The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-07-15

or camel, so that they are able to run
through cactus thickets so thorny as TO
stop horses and dogs, or over beds of
stones so sharp that the very coyote
avoids the trail.
"One of the strangest things about
these savages is that they seem to have
no knife sense, as one might call It, In
other words, they never think of using
a cutting tool under any circumstances.
If they capture an animal and kill IT.
they do not cut it into pieces, but prefer
10 tear it into fragments with their hands
and teeth, breaking the larger bones per-
haps with a stone. l have known them
to adopt this method with horse throw
Ing the brute so as to break its neck,
and then setting upon the carcass literally
with tooth and nail. A leg of a COW will
furnish a family with food for some days,
and when anybody happens to be hun
Cry he takes "a chew at It, tearing OFF
the flesh just as any villa animal might
do.
THE Seri have always kept themselves
aloof from other tribes; they have an
hereditary hate and horror of aliens.
From their view point the shedding of
alien blood is the most virtuous of &C
tons, while the BLACKLIST crime they Iircw
is the transmission Of their own blood
into alien channels. They consider IL as
much matter Of course to xii; strarg-
snake. Isolated to an extent unparallel-
ed, they are homeless wanderers, rowing
from place to place and sleeping wherever
exhaustion overtakes them. Carrying
their entire stock of personal belongings
With them as well as food and water they
are perpetual fugitives.
They regard the neighb0ring territory
on the main land as a part Of their own
domain and there they have been Ii con
1ct for many years with ~ranchmen
W hen they surround AID capture horses
OF kline they never think of mounting
the beasts, even when pursued or OF
using ropes, but immedia.s break the
neck and knob out the brains Of the
animal. pc; chance to tear the Writhil,g
hCdY into quarters and fee for their
lives, with the reeking flesh still puiv-
ering on their heads end brawny Shout
dtrs- Scores of vaquer)s agree in the
assertion (whoiIy incerible if Il were SUP
Torted by fewer witnesses that even
when so bur1ened the robb4r S;eri skim
tic sand wastes of the deser1 more rap
idly than averaging hotsemca can follow
them.
The Seci boys go out after jackrabbits
in threes and fours, and catch them by
outrunning them. When a rabbit is
started they scatter, one following it
slowly, while the others set off obliquely
In such manner as to head it off and
Keep 1t In a Zig-zag course until 1t tires.
Then they close in, and finally grab the
animal by hand, frequently bringing 1t in
alive to prove that it was fairly caught.
From among these aborigines II is deem
ed discreditable to take game animals
without giving them a chance for escape
or defense. They capture deer also by
cunning, scattering at sight of the
quarry, gradually surrounding It, Devil
dering it by confronting 1t at all points,
and at length closing in and Selling it
with their hands.
Don Manuel Encinas, son of the owner
gf q ranch where l stayed in that coun-
try, was endeavoring on one occasion to
induce a Seri man, who Was a famous
hunter, to 90 some work for him. There
was peace for the time being, and a
band of the savages was sojourn:ng tenn
poralily near the ranch. II was a hot
afternoon and the fellow begged release
from his task, saying that the spirit or
catching q deer had taken hold of him.
lie was excused on condition that TIE
ueer be brought entire to the ranch. and
Two hours later he Was seen driving in a
full grown buck. On approaching the
dwelling quarters the terrified animal
turned this way, and that in wild eff
forts to avoid the human habitaton; vet
the hunter kept it under control, heading