A VICUÑA HUNT.
The vicuña being of such value, both inside and out, both in flesh and
wool, is hunted by the mountain Indians with great assiduity. It is an
animal most difficult to approach, and there is rarely any cover on
these naked plains by which to approach it.
The chief mode of capturing it is by the "chacu." This cannot be
effected by a single hunter. A great number is required. Usually the
whole population of one of the villages of the "Sierras" lower down
turns out for this sport, or rather business, for it is an annual source
of 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. They
climb up to the _altos_, or high and secluded plains, where the vicuña
dwells in greatest numbers. They carry with them immense coils of ropes,
and a large quantity of coloured rags, together with bundles of stakes
three or four feet in length. When a proper part of the plain has been
chosen, they drive in the stakes four or five yards apart and running in
the circumference of a circle, sometimes nearly a mile in diameter.
A rope is then stretched from stake to stake, at the height of between
two and three feet from the ground, and over this rope are hung the
coloured rags provided for the occasion, and which keep fluttering in
the wind. A sort of scare-crow fence is thus constructed in the form of
a ring, except that on one side a space of about two hundred yards is
left open to serve as an entrance for the game. The Indians then, most
of them on horseback, make a grand détour, extending for miles over the
country; and having got behind the herds of vicuñas, drive them within
the circle, and close up the entrance by completing the ring.
The hunters then go inside, and using the _bolas_, or even seizing the
animals by their hind-legs, soon capture the whole. Strange to say,
these silly creatures make no attempt to break through the sham fence,
nor even to leap over it. Not so with the guanacos, when so enclosed.
The latter spring against the fence at once, and if, by chance, a party
of guanacos be driven in along with the vicuñas, they not only break
open the rope enclosure and free themselves, but also the whole herd of
their cousins, the vicuñas. It is, therefore, not considered any gain to
get a flock of guanacos into the trap.
The hunt usually lasts several days, but during that time the enclosure
of ropes is flitted from place to place, until no more vicuñas can be
found. Then the ropes, stakes, &c., are collected, and the produce of
the hunt distributed among the hunters. But the Church levies its tax
upon the "chacu," and the skins--worth a dollar each--have to be given
up to the priest of the village. A good round sum this amounts to, as
frequently four or five hundred vicuñas are taken at a single _chacu_.
A good hunter is sometimes able to "approach" the vicuña. Guapo's friend
was esteemed one of the best in all the Puna. The sight of the herd out
on the plain, with their graceful forms, and beautiful reddish-orange
bodies, was too much for him, and he resolved to try his skill upon
them. He said he had a plan of his own, which he intended to practise on
this occasion.
Don Pablo and his party--even Doña Isidora and the little Leona--were
all outside the hut, although the morning air was raw and chill. But the
domicile of the worthy vaquero was not empty, for all that. It was
peopled by a very large colony of very small animals, and a night in
their society had proved enough for the travellers. The chill air of the
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 the
doorway they would have mistaken him for a llama! He was completely
disguised in the skin of one of these animals. His face only was partly
visible, and his eyes looked out of the breast. The head and neck of the
skin, stuffed with some light substance, stood up and forward, after the
manner of the living animal, and although the legs were a little clumsy,
yet it would have required a more intelligent creature than the vicuña
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 upon
the breast. He did not lose time, however, but instantly prepared to set
off. He needed no other preparation than to get hold of his
_bolas_,--that was his favourite weapon. Before going farther, I shall
tell you what sort of weapon it is.
The bolas consist of three balls--hence the name--of lead or stone, two
of them heavier than the third. Each ball is fastened to the end of a
stout thong made of twisted sinews of the vicuña itself, and the other
ends of the three thongs are joined together. In using them the hunter
holds the lightest ball in his hand, and twirls the other two in circles
around his head, until they have attained the proper velocity, when he
takes aim and launches them forth.
Through the air fly the thongs and balls, and all whirling round in
circles, until they strike some object; and if that object be the legs
of an animal, the thongs become immediately warped around them, until
the animal is regularly hoppled, and in attempting to escape comes at
once to the ground. Of course great practice is required before such an
instrument can be used skilfully; and to the novice there is some danger
of one of the balls hitting him a crack on the head, and knocking over
himself instead of the game. But there was no danger of Guapo's friend
the vaquero committing this blunder. He had been swinging the bolas
around his head for more than forty years!
Without more ado, then, he seized the weapon, and, having gathered it
with his _fore-feet_ into a portable shape, he proceeded in the
direction of the vicuñas.
The travellers remained by the hut, watching him with interest, but his
movements were particularly interesting to Leon, who, like all boys, was
naturally fond of such enterprises.
The herd of vicuñas was not more than three quarters of a mile off. For
the first half of this distance the vaquero shambled along right
speedily, but as he drew nearer to the animals he proceeded slower and
with more caution.
The pretty creatures were busily browsing, and had no fear. They knew
they were well guarded by their faithful sentinel, in whom they had
every confidence,--the lord and leader of the herd. Even from the hut,
this one could be seen standing some distance apart from the rest. He
was easily recognised by his greater bulk and prouder bearing.
The false llama has passed near the guanacos, and they have taken no
heed of him. This is a good omen, for the guanacos are quite as sharp
and shy as their smaller cousins, and since he has succeeded in
deceiving them, he will likely do the same for the vicuñas. Already he
approaches them. He does not make for the herd, but directly for the
leader. Surely he is near enough; from the hut he seems close up to the
creature. See! the vicuña tosses his head and strikes the ground with
his hoof. Listen! it is his shrill whistle. The scattered herd suddenly
start and flock together; but, look! the _llama_ stands erect on his
hind-legs; the bolas whirl around his head--they are launched out. Ha!
the vicuña is down!
Where is the female drove? Have they scampered off and forsaken their
lord? 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 llama
is in their midst. See! he is dealing blows with some weapon--it is a
knife! his victims fall around him--one at every blow; one by one they
are falling. At last, at last, they are all down,--yes, the whole herd
are stretched, dead or dying, upon the plain!
The struggle is over; no sound is heard, save the hoof-stroke of the
guanacos, llamas, and alpacos, that cover the plain in their wild
flight.
Leon could no longer restrain his curiosity; but ran off to the scene of
the slaughter. There he counted no less than nineteen vicuñas lying
dead, each one stabbed in the ribs! The Indian assured him that it was
not the first _battue_ of the kind he had made. A whole herd of vicuñas
is often taken in this way. When the male is wounded or killed, the
females will not leave him; but, as if out of gratitude for the
protection he has during life afforded them, they share his fate without
making an effort to escape!