by Mayne Reid
CHAPTER TWENTY.
OBSTRUCTED BY A "BISCACHERA."
In their fresh "spurt," the trackers had not proceeded very far whencompelled to slacken speed, and finally come to a dead stop. This fromsomething seen before them upon the plain which threatens to bar theirfurther progress--at least in the course they are pursuing.
The thing thus obstructing causes them neither surprise nor alarm, onlyannoyance; for it is one with which they all are familiar--a_biscachera_, or warren of _biscachas_.
It is scarce possible to travel twenty miles across the plains borderingthe La Plata or Parana, without coming upon the burrows of this singularrodent; a prominent and ever-recurring feature in the scenery. Therethe _biscacha_, or _viscacha_--as it is indifferently spelt--playspretty much the same part as the rabbit in our northern lands. It is,however, a much larger animal, and of a quite different species orgenus--the _lagostoinus trichodactylus_. In shape of head, body, andother respects, it more resembles a gigantic rat; and, like the latter,it has a long tapering tail, which strengthens the resemblance. But,unlike either rabbit or rat, its hind feet are furnished with but threetoes; hence its specific name, _trichodactylus_. The same scarcity oftoes is a characteristic of the _agoutis, capivaras_, and so called"Guinea pigs," all of which are cousins-german of the _biscacha_.
The latter makes its burrows very much in the same manner as theNorth-American marmot (_Arctomys Ludoviciana)_, better known by the nameof "prairie dog;" only that the subterranean dwellings of the _biscacha_are larger, from the needs of a bigger-bodied animal. But, strange tosay, in these of the pampa there exists the same queer companionship asin those of the prairie--a bird associating with the quadruped--aspecies of owl, the _Athene cunicularia_. This shares occupation withthe _biscacha_, as does the other, an allied species, with the prairiedog. Whether the bird be a welcome recipient of the beast'shospitality, or an intruder upon it, is a question still undetermined;but the latter seems the more probable, since, in the stomachs of owlsof the northern species, are frequently found prairie dog "pups;" a factwhich seems to show anything but amicable relations between thesecreatures so oddly consorting.
There is yet another member of these communities, apparently quite asmuch out of place--a reptile; for snakes also make their home in theholes both of _biscacha_ and prairie dog. And in both cases the reptileintruder is a rattlesnake, though the species is different. In these,no doubt, the owls find their staple of food.
Perhaps the most singular habit of the _biscacha_ is its collectingevery loose article which chances to be lying near, and dragging all upto its burrow; by the mouth of which it forms a heap, often as large asthe half of a cart-load dumped carelessly down. No matter what thething be--stick, stone, root of thistle, lump of indurated clay, bone,ball of dry dung--all seem equally suitable for these miscellaneousaccumulations. Nothing can be dropped in the neighbourhood of a_biscacha_ hole but is soon borne off, and added to its collection of_bric-a-brac_. Even a watch which had slipped from the fob of atraveller--as recorded by the naturalist. Darwin--was found formingpart of one; the owner, acquainted with the habits of the animal, onmissing the watch, having returned upon his route, and searched every_biscacha_ mound along it, confident that in some one of them he wouldfind the missing article--as he did.
The districts frequented by these three-toed creatures, and which seemmost suitable to their habits, are those tracts of _campo_ where thesoil is a heavy loam or clay, and the vegetation luxuriant. Itscongener, the _agouti_, affects the arid sterile plains of Patagonia,while the _biscacha_ is most met with on the fertile pampas furthernorth; more especially along the borders of those far-famed thickets oftall thistles--forests they might almost be called--upon the roots ofwhich it is said to feed. They also make their burrows near the_cardonales_, tracts overgrown by the cardoon; also a species of largemalvaceous plant, though quite different from the pampas thistles.
