CHAPTER XV 



A HARD STRUGGLE 



Running an ostrich with dogs — Crossing Santa Cruz River — Horses trouble- 

 some — Lose my way — Launch refitted — Diary of rough days — Crossing the 

 bar — Nasty predicament — Wreck imminent — Storm — Ascensio's Bay — 

 Changeable weather — Dangerous lakes — Squalls rushing down from gorges of 

 the Cordillera — Icebergs — Ashore for fuel — Squall comes on — Cut oif from 

 launch — Miserable night — Wind lulls — Aboard again — Crossing Hell-gate — 

 Cow Monte harbour — Bernardo's fire — Fighting the fire — News of the world — 

 Rumours of war — Death of the Queen. 



Late in the evening of the same day Burbury arrived with the 

 horses, and upon the following morning I rode on with him to pass 

 the troop over the Santa Cruz River. We took with us one of 

 Cattle's hounds, and sighting some ostriches on the way we gave 

 chase. The dog had a rope affixed to his collar, by which Burbury 

 had been leading him, and 1 had no time to take it off before 

 letting him go. In spite of this disability, with the rope traihng 

 behind him, the big black hound pulled down one of the birds. 

 I did not then know how valuable that ostrich was to be 

 to us. 



We reached the Santa Cruz about 7 a.m., and, after a con- 

 siderable amount of persuasion, we managed to induce the horses 

 to enter the water. 



One of the great dangers of driving a tropilla into a river is 

 the chance that, when they do take to the water, your own mount 

 is very likely to rush in after them, and, before you can free 

 yourself, he will have carried you into the pull of the current, and, 

 of course, beyond your depth. Therefore it is always well to do 

 this kind of work bare-back, with only a bridle in your horse's 

 mouth, so that you can fling yourself off at any moment. It is also 

 well to unbuckle the loop of the rein ; the omission of the latter 



