FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142  
143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167   >>   >|  
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
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142  
143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
guanacos
 

vicunas

 

direction

 

horsemen

 

nearer

 
distinguish
 
continued
 

advancing

 
suddenly
 

thinking


innocence

 

manner

 
confused
 

cousins

 
single
 

exclaimed

 
inclosed
 
etcetera
 

unsparingly

 

lavish


maledictions

 

question

 

hereticos

 

answered

 

number

 

Caspita

 

figures

 

things

 

Nothing

 

approached


closed

 
funnel
 

rushed

 

formed

 

wildly

 
minutes
 

sharply

 
turning
 

virgen

 
length

regard
 

brutes

 
troops
 
escape
 

santissima

 

running

 
opposite
 

reckless

 
looked
 

distance