TO SANTA CRUZ. 
393 
of following the roundabout way we had come, I deter- 
mined to make a short cut across the prairie, which 
seemed quite open to the base of a conical hill, thereby 
saving eight or ten miles. Found the country undu- 
lating and quite smooth ; and the grass, though green, 
was short, presenting no obstruction to the wagon. 
Small oaks appeared in every depression ; with a few 
on the plain. At noon we struck the sources of a small 
stream running eastward, bounded by a broad and beau- 
tiful valley, into which we descended. This proved to 
be the Rio Babocomor% a tributary of the San Pedro. 
We followed it until three o’clock, when we encamped 
near the ruins of a large hacienda, which stood imme- 
diately on its banks. 
I would have gone further, but Colonel Graham, 
with his party, instead of taking the shorter cut with 
us, had followed the trail which he took out, thus 
lengthening the distance considerably. As we were 
in a very good place, with water, wood, and grass, 
near at hand, I sent the arrieros across the hills, to 
intercept the Colonel when he came along, and direct 
him to our camp. At six o’clock he arrived. 
When passing the stream to-day, we were startled 
by a singular cry from the top of a cotton-wood tree, 
which overhung our path. It was found to proceed 
from a young panther; when a well-directed shot by 
Mr. Cremony, brought the animal down. It proved to 
be not much larger than a cat, and of light brown, or 
tawny colour. Another incident, was the meeting 
with a herd of about a dozen wild horses. They gazed 
on us for some time, with heads and tails erect ; they 
finally got our wind, when they bounded gracefully 
