San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1894-08-25
VORACIOUS VULTURES.
Bloodthirstiness of the Terrible
Condors Of the Andes.
An Instance of the Extreme Ferocity of
the Birds, as Witnessed by an Amer
lean a Ch1ian PIain-A
Steers Awful Death.

about in the air over poultry ward
will not fill a brood of chickens with
more terror and excitement than will
the shadow of condor on the wing
carry to a herd of cattle feeding on a
Gillian plain. as the great vulture
sweeps down from its evrle in the path
less Andes to maneuver for prey" said
John C. Maxwell, who, according to
the New York Sun, is one of the last of
the engineers who were with the
famous Harry Meigs in his great South
American enterprises of a generation
and more ago.
THE condor" said Mr.. Maxwell,
unlike other members of the vulture
family, doesn't always wait for some
thing or somebody to die in order that
he may have his dinner. If he doesn't
find a ready-made carcass on the plains
when he is hungry he turns his time
and attention toward providing the
carcass himself. At least such was
his habit thirty-five years ago, when l
was an observer of the condor and his
ways.
II was quartered once, as a
purchaser of supplies for our party, at
the little village of Latosta, at the
very base of the Andes, with about a
mile of plain stretching away to the
ocean. At sunrise on the first morning
was in the village was awakened by
great commotion among the
populace. looked out of the low,
prison-like window of my apartment.
Men, women, and children were scurry-
ing through the narrow and dusty
street, yelling wildly, and men on
horseback dashed away across the
plain, toward which the excited and
miscellaneous mob of villgers a was
making its clamo-ous way. A roar as
If a hurricane were passing or ap-
preaching came up from the plain and
there was tremor on the earth that
alarmed me.
at was all caused by the herd dashing
wildly about, fleeing in terror before
the pursuit of the raiding condors. l
could see several men on horses plung-
ing along close to the edge of the
rolling cloud, and occasionally the dust
"oulu lllb oh ohC oiuC VI tllC oIucI anu
the dimly-outlined forms of stamped
ing cattle could be seen, while in and
out of the volume of dust, circling
over it like still darker clouds, darting
down into the depths or lowering on
it's borders, the great condors appeared
and disappeared like winged demons.
The scene was startling, and l resolved
to get closer view oft.
Mounting my horse, dashed away
over the plain, passing jabbering and
shouting groups of villagers who were
hurrying on afoot toward the rolling
cloud of dust, in which were hidden
the terror-stricken common property of
mined foes.
"As rode up TO within few rods of
the stampeded cattle one of the herd
burst suddenly from the dense volume
of dust. Four immense condors were
following it closely, and, swooping
down upon it, tore at its flesh with
their great claws and punctured and
lacerated it with their powerful beaks.
The animals eyes were bloodshot
and wild with terror. It's believing
was frightful to hear. 1t dashed its
tail in agony against its torn and
bleeding sides and rushed this way and
that way, while the huge vultures
with claws and beaks.
Although the poor brute sped over
the ground with the speed of the fleet
est race horse, the attacking birds kept
easily close at its side, plying their ter
rible beaks and talons. The herd, free
from the assaults of the condors, came
to a stop a mile or so away, and the
mounted herdsmen dashed back and
became spectators with me of the
struggle between the agonized steer
and its relentless pursuers. They car.
ried their lariats and spurred their
horses on to the heels of the beleagured
animal, followed asst was by the entire
field of giant vultures.
Following close the fated steer, and
circling around it by their amazing
craftsmanship as it dashed here and
there, the herdsmen threw their lariats
again and again, and several of the con,
doris were lassoed and removed from
the chase.
''Once the poor steer, as if looking tG
us for succor, rushed in among the
horsemen and the groups of villagers. |
of our presence the desper-
ate residue of condors chung to his |
bleeding sides or dashed fearlessly |
along in his wake. The doomed animal
was black with dust and streaming |
with blood from a hundred wounds. !
The excited crowd scattered before the |
advance of the steer and his pursuers,
and the herdsmen having strangled
to death. the condors they had brought
down advanced AGAIN to cast their lari-