Jtjne 5, 1897.] 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
44S 
morning. Croft owned a place in Soledad, and he invited 
us to go there and make it our headquarters until the 
arrival of H. After breakfast we saddled and started for 
Soledad. , ' 
While crossing the canada we saw plenty of game, such 
as deer, ostriches, partridges and martinets. Many flocks 
of ducks rose from the lagoons. 
We reached the ranch about 4 o'clock, and were warmly 
received by Don Antonio. The old Don conducted us to a 
shanty by the side of his own house, and invited us to 
make ourselves perfectly at home and stay as long as we 
wished. 
Don Antonio's family numbered nine members — his 
wife, himself and seven children. The eldest of his three 
daughters, a maiden of sixteen, was a real Spanish beauty, 
possessing all those charming features of beauty so charac- 
teristic of young Spanish women. Such were the associates 
with whom our lot was cast for a month. 
Never will I forget the jolly gatherings on semi-tropical 
evenings under the orange trees; nor tales of adventures 
and travels (indulged in by members of the company) in 
foreign lands, while the mate passed from one to another 
ih much the same manner as Indians would pass the pipe 
of peace; then, there were the soft, sweet, Spanish songs 
sung by the beautiful Senorita to the enchanting accom- 
paniment of the guitar. Those were happy times, and if 
health and strength do not fail me, I mean some day to 
live them over again. 
We had been here but a short time, and while we had 
done as yet no hunting for large game, still, we had man- 
aged to keep the family more than supplied with par- 
tridges, martinets, ducks and geese, and had not allowed 
them to want for plenty of fish. 
Finally a day came which none who saw it can ever for- 
get. The sun rose that morning beautiful and clear, and 
all indications pointed to clear weather for some time to 
come. Jim bagged a good lot of birds in the afternoon, 
and I returned toward evening fairly staggering under a 
heavy string of fish taken from the waters of the San 
Antonio. When the evening meal had been disposed of 
our jolly circle gathered in its accustomed place under the 
orange trees, and, as usual, with joke, song and anecdote 
whiled a number of hours away. The moon shone bright 
and silvery, casting a network of shadows under the trees; 
a gentle breeze tempered the air to a delicious coolness. 
Suddenly, without the slightest warning or apparent 
cause, the breeze ceased, the atmosphere grew oppressively 
hot, almost to sufibcation it seemed. Looking at a small 
thermometer which I always carried, I was sm-prised to 
find that it registered 112°. 
Soon a breeze commenced gently to blow from the south. 
At first it was as stifling as the heated breath of a furnace, 
but it gradually grew cooler and cooler, until the condi- 
tions of an hour before were completely reversed and the 
thermometer showed 75°, a drop of nearly 40° within 
an hour. A haze like a curtain of gauze began to spread 
itself far and near over the face of the heavens. Through 
this misty curtain the moon shone, dull and lueterless. 
Now and then a strange, tremulous rumbling, which 
seemed to come from everywhere at once, filled the air; 
this mysterious sound gradually grew louder and louder. 
Finally, drove after drove of cattle, horses and sheep went 
thundering over the pampas toward the thick montes. 
Well they knew the fierce pampero ! They had seen it 
spread death and destruction among their kind before. 
The members of the family by this time had also become 
thoroughly frightened, and as for Jim and me — well, the 
less said the better. 
Soon, away ofi^ down low, where the wide pampas seemed 
to lift its breast to the horizon, a line of ink-like blackness 
appeared to rise out of the earth and spread like a sable 
pall across the heavens. Slowly, s'owly at first it climbed, 
then faster and faster. It was as if a rpillion factory chim- 
neys were belching forth great volumes of soot below the 
horizon's edge. Out of the very ground stream upon 
stream of lurid flame leaped in jagged lines of fire to the 
extreme ends of this line of stygian blackness; it appeared 
that earth and sky had suddenly become transformed into 
a mammoth furnace of raging fire and tumbling smoke. 
This wild scene was accompanied by one incessant roar of 
continuous thunder. The wind, which had been steadily 
increasing, was now blowing a gale, and it was very cold; 
it was nothing, however, compared to what was coming. 
We watched the awful approach of the pampero with 
trembling and fear. While we knew our brick shanty (as 
well as the old Don's house) was strongly secured by heavy 
steel cables which passed over the low roof to the ground 
on either side, and were there anchored deeply in the 
earth, still we well knew that the full strength of shanty, 
house and cables would be tested to their utmost before 
the terrible storm had passed. In fact we feared greatly 
that everything would be swept away and greatly 
dreaded to enter the shanty; yet we knew we could not 
stay outside. 
