevitable, and so retired into the lee of 

 a thorn-bush, where he lay down to dream, no doubt, of the days 

 when things were different and he had been a scampering three- 

 year-old on the banks of the River Negro. 



However, to return to our journey, and our earliest attempt 

 at marching without a waggon. It was first and last one of the 

 most trying days that we experienced. To begin with, the eight 

 fairly well-behaved horses were cargoed up, and then the wild ones 

 were taken in hand. The first of these happened to be the 

 Gateado. His load was flour and tinned beef. He allowed him- 



