The Portland daily press., 1898-06-23

capture Wild Animals--AscYibed by
Some Natives to Masic-His Method
OF Stalking "A Herd-Did He Use M es.
merism?
New York Sum-
1t is not until you have got beyond
the coast levels to the pampas country
that you catch the stern realities OF
venezuelan life,'' said Wesley Q.
Malcolm, who for many years bought
hides and rubber on commission in South
America NEAR the sea levels, where
most foreigners make their homes, you
find the soft, luxurious, charming
manner of living for which the people of
Venezuela are noted. When you have
travelled two or three days journey in
land from Caracas or Angtstura, and
have come to the pampas country you are
among quite different people and sur
roundings. You find there, as in the
lower Orinoco Valley, the jaguar, the
boa constructor, and the crocodile and
besides thess the puma, the giant rattle
snake. and the deadly matacaballo.
AhSlO upOA OuC plolAo bno SSfdAAao WIG
llaneros, the cowboys of the pampas,
watch the herd OF half wild cattle, and
round them up in the rodeo for brand
ing or shipment. These llaneros are the
lighting men of Venezuela, and whoever
can start a revolution with them at his
back is fairly certain to win.
'It was among such scenes and people
that met Pablo Metanarmo, the horse
tanner. in the Apure River country, at
little village called Paranho. My horse
strayed away in the night, and when
told of my loss the head man in the viii
lage sent for Pablo Metanarmo. In few
minutes Pablo appeared, stoutly built,
chocolate tinted man, with long black
hair, just little kinky. By this I saw
that he was zambo. of mixed negro and
Indian blood. He was not an alert or
intelligent looking 1nan-rather the con-
served in his appearance was in his eyes.
which suggested those of a sleepy wild
beast. When the head man had told him
that he wanted him to find the horse, he
went to where the animal had been
PiohoUou, .iGAtIuluSu Uuo bfitChS, anu LUZ
lowed them a short distance.
: He has sJrayed away of his own
Will, he said. He has not been stolen
Then | described the horse to him,
and he said:
| 6 If he is alone I will bring him back
| today. If he has joined the wild horses
-. He shrugged his shoulders and held
up SUCCESSFULLY two, three, four, up to
seven fingers, signifying that might get
the horse at any time from two days to a
| week. did not feel much encouraged,
| for my horse had originally been wild
horse of the pampas, and / knew that he
would be hard to catch in any event.
Pablo rode out of the village half an
hour later on an old scrub of a horse, and
he came back at shutdown leading my
horse and driving before him two other
strays that he had picked up on the way
home. He had captured him fifteen miles
away, near the place where be came upon
him. The horse was fresh and evidently
had let the zembo catch him without
run-but how this had been brought
about Pablo would not tell. The head
man told me that undoubtedly all he had
| done was to circle around to the further
! side Of my horse when he came in sight
of him, then picket his own horse and lie
down near him, and wait until my horse
came up to be caught
Your horse, being pampero and at
large. would not approach you or me. or
| let us catch him until we ran him down
with relays, the head man said. "But
with Pablo-it is different. He has but
to call the animals, and.they will come. ;
"Ihis episode made me acquainted
with Pablo Metanarmo, and as was in
this region for considerable part of the
| next three years, saw him often, and
heard great deal more of his exploits in
| beast tanning. He lived most of the time
l OF hn al n th6a r,e ITO,
River, which was my usual stopping
place when rode north Of Caracas. His
principal duty on the ranch was to track
| up ana capture stray horses ana cattle
| that the other llaneros could not find,
and to cut from the wild horse herds
| valuable domestic horses that had run
away and Joined them. This work he
performed occasionally for other ranch
owners living sometimes hundred miles
| away. When regular business was slack
| he would go out to hunt wild horses or
| other wild creatures on his own account.
In catching wild horses he would ride to
where they were, but once on the ground
| he conducted operations on foot. His
process, as seen by others, was to ap-
proach gradually to the horse he had
| selected, and establish an acquaintance.
1t always resulted in his haltering and
leading the animal home. Sometimes this
was done in one day, oftener 1t TOOK two
or three. 1t was said that a week was
| the longest time it had ever taken him to
capture the widest horse. When he led
the horse home the animal was no longer
| wild, but tame, and he could saddle and
ride him with little trouble. Any judi
| oious rider could handle the horse after
that
SIT is little wonder that among the
| ignorant llaneros Pablo's art was laid to
the use Of magic or the possession OF a
talisman. The more intelligent ranch
owners were equally at loss to explain
it. When asked about it they shrugged
their shoulders and sometimes spoke of
Garmiento, the zambo, who in his day,
they said, had done greater feats than
Pablo's. AS for Pablo, he kept his own
counsel-probab he could not have told
| the secret II he had tried-and went on
capturing will hores, jaguar and puma
cubs, big snakes, and eaglets, in mat
ter of-course way, for his own amusement
and profit. His pets accommodating about
the ranch made life rather trying there at
times. A jaguar cub as kitten, but it
grows like weed, and its natural in
stincts crop out very soon-and half
grown jaguar running up and down the
trees or rehearsing the springing act,
1 ~A-l