SOME HUNTING CAMPS 157 



fated River de los Antiguos, and striking south we made a camp 

 as nearly as I could judge, opposite to where I had spent the night 

 shivering in oilskins. Of course, at starting, the question had been 

 mooted : Might we. not, provided the river had fallen sufficiently, 

 find the lost guns, and at any rate that treasure, the Mauser ? 



The probabilities were, of course, very much against such good 

 fortune, and it was almost certain, that even did we find either of 

 them, it would be useless after being knocked about by the violent 

 handling of the river. 



Immediately we arrived at the Gorge of the de los Antiguos, 

 Jones and I rode down to the water's edge. I had small hope of 

 success as regarded retrieving the guns, but the water had fallen 

 as quickly as it had risen. We soon came upon my tracks going 

 down to the stream, made during my last visit. We then rode 

 along the bank. Trees, sand and ddbris filled the river-bed, 

 and I had reached a spot some hundred yards below the place 

 where I had been beached on the shingle island, and Jones was 

 still engaged in searching another channel, when I saw something 

 brown upon a sandbank. 



There, half in and half out of the water, lay the Mauser, caked 

 with rust, choked with sand and pebbles, but whole, unbent, 

 though the stock was pitted with the battering of many stones. 

 I picked it up, and there seemed but little hope of its ever becom- 

 ing serviceable again. However, the sights, by a miracle, were 

 intact, save the half of the bead of the foresight. After this we 

 resumed our search, hoping with luck to come upon the shot-gun, 

 and presently we discovered that also, lying half-buried among 

 the wreckage at the lip of the flood. Being in a case, it was 

 practically undamaged. We carried the two in triumph to the 

 camp. Upon examination the Mauser bolt was found to be fixed 

 and, immovable, and we feared it would never fire again. For 

 tools we had only an axe and a weak pocket-knife, but with the 

 help of these two we took the Mauser to pieces, cleaned it, and 

 fixed it together again, to find, however, that it would not stay on 

 cock. As soon as we shut the bolt, the rifle went off. We ex- 

 amined it, but could discover nothing broken or bent, and, night 

 falling, we went to bed. 



