The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1912-06-21

ghost may find his way upon his long Ozark jour
ney. After that they light more fires, as they
consider that the dead man has had time to finish
his journey.
Whether Ascensio grew deranged suddenly or
whether it was a slow and gradual process no
one can ever know, yet the fact remains that he
came to believe IN the religion of the Indians
with some variations and startling effects Of his
own. Believing ne did, that death was only
road by which passed into longer and more
enduring, though not necessarily eternal life,
he conceived the idea OF building up fortune
for himself IN that future life
In Ascensio's diseased brain there arose the
idea that whatever he slew in this world would
be his property In the next. On that point he
a maniac; on all others, perfectly sane. Now
began the series OF thefts which made BrunePs
name known from the Rio Negro to the Magellan
straits One after another he raided the horse
farms the coast drove away much Of the
stock as he could, and shaking off his pursuers
in every instance, escaped into the widest parts
of the pampds.
So for a long time, for years indeed, Ascensio
Brunei the Wild Man OF Santa Cruz, lived his
life beyond the reach OF the short arm of the Ar
gentine law. Comasarios hunted him, various
Jueces de Paz detained about him. and the garr
son OF cavalry in Chubut "bolted their beef and
started again on the track of the thief" And
then suddenly, morning, the news flew across
the countryside that the Wild Man had been cap
tured. 1t true. The way of it was as fol-
lows:
In the very heart of Patagonia, upon the banks
of river called the Mayo lived, and indeed still
live a tribe of Tehuelche Indians, the tallest and
perhaps the strongest people on earth They are
hunters and horse breeders, wonderful riders and
good men. They worship Craftsmanship and have
a number Of strange rites which they practice at
the birth OF a child IN order to insure that
he shall turn out good rider.
he those
They are very cruel. I merely mention them
that you may understand what a task the Wild
Man set himself when ne decided to steal hun
dred mares from men such as these peerless rid
ers trained in every phase of craftsmanship, much
Of whose lives IS spent in searching for strayed
horses and who ride hundred miles day
without fatigue.
1t appears that the herd Of mares that Ascensio
stole were feeding IN a vega marsh that
stretches on the southern banks Of the Mayo. No
one was watching them, and, as they were well
used to their pasturage it seemed unlikely that
they would stray. Therefore, when shortly after
dawn an Indian lad came galloping to the toldos
with the news that the mares had disappeared, the
men of the tribe on horseback and rid
ing upon their trail
Hard on the trail the Indians rode all day. and
before sunset they aware of a man clad in
skins driving the mares before him. Swiftly some
of the pursuers closed IN him, while others rode
to cut him off by a canadon or rift in the pampas
which lay across his path. Had 1t not been for
this canadon the Wild Man would never in all
probability, have been taken.
As 1t was he galloped down the sheer wall of it,
but only to find himself cut off by the Indians who
had been detached from the main body by the
cacique for the purpose. Riding In upon him the
Indians flung their heavy hoeandores-he
Tehuelche weapon of three rawhide thongs each
weighted at the end with ball of stone-which
entangled the legs of the Wild Mans horse and
brought it crashing to the ground. On the ground
the Indians captured the Wild Man, snarling and
biting