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Show By RICHARD LLEWELLYN Pass of the where there was any room ora sheep track, much less a pass. But then it's always the same, with mountains. We turned a sharp edge of rock, and there was the broad way between the peakecurving across and leading down our side. There was just the sparkle of mountain air, a view of the slender width of Chile, and the broad blue Pacific. Vktory has a honey taste. After two months ot useless talk and almost two days of fairly hard work, I had all I wanted to settle any argument a breather, made coffee, and "WgaWihenorses "I ate a sandwich of cold lamb. : That evening we followed the pass down and then, to save time, turned off to reach Hueco's place by morning. We camped at the side of a wall of ice. I'm not jure if it was a glacier since it's not on any map. There was a stunted tree on the far side, and that's where I put my bedding, typewriter, cameras, and manuscript While we grilled lamb,. I made notes for the day, and, as an afterthought I shall never know why I told Hueco to shackle the horses so that we could get an early start. Author of "How Grow Wo. My VoJW. "Up into Iho Staging MnMntolm," and "Down WWi tf Moon it SmoT In a few moments I couldn't see, could barely open my eyes against a strong, freezing wind. ' ! The sun was a red glimmer in the east when we got up the next morning. While my breakfast was cooking,: I watched the wall of ice turn from a deep, translucent green to a glowing blue, to a rich pink, and, as the sun cleared the horizon in ' a huge explosion of light, to a glorious mauve, colors change," I said toJB "But how cook, squatting with his back to me at the fire. ths. JHueca came backuidieadedaTa8sohrough my horse's bridle and took it on to the others. We walked blind for I don't know how long, and it was dark when we stopped in the lee of a rockt,. Huoco stood the horses in an arc around us as we sat huddled, burying our feet and legs in a heap of small stones. The horses gave off surprising warmth, but when the wind shifted we skin" e and push a cold wire through the veins. I slept off and on, but each time I awoke my eyes felt stuck with thick oil When light came and we had to get up, I couldn't move. It took moments to roll, raise and bend an arm.. The horses were still aaddle&- -n item of wisdom for if we had taken them off, we could not have gotten them on again. As it was, we mounted and rode on. How the others took I don't know. I had a tweed jacket pullover, thick ' shirt, and singlet They had merely cotton shirts and thin coats. I envied them the berets they pulled, down over their, ears. My ears felt like ..molten-metal- , and they hurt more than my hands. I couldn't feel my feet at alL were in a microscopic fall of snow, like powdered glass, which I'd never seen before; It was thicker than fog because I couldn't see my In-d- io it i-J- n loolcedverishoulderrncthewairbf at me, with perhaps the moBt horrify ing glare I've ever known. He jumped across the ice, but up tti 11.; ' , ate. I did all I could to make him move, thinking I was holding up the others. Hueco jerked the lasso treading the bridle, and the horse turned. We were at the tip of a precipice, a sheer drop of a thousand feet although I didn't know it then. We went along paths not a yard wide. Many a time my left shoulder was scraping Jagainst rock, and I could feel space on my right-Th- at horse was a marvel He never put a foot - Jwrongande That evening, Hueco had another horse slaughtered. While we were "eating he told me that if we weren't down in trees the next day, we. wouldn't survive another night He also told roe that he'd lost' direction and that his eyes were , troubling him. That was a shock since I'd imag ined he was simply having hard luck finding his way. "Told me" is wrong. I got the sense, but I could barely hear him over the howling wind. That's a day I shan't forget I believe we were aU starting to black out for short periods because I remember bumping into the cookv'Tben I heard a horse cough it's a horrible sound and a bad sign, for they don't last very long. We "seemed to be going around in circles, one moment I'd be going up and then coming down. . I could barely use my hands I couldn't bend my fingers at all but I hauled on the lasso and got nearer to Hueco. In that light his face was' blue.. Almost in a ritual gesture, he lifted his reins to the level of his month and dropped them. When an Indio does that it's the end. He has handed his hopes and his future to his other' self his horse. , , As I looked at him, the meaning sank. in. The horse snuffled, felt a free mouth and immediately turned away to the left and started walking. It was a steady walk but instead of going up the slope, he turned down. I thought we were in for another precipice, but be continued going down. I rode close to Hueco, not wanting to loose the pun of the guiding lasso. I don't know how long it went on, but my horse J was coughing and so were the two behind. I came wide awake to see the show mist thinning. I could see' farther ahead, beyond Hueco. The way was always down, and suddenly the mist lifted. The forest was black, just a little way below, right along our front. Hueco made no attempt jto take the reins but let the horse go on. I was "so glad to see the trees I'd have yelled if I'd been able to, but I couldn't even whisper. The gaucho behind me screeched and pointed, claiming he : saw smoke. Hueco's horse led on into the forest and broke into a shambling trot-- It might have been an hour or so till we reached a charcoal burner's hut His wife cut my boots off and wrapped my feet in strips of blanket We had a hot meal and then rode for a couple of ' hours to the main road. Hueco and his men went south, refusing to take any money. I got a truck north to my hotel and a bath, a bed, and many a long month nurs: i fire, scrambling up the slope to the horses. Some-- , body yelled, and I felt a shaking underfoot Without thinking, I picked up the leather folder with my manuscript and ran aftjer the cook. The earth seemed to slip away in a tremendous crash of falling rock and a sudden blinding storm of dust Hueco helped me up on my pony and slapped us away. I heard the others coming after me, but I couldn't see anything the horse had the ' '.. Llewellyn learned "horse tense" meant survival. eyes: Hueco passed me and pulled in, shouting as -- horse'a ears. We came to precipices and had to the others came up, faces wrapped. turn back, and we crossed loose pebbles where the We waited for tte cloud to clear. Thetree I'd horses sank over the hock and had to slept under, my typewriter, cameras, bedding,' out I'm not sure how I stayed on. We pulled up and all the stores were gone, taken out clean as if axed. The part of the ice wall we could see was against a wall of rock where there was less snow and no wind, but still we could barely see each now torn rock with more of Is slope. The rest was - still crashing down in a furious slide. other's faces- .Hueco ordered a pack horse slaughtered. We At first we were happy to find ourselves alive. blood 'from apool But when weltooL stockvwe foflnd we had no ughtin a I was given strips of horseflesh to and poncho, food, no matches, and no bedding. Since we were chew on and swallow. My feet and legs were in wen off the pass, we couldn't go bak the way a bad wayI couldn't feel them and they didn't' on led we'd come. Hueco did not hesitate but -, bea tree hurt which is not a healthy sign. line down, and I could see the long way After a desperately cold night we crawled low. The air got considerably colder, and I felt next morning to straighten out, and I was the be mist on I face which drops thought might my on the helped up to the saddle. We etill couldn't saw again I down, shining Looking crystals see anything because of the mist One of the horse's inane. It was snow. I don't think I was worried. I knew we were gauchos led off, and we heard his shout He'd found a split in the walL I say. a split because still weU above the snow line, but I was relying that's all it was; the horse had to push through. on Hueco. Dust began to blow the other way in a We'd gone a couple of hours over rock when shift of wind. It was a relief to breathe easier, horse off came breexe stopped. I dug him with my heels but my but that first touch of the new wouldn't be budge; At those times you're desper- not melting away. ice, and the snow flurried thick, buck-jum- p, -- drank-warm- - . -- ing frostbitten feet' Of ope thing I am sure. Anyone crossing that pass 200 years ago also probably survived, thanks : to the instincts of a horse. Family Weekly, October S9, 1967 |