CHAPTER X.
CAPTURING A CONDOR.
The vaquero with his horse soon dragged the vicunas to the hut. Guapogave him a help with the mule, and in a few minutes they were allbrought up. One of them was immediately skinned, and part of it preparedfor breakfast, and our travellers ate heartily of it, as the cold Punaair had given an edge to their appetites.
The new-killed animals, along with the red skin of the bull, which hadbeen spread out on the ground at some distance from the hut, had alreadyattracted the condors; and four or five of these great birds were nowseen hovering in the air, evidently with the intention of alighting atthe first opportunity.
An idea seemed to enter the head of the vaquero, while his guests werestill at breakfast, and he asked Leon if he would like to see a condorcaught. Of course Leon replied in the affirmative. What boy wouldn'tlike to see a condor caught?
The vaquero said he would gratify him with the sight, and withoutstaying to finish his breakfast--indeed he had had his "coceada," anddidn't care for any,--he started to his feet, and began to makepreparations for the capture.
How he was to catch one of these great birds, Leon had not the slightestidea. Perhaps with the "bolas," thought he. That would have done wellenough if he could only get near them; but the condors were sufficientlyshy not to let any man within reach either with bolas or guns. It isonly when they have been feasting on carrion, and have gorged themselvesto repletion, that they can be thus approached, and then they may beeven knocked over with sticks.
At other times the condor is a shy and wary bird. No wonder either thathe is so, for, unlike most other vultures, he is hunted and killed atall times. The vultures of most countries are respected by the people,because they perform a valuable service in clearing away carrion; and inmany parts these birds are protected by statute. There are laws in theSouthern United States, and in several of the Spanish-AmericanRepublics, which impose fines and penalties for killing the blackvultures. In some Oriental countries, too, similar laws exist. But nostatute protects the condor. On the contrary, he is a proscribed bird,and there is a bounty on his head, because he does great damage to theproprietors of sheep, and llamas, and alpacos, killing and devouring theyoung of these animals. His large quills, moreover, are much prized inthe South American cities, and the killing of a condor is worthsomething. All this will account for the shyness of this great bird,while other vultures are usually so tame that you may approach within afew paces of them.
As yet the half-dozen condors hovering about kept well off from the hut;and Leon could not understand how any one of them was to be caught.
The vaquero, however, had a good many "dodges," and after the _ruse_ hehad just practised upon the vicunas, Leon suspected he would employ somesimilar artifice with the condors. Leon was right. It was by a stratagemthe bird was to be taken.
The vaquero laid hold of a long rope, and lifting the bull's hide uponhis shoulders, asked Guapo to follow him with the two horses. When hehad got out some four or five hundred yards from the hut, he simplyspread himself flat upon the ground, and drew the skin over him, thefleshy side turned upward. There was a hollow in the ground about as bigas his body--in fact, a trench he had himself made for a formeroccasion--and when lying in this on his back, his breast was about on alevel with the surrounding turf.
His object in asking Guapo to accompany him with the horses was simply a_ruse_ to deceive the condors, who from their high elevation were allthe while looking down upon the plain. But the vaquero covered himselfso adroitly with his red blanket, that even their keen eyes couldscarcely have noticed him; and as Guapo afterwards left the ground withthe led horses, the vultures supposed that nothing remained but theskin, which from its sanguinary colour to them appeared to be flesh.
The birds had now nothing to fear from the propinquity of the hut. Therethe party were all seated quietly eating their breakfast, and apparentlytaking no notice of them. In a few minutes' time, therefore, theydescended lower, and lower,--and then one of the very largest droppedupon the ground within a few feet of the hide. After surveying it for amoment, he appeared to see nothing suspicious about it, and hopped alittle closer. Another at this moment came to the ground--which gavecourage to the first--and this at length stalked boldly on the hide, andbegan to tear at it with his great beak.
A movement was now perceived on the part of the vaquero--the hide"lumped" up, and at the same time the wings of the condor were seen toplay and flap about as if he wanted to rise into the air, but could not.He was evidently held by the legs!
The other bird had flown off at the first alarm, and the whole band weresoon soaring far upward into the blue heavens.
Leon now expected to see the vaquero uncover himself. Not so, however,as yet. That wily hunter had no such intention, and although he was nowin a sitting posture, grasping the legs of the condor, yet his head andshoulders were still enveloped in the bull's hide. He knew better thanto show his naked face to the giant vulture, that at a single "peck" ofhis powerful beak would have deprived him of an eye, or otherwiseinjured him severely. The vaquero was aware of all this, and thereforedid not leave his hiding-place until he had firmly knotted one end ofthe long cord around the shank of the bird--then slipping out at oneside, he ran off to some distance before stopping. The condor,apparently relieved of his disagreeable company, made a sudden effortand rose into the air, carrying the hide after him. Leon shouted out,for he thought the vulture had escaped; but the vaquero knew better, ashe held the other end of the cord in his hand; and the bird, partly fromthe weight of the skin, and partly from a slight tug given by thehunter, soon came heavily to the ground again. The vaquero was nowjoined by Guapo; and, after some sharp manoeuvring, they succeededbetween them in passing the string through the nostrils of the condor,by which means it was quietly conducted to the hut, and staked on theground in the rear--to be disposed of whenever its captor should thinkfit.