When the pampero had climbed to near the zenith the 
Don and his family entered the house, and Jim and I 
walked over to our dwelling where we stood for an instant 
looking, as it seemed, into the very bowels of hell. Just 
as that world of fire, roar and blackness seemed crouching 
for the final spring that would prove the destruction of 
everything with which it should come in contact, we 
entered the shanty and tightly secured the door. We 
had hardly secured the window when it seemed that all 
the forces of perdition had been turned loose upon the 
earth. 
It would he useless for mortal, with, either tongue or 
pen, to attempt to describe that storm. To be realized it 
would have had to be seen, and even then, I doubt if a 
true picture of its terrific grandeur and awful sublimity 
could have been retained by the strongest human mind, 
for it seemed to dull and numb the very sensibilities; we 
didn't sleep a wink all night long. The incessant roar of 
the wind, which rocked the shanty as if it were a cradle; 
tbift stupefying boom of the thunder and the crashing vol- 
leys of hailstones on the roof not only prevented sleep, but 
made it impossible for us to talk, as we could not hear onp 
another's voice. We simply lay side by side in a sort of 
stupor until morning. Jt was an awful night, and we were 
thankful indeed when, shortly after daylight, the storm 
epent its strength and passed away. 
When we realized that the storm was really over we 
ventured forth into the open air, and what a sight was 
presented to our viewl The sun was shining brightly; a 
brisk, delightftil breeze swept from off the pampas, across 
piles and miles qf heavy grass that had been flattened to 
the ground; but lo — most wonderful to relate — there, 
where had trickled the San Antonio, a stream but a few 
yards wide the day before, flowed a mighty river fully two 
miles wide. No cattle, horses or sheep met the sight, but 
the old Don seemed not to be concerned on that account. 
He said that while some had undoubtedly been killed, he 
was sure that the number would be small, and that the 
others would soon return from the thick forests where they 
hadi betaken themselves the night before for protection from 
the storm. He was right, for before night the plains 
around the house were once more covered with stock, I 
think that not more than fifty head had been killed, and 
they were mostly sheep. 
Chapter III. 
After breakfast, Don Antonio proposed that we take all 
the dogs, and that all hands go on a grand biscatchera ex- 
terminating expedition. This, of course, not only meant 
the destruction of any biscatcheras that we might come 
across, but the slaughter of the inmates as well. It must 
be understood that the biscatcha (the animal which lives 
in the house or biscatchera) is an inveterate enemy of the 
ranchman of the Argentine Republic. Owners of estancias 
infested with these pests find it impossible to get entirely 
rid of them. Besides undermining the ground and build- 
ing large mounds on the surface, the biscatcha eats off the 
grass, leaving the ground barren, and in other ways causes 
great damage. Thousands and thousands of dollars are 
yearly expended by the ranchmen in their efforts to rid 
their estancias of the pests. 
It would have puzzled the brain of any naturalist had 
he been compelled to figure out the different strains of the 
mixed breeds of the eight or ten mongrels that accom- 
panied us on our exterminating tour that morning. 
There were big dogs and little dogs, fat dogs and lean 
dogs, fall dogs and short dogs; in fkct, they were of all 
sorts, sizes and colors, also of all temperaments; one and 
all, however, thoroughly understood the business they 
were to be engaged in, as they plainly showed by the 
wild, excited manner in which they tumbled about when 
they saw us preparing for business. 
We started for a large bipcatcha village down by the river. 
Jim carried his Parker, while I had my faithful Winches- 
ter. The old Don was armed with a. machete; each of 
his four sons carried a shovel. The shovels were to be 
used in digging gutters from the flooded lagoons to the 
entrances of the biscatcheras, so as to flood the biscatchas 
out. It was but a short while before the fun commenced. 
Selecting the largest biscatchera (mound) nearest a la- 
goon, the boys set to work and soon dug a trench to the 
main entrance of the mound from the lagoon. We had 
stopped up all the smaller holes, making it impossible for 
the biscatchas to come out any other way than by the 
main entrance. When the trench connected entrance and 
lagoon, the water rushed in in a flood. Before long we 
could hear sniffjngs, snorts and splashes; then as the hole 
filled up and the sounds grew plainer, we looked in and 
could see, now and then, a biscatcha pop his head above 
the rapidly rising water, only to disappear again. The 
water had nearly reached the top of the hole when there 
was a sudden rush, and a large buck biscatcha broke like 
a shot from the hole; quick as he was, however, the old 
Don was quicker, for, like a streak, he brought his machete 
down on the biscatcha'a neck with such force as to com- 
pletely sever the head from its body. 
