The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1881-02-12
Hunting the O.tricll and Gu.naco.


An ostrich hunt in Patagonia is thus dis.
crihed by IL recent traveller in that country.
Cnoo choo! Plata = cry to the dog who
followed ut my horses heels as II fine male
ostrich scuddcd away towards the hills VIC
had just left with the speed of lightning.
But the ostrich suddenly doubles to the
| left. and commences hurried descent.
The cause is soon explained, for in the di-
| rcctlon towards which he has been making
| great cloud Of smoke rises menucingly in
his path, and baukcd Of the refuge he had
hoped TO find amidst the hills, tue great
| bird is forced to alter his course, and make
| swiftly for the plains below. But swiftly
| us he tllcs along, SO does Plata, who finds
down-hill race much more suited to his
splendid shoulders and rare stride. Foot
| by foot he lessons the distance that scpa-
rates him from his prey, aid gets nearer
| and nearer to the fast sinking, fast firing
| bird. Away we go, heller skelter down the
| hill. Plata is alongside the ostrich, and
gathers himself for IL spring at the blrds 8
! throat. lie has him. he has hlm!'
shout TO GrcSorio, who does not reply, but
urges his horse OIL with whip and spur.
Has hc got him, though 2 Ycs-no-lhe
ostrich with rapid twist had shot some
thirty yards ahead Of his enemy, and whirl-
ing round, makes for the hill once more
And now begins the struggle for victory
The ostrich had decidedly the best OF ii,
for Plata, though he strug slcs gamcly, does
not like the uphill work, and Mt every
strides loses ground. Can he stay7 Icry
to Grcgorio, who smiles and mods his head
TIC is right, the dog can stay, for hardly
have the words left my lips when, with n
tremendous effort he puts OH a squirt, and
races up alongside the ostrich. Tho stride
OF tho bird goes slower, his doubles become
more frequent, showers of feathers fly in
evory direction as Plata seizes him by the
tail, which comes away in his mouth In
another moment the dog has him by the
throat, and for Il few minutes nothing
can be distinguished but gray struggling
heap.
Not loss vivid is the account of the pur-
suit Of wounded huanaco, or guannco
at last my husband got a shot at little
Knot OF four or five, who were standing to-
Rether, almost out Of range. One fell, and
the others took to their heels. With u cry
ot triumph VIC galloped up to the wounded
one, Dut to our uisnay, ut our approach,
hc sprang to his feet and started of ut full
speed after his companions to all appear
ance unhurt. Squirting our horses we fol
lowed closely In his wake, down steep
raVines, up bills, over the plains, ut times
losing him altogether, but always catching
sight Of him again, going as fresh as eyer,
I'LL at last we began to despair Of ever rum
ming him down. Gradually, and no Won
del, our jaded horses began to show signs
OF exhaustion we had run them almost to
a slandstill, and retlectlng ON the distance
we had to ride back to the camp, we were
just going 10 rein in, when the guanaCO
suddenly stopped and laid down. But
when we had get to within about ciH Jarde
OF him, up he got, and gallopcd OF again,
dlstalclng US at every stride. HesituLing
what to do, we kept III his wake, though
all the time we were wishing we had never
started after hun. Slower and slower our
painting horses struggled towards a ravinc,
down the side Of which the guanaco had
disappeared. Ne came to its edge and
looked down. The guunaco was nowhere
t. be seen. We wore Mt a loss to imagine
wha! could hav. become Of him. lie had
not climbed tie other side, or we should
have seen him emerge on the plain, nor
could he have goue along the ravinc, either
to the right or the left, as wo commanded
view of it in both directions for a long
distance. In This dilemma we were staring
open mouthcd with astonishmcnt about us
when something NOV ed in the long grass
below, and directing our steps thither we
came upon our guanaco lying strctchc out
in pool of blood. The movement that
had drawn our attention 10 him had evil
IDENTIFY been his last effort, for he was no,
quite dead. Examining him, We found
the bullet had entered his side and passing
through the lungs or lights, had lodged
near the spine; and yct thus scvcrly
wounded, he had gone quite ten miles ut Al
cracking pacc!'