Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1912-06-21

ghost may find his way upon his long dark jour
ney. After that they light fires, as they
consider that the dead has had time to finish
his Journey
Whether Ascensio grew deranged suddenly or
whether it was slow and gradual process, no
ever know, yet the fact remains that he
to believe In the religion of the Indians
with some variations and startling effects OF his
own. Believing, he did, that death was only
road by which man 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 Ascensioss 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 Brunels
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 of his pursuers
in every instance, escaped into the widest parts
of the pampas.
So for long time for years indeed, Ascenso
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 declaimed 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. It was true. The way Of it fol-
lows:
In the very heart of Patagonia upon the banks
of river called the Mayo lived, and indeed still
live, 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 horsemanship and have
q number of strange rites which they practice at
the birth of man child in order to insure that
he shall turn out good rider
Into the nature of those rites We need not go.
They very cruel I merely mention them
that you may understand what task the Wild
Man set himself when he decided to steal hun
dred mares from men such as these peerless rid
ers, trained in every phase of horsemanship, much
of whose lives is spent in searching for strayed
horses and who can ride hundred miles day
without fatigue.
1t appears that the herd of mares that Ascensio
stole We're feeding in a vega or marsh that
stretches on the southern banks of the Mayo. No
one was watching them, and, they We're we'll
used to their pasturage 1t seemed unlikely that
they would stray. Therefore, when shortly after
dawn Indian lad came galloping to the toldos
with the news that the mares had disappeared the
men of the tribe We're soon on horseback and rid
ing upon their trail.
Hard on the trail the Indians rode all day. and
before sunset they were aware of man clad in
skins driving the mares before him. Swiftly some
of the pursuers closed in on MIN, while others rode
to cut him off by a canadon or rift in the pampas
which lay 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 boleandores-the
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 1t crashing to the ground. On the ground
the Indians captured the Wild Man, snarling and
biting
They did not slay the Wild Man. but bound him