Before the old don was ready to stop him, another bis- 
catcha, then another, broke from the hole. Jim and I 
fired as quick as we could, and dropped them both in 
their tracks. Thpy were now coming so fast that we more 
than had our hands full, and between the reports of the 
guns, the furious snapping, growling and barking of the 
dogs, the wild swipes made by tne old Don with his ma- 
chete, and his sons with their shovels, the scrambling 
ground and lofty tumblings in the mud and water, the 
snorts, yells, howls and laughter; it was by far the most 
animated bit of hunting I £ad ever indulged in or wit- 
nessed. We killed in the neighborhood of twenty-fi-ve 
biscatchas at this mound, and when they ceased to come 
out the water was turned into another mound, and soon 
the same performance was being enacted over again. 
We killed that morning more than 200 of these animals, 
and had it not taken so long for the water to fill the holes, 
there can be no doubt but we would have killed more than 
twice that number. Some of the small, young ones, we 
took with us to the house; they are very tender and very 
good eating when properly cooked. The old ones are 
coarse and tough, have a strong, disagreeable flavor, and 
are seldom eaten. 
That afternoon more than fifty boys came from the vil- 
lage of Soledad on horseback and carried off the dead bis- 
catchas. They took them for the skins, which when cut 
into thin strips are highly prized for mending reins, sad- 
dles and shoes. 
As the meat larder was running lo w, and as Jim and I 
didn't care to live entirely on biscatcha meat, we decided 
to go on a hunt after large game. 
We were away before sunrise. Jim decided to hunt the 
caOada along the edge of the overflowed river, while I 
struck ofi in the direction of the open pampas. After a 
mile I thought I could make out the backs of three deer 
showing above the grass on the top of a knoll some dis- 
tance ahead. Dismounting, I hobbled the horse and set 
out to stalk them. Carefully working my way to where I 
judged I would be able to obtain a view, I cautiously raised 
my head, and there, about 300yds. off, stood an old buck, 
a doe and a young buck. They were the common, small 
deer of the pampas called gama. Quickly dropping to the 
ground again, I waited a short while, then quietly com- 
menced to snake my way through the grass once more, I 
had gone another lOOyds. when I was startled by a loud 
hissing directly in front of my face. Lifting my head, I 
found myself gazing into the wide, gaping mouth of an 
iguana. 
While I knew an iguana would not be apt to attack a 
person unless cornered and compelled to defend itself, 
still, I'm not the one to say that I was not frightened at 
the predicament I was in; the very unexpectedness of the 
occurrence was enough to startle anyone. I felt my flesh 
creep, and mv hair nearly lifted my hat for an instant; 
then, as I realized that the animal before me was almost 
harmless, and that it was undoubtedly more frightened 
than 1 was, I could hardly help laughing at thought of the 
ludicrousness of the situation. There in front of me and 
disputing the way stood the iguana. It had raised itself 
as high upon its legs as it possibly gould^ and thus it 
stood with lashing tail and wide-open mouth hissing like 
a goose, it looked exceedingly comical. I reached for my 
rifle, which I had dropped in my first surprise, and was 
pulling it toward me, when the iguana made a sudden 
dive, and as I ducked my head scrambled helter-skelter 
over my back. I gave him a parting kick as he disap- 
peared in the grass behind me. This movement on the 
part of the iguana was more than I had bargained for. 
Whether he really intended to attack me, I cannot say. I 
think, however, that he probably lost his head and could 
not see where he was going in his desire to escape. 
Whether he intended to attack me or not, I have no desire 
to experience another such close meeting. 
Taking a cautious peep I was considerably gratified to 
observe that the deer were still feeding, and were not over 
200yd8. away. Continuing the cautious advance, I worked 
up to what I judged was another hundred yards. I lay 
low for awhile, then ventured another peep, and there, 
within easy range, stood the three deer. 
As it was no new thing for me to shoot deer, and as they 
seemed not to be in any hurry to leave, evidently not 
having discovered my presence, I worked slowly up to an 
extra thick clump of grass and sat down. The deer would 
feed first in one direction, then in another, and they 
looked so innocent, graceful and beautiful, that I really 
regretted to shoot them. I watched them for perhaps half 
an hour, then selecting the young buck waited until he 
turned broadside to me, poked the rifle through the clump 
of grass and fired. At the report the buck dropped like a 
stone; he must have been killed instantly. 
