g
and recrossing the line of the drive, evidently startled, and not
knowing in what direction to run. Every now and then a herd, led by its
old male, could be seen shooting in a straight line--then suddenly
making a halt--and the next minute sweeping off in a contrary direction.
Their beautiful orange-red flanks, glistening in the sun, enabled us to
mark them at a great distance.

"The drivers came nearer and nearer, until we could distinguish the
forms of the horsemen as they rose over the swells of the plain. We
could now hear their shouts--the winding of their ox-horns, and even the
yelping of their dogs. But what most gratified my companion was to see
that several herds of vicunas were bounding backwards and forwards in
front of the advancing line.

"`_Mira_!' he cried exultingly, `_mira! Senor_, one, two, three, four--
four herds, and large ones--ah! _Carrambo_! Jesus!' continued he,
suddenly changing tone, `_carrambo! esos malditos guanacos_!' (those
cursed guanacos). I looked as he was pointing. I noticed a small band
of guanacos springing over the plain. I could easily distinguish them
from the vicunas by their being larger and less graceful in their
motions, but more particularly by the duller hue of brownish red. But
what was there in their presence to draw down the maledictions of the
padre, which he continued to lavish upon them most unsparingly? I put
the question.

"`Ah! Senor,' he answered with a sigh, `these guanacos will spoil all--
they will ruin the hunt. Caspita!'

"`How? in what manner, mio padre?' I asked in my innocence, thinking
that a fine herd of guanacos would be inclosed along with their cousins,
and that `all were fish,' etcetera.

"`Ah!' exclaimed the padre, `these guanacos are _hereticos_--reckless
brutes, they pay no regard to the ropes--they will break through and let
the others escape--_santissima virgen_! what is to be done?'

"Nothing could be done except leave things to take their course, for in
a few minutes the horsemen were seen advancing, until their line closed
upon the funnel formed by the others. The vicunas, in several troops,
now rushed wildly from side to side, turning sharply as they approached
the figures of the men and women, and running in the opposite direction.
There were some fifty or sixty in all, and at length they got together
in a single but confused clump. The guanacos, eight or ten in number,
became mixed up with them, and after several