by Mayne Reid
CHAPTER NINE.
A VICUNA HUNT.
The vicuna being of such value, both inside and out, both in flesh andwool, is hunted by the mountain Indians with great assiduity. It is ananimal most difficult to approach, and there is rarely any cover onthese naked plains by which to approach it.
The chief mode of capturing it is by the "chacu." This cannot beeffected by a single hunter. A great number is required. Usually thewhole population of one of the villages of the "Sierras" lower downturns out for this sport, or rather business, for it is an annual sourceof profit. Even the women go along, to cook and perform other offices,as the hunt of the _chacu_ sometimes lasts a week or more.
A hunting party will number from fifty to one hundred persons. Theyclimb up to the _altos_, or high and secluded plains, where the vicunadwells in greatest numbers. They carry with them immense coils ofropes, and a large quantity of coloured rags, together with bundles ofstakes three or four feet in length. When a proper part of the plainhas been chosen, they drive in the stakes four or five yards apart andrunning in the circumference of a circle, sometimes nearly a mile indiameter. A rope is then stretched from stake to stake, at the heightof between two and three feet from the ground, and over this rope arehung the coloured rags provided for the occasion, and which keepfluttering in the wind. A sort of scare-crow fence is thus constructedin the form of a ring, except that on one side a space of about twohundred yards is left open to serve as an entrance for the game. TheIndians then, most of them on horseback, make a grand detour, extendingfor miles over the country; and having got behind the herds of vicunas,drive them within the circle, and close up the entrance by completingthe ring. The hunters then go inside, and using the _bolas_, or evenseizing the animals by their hind-legs, soon capture the whole. Strangeto say, these silly creatures make no attempt to break through the shamfence, nor even to leap over it. Not so with the guanacos, when soenclosed. The latter spring against the fence at once, and if, bychance, a party of guanacos be driven in along with the vicunas, theynot only break open the rope enclosure and free themselves, but also thewhole herd of their cousins, the vicunas. It is, therefore, notconsidered any gain to get a flock of guanacos into the trap.
The hunt usually lasts several days, but during that time the enclosureof ropes is flitted from place to place, until no more vicunas can befound. Then the ropes, stakes, etcetera, are collected, and the produceof the hunt distributed among the hunters. But the Church levies itstax upon the "chacu," and the skins--worth a dollar each--have to begiven up to the priest of the village. A good round sum this amountsto, as frequently four or five hundred vicunas are taken at a single_chacu_.
A good hunter is sometimes able to "approach" the vicuna. Guapo'sfriend was esteemed one of the best in all the Puna. The sight of theherd out on the plain, with their graceful forms, and beautifulreddish-orange bodies, was too much for him, and he resolved to try hisskill upon them. He said he had a plan of his own, which he intended topractise on this occasion.
Don Pablo and his party--even Dona Isidora and the little Leona--wereall outside the hut, although the morning air was raw and chill. Butthe domicile of the worthy vaquero was not empty, for all that. It waspeopled by a very large colony of very small animals, and a night intheir society had proved enough for the travellers. The chill air ofthe Puna was even more endurable than such company.
The vaquero crawled back into the hut, and in a few minutes returned,but so metamorphosed, that had the party not seen him come out of thedoorway they would have mistaken him for a llama! He was completelydisguised in the skin of one of these animals. His face only was partlyvisible, and his eyes looked out of the breast. The head and neck ofthe skin, stuffed with some light substance, stood up and forward, afterthe manner of the living animal, and although the legs were a littleclumsy, yet it would have required a more intelligent creature than thevicuna to have observed this defect.
All hands, even the saturnine Guapo, laughed loudly at the counterfeit,and the vaquero himself was heard to chuckle through the long wool uponthe breast. He did not lose time, however, but instantly prepared toset off. He needed no other preparation than to get hold of his_bolas_,--that was his favourite weapon. Before going farther, I shalltell you what sort of weapon it is.
The bolas consist of three balls--hence the name--of lead or stone, twoof them heavier than the third. Each ball is fastened to the end of astout thong made of twisted sinews of the vicuna itself, and the otherends of the three thongs are joined together. In using them the hunterholds the lightest ball in his hand, and twirls the other two in circlesaround his head, until they have attained the proper velocity, when hetakes aim and launches them forth. Through the air fly the thongs andballs, and all whirling round in circles, until they strike some object;and if that object be the legs of an animal, the thongs becomeimmediately warped around them, until the animal is regularly hoppled,and in attempting to escape comes at once to the ground. Of coursegreat practice is required before such an instrument can be usedskilfully; and to the novice there is some danger of one of the ballshitting him a crack on the head, and knocking over himself instead ofthe game. But there was no danger of Guapo's friend the vaquerocommitting this blunder. He had been swinging the bolas around his headfor more than forty years!
Without more ado, then, he seized the weapon, and, having gathered itwith his _fore-feet_ into a portable shape, he proceeded in thedirection of the vicunas.
The travellers remained by the hut, watching him with interest, but hismovements were particularly interesting to Leon, who, like all boys, wasnaturally fond of such enterprises.
The herd of vicunas was not more than three quarters of a mile off. Forthe first half of this distance the vaquero shambled along rightspeedily, but as he drew nearer to the animals he proceeded slower andwith more caution.
The pretty creatures were busily browsing, and had no fear. They knewthey were well guarded by their faithful sentinel, in whom they hadevery confidence,--the lord and leader of the herd. Even from the hut,this one could be seen standing some distance apart from the rest. Hewas easily recognised by his greater bulk and prouder bearing.
The false llama has passed near the guanacos, and they have taken noheed of him. This is a good omen, for the guanacos are quite as sharpand shy as their smaller cousins, and since he has succeeded indeceiving them, he will likely do the same for the vicunas. Already heapproaches them. He does not make for the herd, but directly for theleader. Surely he is near enough; from the hut he seems close up to thecreature. See! the vicuna tosses his head and strikes the ground withhis hoof. Listen! it is his shrill whistle. The scattered herdsuddenly start and flock together; but, look! the _llama_ stands erecton his hind-legs; the bolas whirl around his head--they are launchedout. Ha! the vicuna is down!
Where is the female drove? Have they scampered off and forsaken theirlord? No! faithful as a loving wife, they run up to share his danger.With shrill cries they gather around him, moving to and fro. The llamais in their midst. See! he is dealing blows with some weapon--it is aknife! his victims fall around him--one at every blow; one by one theyare falling. At last, at last, they are all down,--yes, the whole herdare stretched, dead or dying, upon the plain!
The struggle is over; no sound is heard, save the hoof-stroke of theguanacos, llamas, and alpacos, that cover the plain in their wildflight.
Leon could no longer restrain his curiosity; but ran off to the scene ofthe slaughter. There he counted no less than nineteen vicunas lyingdead, each one stabbed in the ribs! The Indian assured him that it wasnot the first _battue_ of the kind he had made. A whole herd of vicunasis often taken in this way. When the male is wounded or killed, thefemales will not leave him; but, as if out of gratitude for theprotection he has during life afforded them, they share his fate withoutmaking an effort to escape!