The old buck and doe, instead of running away, stopped 
eating and commenced to walk around the fallen deer in 
a curious manner. They would sniff at the body, then 
gaze all around, the old buck stamping and whistling all 
the while. 
As it was near the rutting season I decided not to fire at 
the old buck. So I killed the doe. "^r*** 
I now thought that the old buck would surely run, but 
I was mistaken, for he made no effort whatever in that 
direction. Instead he stood stamping and whistling 
louder than ever. He had an elegant pair of antlers for 
his species, but as I was not hunting antlers but meat, and 
as I had secured all the meat we would be able to use for 
some time to come, and as it would have been useless 
slaughter to have killed him, I jumped upon my feet, and, 
waving my arms above my head, let out such an unearthly 
yell that the old fellow started to gallop like the wind 
across the pampas, and it was but a short while before he 
was out of sight. 
The buck and doe were in good condition, plump and 
fat. Fastening their legs securely together with a piece of 
rawhide, which I always carried for just such a purpose, 
after considerable trouble I managed to swing them across 
the horse behind the saddle. Then, mounting, I started 
slowly for the house, the deer partly dragging on the ground 
each side of the horse. 
I had not gone far before I saw Jim riding slowly toward 
me, and I could see that he was not returning empty- 
handed. I could make out some kind of game on his horse 
back of the saddle. When we met, I saw that he had shot 
a large ostrich. He had his game secured in the usual way 
of carrying an ostrich— its neck had been drawn through 
the saddle girth on one side the horse, while one leg 
had been secured in a like manner on the opposite side. 
"I went about a mile after we parted," he said, "when, 
as I reached the edge of the river, I happened to look off 
to one side and saw a whole troop of ostriches coming 
down to the river. Riding well to leeward of them, I left 
the horse, and after considerable crawling managed to get 
up to within 50yds. I selected the nicest bird in the lot 
and immediately cut loose with a charge of buckshot. As 
the ostrich dropped, the rest of the troop cut out at such a 
clip that they were soon out of sight. I could easily have 
shot another, only I reserved my second barrel in order to 
finish this one in case he should prove not to be dead. I 
found, however, that the gun had done good work, as the 
ostrich was stone dead when I reached it." 
When we arrived at the house it was near dinner time, 
so we immediately skinned the ostrich and two deer, and 
it was but a short while before the delicious odor of broil- 
ing venison filled the air. After dinner, we cut the deer 
meat into strips, which we jerked, then salted and hung 
in the sun, so that it would dry. We presented the ostrich 
skin to the eldest daughter, and she declared that she 
would make it into a shoulder cape. This she could easily 
do, and beautiful capes they are, being not only orna- 
mental, but perfectly waterproof as well. 
News was brought us that afternoon that a Gaucho'sbaby 
had died in the town of Soledad; and that a dance of the 
little Angelito would be celebrated the next night at the 
Gaucho's house. As about everybody attends on such oc- 
casions, we all decided to go. 
The dance of the little Angelito is in some respects some- 
what similar to an Irish wake. At a dance of the little 
Angelito dancing is indulged in, and generally this dance 
is continued night after night, in different houses (as the 
dead child is borrowed first by one person, then another) 
until it becomes absolutely necessary to bury the body. 
While I am not entirely sure that 1 am right, still, I think 
that this custom is an old Indian one; at any rate, I never 
saw it practiced among the full-blooded Spaniards. As 
many of the Gauchos are half-breeds, they of course ob- 
serve many Indian customs, and I think this dance is one 
of them. 
Soon after sundown next evening Jim and I and a 
couple of the boys started on horseback for the Gaucho's 
house, where the dance was to be held. When we had 
reach d our destination and dismounted, we found our- 
selves in front of a long, low whitewashed shanty, built of 
sun-di ied bricks. That we were not the first to arrive was 
plainly evident by the number of horses which were tied 
around about. Tying our horses to a couple of spare posts, 
we entered the house, which we found to be thickly 
crowd iid. At the farther end of the room was a table, and 
stretched at full length on the lable and dressed in white 
lay tlie body of the dead child; around it a number of 
candles were burning. 
When we were observed by the people in the room, 
they parted as best they could, and Jim and I were con- 
ducted up near the table where the baby lay, and were 
given seats. We had been employed on a nearby rancho 
a couple of years before, and so were pretty Well known 
by the people present. Being white men,iwe were treated 
very courteously. In fact, full-blooded white people are 
always treatecl wjth great civility by the Gawc^o^ an^ Iri 
