THE BATTLE OF THE HORSES 6i 



very much better than Tom, although the latter was a well-bred 

 hound with a pedigree to back his pretensions. Bian belonged to 

 young Jones. 



During the day we observed enormous flocks of Chilian widgeon 

 {Mareca sibilatrix) as well as some grey teal {Querquedula 

 versicolor). 



On October 22, as we had expected, we arrived at Colohuapi, 

 the farthest settlement in the heart of Patagonia. Near by lie 

 twin lakes Colhu6 and Musters. About one o'clock, coming over a 

 rise, we saw the Lake. As the sun was shining it was very blue, 

 and upon the far side rose the hills. The mournful whistle of 

 waterfowl in countless flocks was to be heard. A breeze from the 

 north-west was blowing across the lake, and there was that peculiar 

 wet smell in the wind which can only be derived from a passage 

 across wide waters. 



This day the Gateado bucked off his cargo of tinned meats and 

 was unfortunate enough to give himself a deep wound in the 

 pastern. Jones tied it up with his handkerchief, and the horse was 

 so lame that we thought it would be necessary to leave him behind 

 at Colohuapi. As it turned out, however, being of a very strong 

 constitution, he improved rapidly, and was with us to the very end 

 of our journeyings. 



Our march on this occasion was upwards of twenty-seven miles, 

 and at the end of it I rode ahead to choose a place for a camp. 

 Earlier in the day Burbury, who was riding the Colorado, a half- 

 broken colt that had had only a few gallops, got into difficulties, and 

 I relieved him of a bag which he was carrying. I had tied this bag 

 to my saddle, but just before we camped it came loose, and, thinking 

 I was not going to have any other chance of shooting, I slung it 

 over my rifle, which I was carrying across my shoulder as usual 

 in a sling. I had chosen a valley to camp in and turned round to 

 jog quietly back to meet the troop, when with the tail of my eye 

 I caught sight of an animal which I thought was Tom, but it 

 looked too large, and I turned my head to see it more fully. 

 There, fifteen yards behind my horse, staring at me, switching 

 its tail slowly from side to side, and standing full up, was a fine 

 male puma {F. concolor). I rolled off my horse, which, fortunately, 



