New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-07-21

ofreu.
II their principal diversion-I saw them pair off
and fight one another 10 a standstIi with all
the fury Of the real thing except that the knives
remained sheathed in order to prevent serious in
jury.
HOW THEY FIGHT.
Whether the bout be friendly or for blood the
method of procedure is the same. The men face
each other with their knives IN their right hands
and their closely folded ponchos thrown across
their left forearns In action the knives are held
with the points inclined downward, each man keep
Ing his weapon constantly in motion deceive his
opponent q to the moment he is going
strike. The parry of thrust Is similar to that in
rapier play; but the thrust itself is more often
fails TO be parried with the knife the folded
roucho is brought into play as q shield for which
purpose II serves far effectively than
would imagine The gaucho prizes his poncho sec
ond only 10 his knife As he values the knife the
more highly for every opponent it has killed or
disabled, so the more store he sets by the poncho
for every additional time IL him from death
disability But whereas the knife ordinarily has
little 10 show for the nights II has been through.
the poncho rarely comes unscathed from mix-upi
hence il is that a gaucho will never up a
knife or bullet hole IN his poncho. nor YET dis
caro- II while there is enough unbroken wool and
warp hold II together, the shoulder blankets OF
some Of the seasoned and benigerent old swash-
hucFlers that meets would put historic bat
lie flag 10 shame on the score Of rags and tatters.
There is no etiquette IN regard 10 above and
below belt tlrusts in knife play the pampas;
fact. Of the two, the latter IS the more popular
with the Efver, OF course, mean The result OF a
- look at h. any means. but from the point Of
effectiveness il is decidedly the best stroke in the
game II IS easy speak Of stabbing a the
heaTt but 10 accomplish that act, particularly
with broad bladed knife anything, in fact.
but thin stietto or napier, is different matter.
TIE ribs are placed where they are IN armor to
protect the heart and lungs Your real knife man
z mem the who fights for his life with knife.
U1Harnpered By tradition or OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
ward instead OF upward, and the result of post
moTfeIn on dead eaucho will usually show that
al IA In rrr1ro Of -i.
dissolution Of the continuity OF a part Of his di-
Eee-lE- apparatus.
The danger zone encircling a eaucho with a knife
n his belt is BY 10 means limited to the circle he
sweeps with his arm. I just how far it
does 20. and stiu less have desire TO find out,
] have small skin with the revolver. yet, were
afe 10 do the regulation experts stunt OF blotung
out the spots a six Of shades at dozen PAGES,
J shogd stiI feel sia<y taking any chance at a
draT-and-let-Eo at the same distance with gau-
chO and his knife. An ilUmiuPtfye in point
came 10 nv attention in Buenos Avres AS a class
the American agricultural uachinists sent 10 the
pampas are rs handy with siX-shOoters as any
have ever encountered. They mostly Western
ers have used rcvovers from childhood. and their
guns, from which they never separate themselves
FOR moment while in camp, always OF the
htest and best pattern Yet the case have IN
mind is that of a machinery expert from Montana
? crack shot-who had trouble with a gaucho, had
an even break the draw at twenty-five or thirty
feet and was retired from action with a knife
through his shoulder before his automatic was
clear u SITS holster. From this wound he was
ened month in Buenos Ayres hospital.
CHILDISH STUPIDITY.
The childish stupidity Of the gaucho IN the han
ding 4 agricultural machinery is remarkable |
IS his cleverness in other directions. I have in
mind two instances in point which would be rather
amusing but for their tragic results, On one occa-
sion the 'rnaquinista'' machinist, had need
lessly removed the nut that held the hyWheel Of
his thrashing machine engine in order to grease |
the bearing. AS he about 10 screw it on again
Re observed Of his poems IN the act Of stealing
some stores from the provision wagon which |
ne promptly pelted the nut at the culprits head |
IolowinR II up with an attack IN person When |
Fder Was restored and Justice done siesta hour |
was over and, forgetting the missing nut, the |
naaqunista" gave the word 10 start the engine |
IhiE was done. and the fly wheel had no sooner |
begun 10 approach its maximum velocity Of four |
or five hundred revolutions minute than it few |
on shot straight at the separator, over hundred
teet distant, tore its through that valuable |
machine completely wrecking IT, and finally ended
up IN p Etrawstack Incidentally three or four !
Poems were killed although neither Of the respon-
sio!e parties, the fly wheel the "maqunista," /
was IN the least injured.
Ihe other accident a. still more aggravated |
case both as 10 cause and results. On a certain |
morning the newly appointed 'naquinista" Of an |
oLilt N the Pampa Central had invited party OF
Trends over 10 watch him make the wheels go |.
round, take few social pulls at the cana" bottle
and generally make merry in honor OF his promo |
uon- II appears that there was certain young |
woman among the expected guests upon whom the |
ne~ly hedsed engineer was particularly DESTROYS OF
mating an impression, and 10 this end, on the |
tiloFhlng OF the big day. he set about doing the /
Sest ne knew in the matter OF toilet Not having |
'AD on mana 10 ASSIST IN the HOFh u biedS4iIs
eho curling his beard and hair ne looked about for
substitute, and mis- evil genius directed his eyes !
- me shining dial Of the steam gauge Of the |
siifashlng machine engine. The story Of what fol-
4o"eo was brought out by the court Of tnVestiga- !
Won convened IN Santa Rosa de Toay TO fix the |
responsibility for the killing Of fifteen persons and
sle serious wounding OF twentythree more by the |
explosion Of the boiler.
~ appears that the young engineer not able to |
"a Ms image 20 his satisfaction in the dial Of the
steam gauge when The latter in place. IN |
screwed that important Bit Of mechanism and hung
: ~ against the side Of his bunk wagon. Anxious |
~. - nave u as mirror 10 refer 10 from time To |
m IN The course Of the day, he did not restore It
49, - i3 place when he started the fires under his |
o'.'Si' L4t knowing enough to understand that he |
s.H hot make steam while there a hole in the
st tff ne plugged up the aperture with iron |
'l.hf ana proceeded as usual.
- engine ran beautifully all morning while eX-
Sunt through the cylinders kept the pressure
~. b1t when Tie stop made for II o'cloc, |
h@HLasL and Elesta II made steam rapidly.
e9a' OF course, because Of the absence of the |
49, ana about noon, just the visiting party |
49, Sa.cely punched around a pot of mate con- |
~--ss LltN he