Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1883-05-16
On the Pampas.

When KOSas, that man of "bloOd and
iron,' was Dictator of the Argentine
country-a position which he held for o
quarter of century deserters from tho
army were incxorably shot when caught
as they generally were But where my
boyho0d was spent there was a descrter
a man named Santa Anna, who for seven
years, without ever leaving the neighb n.
hood of his home, succeeded in eludinp
his pursuers by means of the marvellous
sagacity and watchful care exercised by
his horse. When taking his rest on the
plain-for he seldom slept under roof
his faithful horse kept guard At the
first sight of mounted men on the hori,
zon he would fly to his MISTER and, seiz,
ing his cloak between his teeth rouse
him with vigorous shake. The hunted
man would start up, and in a moment
man and horse would vanish into one of
the dense reed-beds ab0unling in the
place, and where no man Cuul follow.
] have not space to tell more about this
horse; but at last, in tho fullncss of time,
when the figs were ripe--lterally, rs
well rs iiguratively, for it happened in
the autumn of the ycdr-the long, tyr
annous rule ended, and Santa Anna came
out of the recd-b'ls where he had live
his wild animal lie, to mix with his fell
flows. | kn him then. He was u
rather heayy looking man, with little t.
say, AMI his reputation for honesty was
not good in the place; but dare
say there was something good in his
breast. Students of nature are familiar
with the modifying effects of new con
ditions ON man and brute. Take, for ex-
ample, the Gaucho; he must every day
traverse vast distances, scequickly, Judge
rapidly, be ready at all times to encoun-
ter hunger and fatigue, violent changes
OF temperature great and sudden perils.
These conditions have made him differ
widely from the peasant Of tn, PENN
sula; he has the endurance aud keen
sight of wolf, is fertile in expclients.
quick in action, values human life not at
all, and Is in pain or defeat a stole. I'm
questionably the hor;s he rides has also
suffered "A great change. lie differs "a
much from the 1nglish hunter, for in
stance, rs one animal en- well dilftr from
another of the sIme species. lie never
pounds the earth or vast : his energies in
vain parade. He has not the dauntlcs,
courage that performs such bfillian: feat,
in the field, and that often ~ not at
tempts the impossible. In the chas, he
husbands all his strength, carrying his
head low, and almost grazing the ground
with his hoofs, 80 that he is not snowy
animal. Constant use, or the slow
cumulative process of natural selection.
has served to develop keennc~s of sense
NJ
with all the advant &c derived from the
vulture's vast elevation above the scene
surveyed, is not so far-rcaching as the
sense of smell in the pampa horse. \ COM
mon phenomenon on the pimp s is a su l.
den migration of the horses OF district
to some distant place. This occurs in
seasons of drought, when grass or water
fails. The horses migrate to sime dis.
trict where, from showers havina fallen
or other circumstances, there is better
supply of food and drink. A slight
breeze blowing from the more favored
region. which may be forty or fifty miles
away, or even much further, is enough g.
start them Off Yet, during the So rch
ing days Of midsummer, very little
moisture or smell of grass can possibly
ltuNl tlclll llDlIl SUN ~ ulSlllltt. an
other phenomenon, even more striking,
Is familiar to every frontcrsman. For
some reason, the Gaucho horse nmn;re,ls
the greatest terror NJ an Indian invasion
No doubt his fear is, in part ut any rate,
an associate feeling, the coming Of tac
Indians being always time of excite
ment and commotion, sweeping like a
great wave over the country; houses ar,
in flames, families flying, cattle being
driven at frantic speed t. places Of
greater safety. BE this as it may, long
before the marauders r'ach the settle
ment (often when they AZ still whole
days journey from it, the horses take
the alarm and come wildly flying in; the
contagion quickly spreads to the horned
cattle, and n general stampede ensucS.
The Gauchos mnint min that the horses
smell the Indians believe they are
right. for when passing distant Indian
camp, from which the wind blew, the
horses driven before me have suddenly
taken fright and run away, leading me a
chase of many miles. The explanation
that ostriches, deer and other heet ami
mails driven in before the invaders might
be the cause of the stampede can not be
accepted, since the horses are familiar
with the sight of these animals flying
from their Gaucho London
Field.