Another singular fact bearing upon the habits of the _biscacha_ may heredeserve mention. These animals are not found in the Banda Oriental, asthe country lying east of the Uruguay river is called; and yet in thisdistrict exist conditions of soil, climate, and vegetation preciselysimilar to those on its western side. The Uruguay river seems to haveformed a bar to their migration eastward; a circumstance all the moreremarkable, since they have passed over the Parana, a much broaderstream, and are common throughout the province of Entre Rios, as it nameimports, lying between the two.
Nothing of all this occupies the thoughts of the three trackers, as theyapproach the particular _biscachera_ which has presented itself to theirview, athwart their path. Of such things they neither think, speak, norcare. Instead, they are but dissatisfied to see it there; knowing itwill give them some trouble to get to the other side of it, besidesgreatly retarding their progress. If they ride right across it at all,they must needs go at a snail's pace, and with the utmostcircumspection. A single false step made by any of their horses mightbe the dislocation of a joint, or the breaking of a leg. On the pampasuch incidents are far from rare; for the burrows of the _biscachas_ arecarried like galleries underground, and therefore dangerous to any heavyquadruped so unfortunate as to sink through the surface turf. In short,to ride across a _biscachera_ would be on a par with passing onhorseback through a rabbit warren.
"_Caspita_!" is the vexed exclamation of the gaucho, as he reins up infront of the obstruction, with other angry words appended, on seeingthat it extends right and left far as the verge of vision, while forwardit appears to have a breadth of at least half a league.
"We can't gallop across that," he adds, "nor yet go at even a decentwalk. We must crawl for it, _muchachos_, or ride all the way round.And there's no knowing how far round the thing might force us; leagueslikely. It looks the biggest _biscachera_ I ever set eyes on._Carra-i-i_!"
The final ejaculation is drawled out with a prolonged and bitteremphasis, as he again glances right and left, but sees no end eitherway.
"Ill luck it is," he continues, after completing his reconnaissance."Satan's own luck our coming upon this. A whole country covered withtraps! Well, it won't help us any making a mouth about it; and I thinkour best way will be to strike straight across."
"I think so too," says Cypriano, impatient to proceed.
"Let us on into it, then. But, _hijos mios_; have a care how you go.Look well to the ground before you, and keep your horses as far from theholes as you can. Where there's two near together steer midwaysbetween, giving both the widest berth possible. Every one of them's adangerous pitfall. _Caspita_! what am I prattling about? Let me giveyou the lead, and you ride after, track for track."
So saying, he heads his horse in among the rubbish heaps, each with itshole yawning adjacent: the others, as admonished, close following, andkeeping in his tracks.
They move onward at a creeping pace, every now and then forced toadvance circuitously, but taking no heed of the creatures upon whosedomain they have so unceremoniously intruded. In truth, they have nothought about these, nor eyes for them. Enough if they can avoidintrusion into their dwellings by a short cut downwards.
Nor do the _biscachas_ seem at all alarmed at the sight of suchformidable invaders. They are anything but shy creatures; instead, farmore given to curiosity; so much that they will sit squatted on theirhams, in an upright attitude, watching the traveller as he passes withinless than a score yards of them, the expression on their faces beingthat of grave contemplation. Only, if he draw too familiarly near, andthey imagine him an enemy, there is a scamper off, their short fore-legsgiving them a gait also heightening their resemblance to rats.
As a matter of course, such confidence makes them an easy prey to the_biscacha_ catcher; for there are men who follow taking them as aprofession. Their flesh is sweet and good to eat, while their skins area marketable commodity; of late years forming an article of export toEngland, and other European countries.
Heeding neither the quadrupeds, nor the birds, their fellow-tenants ofthe burrow
--the latter perched upon the summits of the mounds, and oneafter another flying off with a defiant screech as the horsemen drewnear--these, after an hour spent in a slow but diligent advance, atlength, and without accident, ride clear of the _biscachera_, and outupon the smooth open plain beyond it.
Soon as feeling themselves on firm ground, every spur of the party isplied; and they go off at a tearing pace, to make up for the lost time.
