Part 24 (1/2)

At 4000 feet we encamped beneath the pines by a lovely trout-stream.

This was the rendezvous whereat by arrangement we met with our old friends the ibex-hunters of Almanzor--savage perhaps to the eye, yet beyond all doubt radiantly glad to welcome back the foreigners after a lapse of years. No mere greed of dollars inspired that enthusiasm, but solely the bond of a common pa.s.sion that bound us all--that of the hunter. It was, however, but sorry hearing to listen to the reports they told us around the camp-fire. Everywhere the ibex were yearly growing scarcer, dwindling to an inevitable vanis.h.i.+ng-point, former haunts already abandoned--or, we should rather say, swept clean. Where but a score of years before, 150 ibex had been counted in a single _monteria_, our friends reckoned that exactly a dozen survived. One remark especially struck us. ”There remained,” with glee our friends a.s.sured us, ”one magnificent old goat, a ram of twelve years, out there on the crags of Almanzor.” _ONE!_ To _one_ sole big head had it dwindled?

[Ill.u.s.tration: ”MINOR GAME”]

The valley of the Tagus divides two geological periods, and perhaps at one time divided Europe from a retiring Africa. Marked differences distinguish the fauna on either side of the river, and that of the north (with its 10,000 feet alt.i.tude) promised reward worthy the labours of investigation. Not a yard of that great mountain-land of Gredos has been trodden by British foot (save our own) since the days of Wellington.

Hence it was an object with us to secure, not only ibex heads, but specimens of the smaller mammalia that dwell in those heights. Our mountain friends a.s.sembled round the camp-fire--twenty-five in all--each promised to take up this unaccustomed quest and to regard as game every hitherto unconsidered _b.i.+.c.ho_ of the hills, whether feathered, furred, or scaled. If ibex failed us, at least a harvest in such minor game we meant to a.s.sure.[34]

Three o'clock saw us astir, bathing in the dark burn while moonlight still streamed through sombre pines. Camp meanwhile was broken up; tents and gear packed on ponies and mules, breakfast finished--we were off, heavenwards. Then, just as the laden pack-animals filed through the burn, there rode up a man--he had ridden all night--and bore a message that changed our exuberant joy to grief--bad news from home.

There could be no doubt--the writer must return at once. Within five minutes I had decided to make for a point on the northern railway beyond the hills and distant some sixty miles as the crow flies. Baggage and battery were abandoned; a handbag with a satchel of provisions and a wine-skin formed my luggage, and, leaving my companions in this wild spot, I set forth in the grey dawn on a barebacked mule devoid of saddle, bridle, or stirrups, and accompanied by two of our hill-bred lads, one riding pillion behind or running alongside in turn.

Where the grey ramparts of the Risco del Fraile and the Casquerazo frown on a rugged earth below I parted with my old pals, they to continue the ibex-hunt, I on my mournful homeward way.

Bee-eaters poised and chattered, brilliant b.u.t.terflies (whose names I forgot to note), abounded as we rode along those fearful edges and boulder-studded steeps. Six hours of this brought us to a rock-poised hamlet of the sierra. The landlord of the _posada_ was also the _Alcalde_ (mayor) of the district, and even then presiding over a meeting of the council (_ayuntamiento_). Amidst dogs, children, fleas, and dirt, along with my two goat-herd friends, we made breakfast.

Thence over the main pa.s.s of Navasomera--no road, not the vestige of a track, and a tremendous ravine stopped us for hours, and for a time threatened to prove impa.s.sable. By patience and recklessness we lowered mule and ourselves down scrub-choked screes, and after some of the roughest work of my life gained a goat-herd's track which led upwards to the pa.s.s. After clearing the reverse slope we traversed for twenty miles a dreary upland (6000 feet) till we struck the head-waters of the Albirche river, where my lads tickled half-a-dozen trout and a _frog_!

Kites beat along the stony hills, where wheatears and stonechats fluttered incessant, with dippers and sandpipers on the burn below.

We halted at a lonely _venta_ (wayside wine-shop), where a.s.sembled goat-herds courteously made room, and pa.s.sed me their wine-skin.

Presently one of them asked whither I went, remarking, ”Your Excellency is clearly not of this province.” Three or four skinny rabbits hung on the wall, and the landlord, after inquiring what his Excellency would eat, a.s.sured me he had plenty of everything, was yet so strong in his commendation of _rabbit_ that I knew those wretched beasties were the only food in the place. Presently with my two lads, and surrounded by mules, cats, dogs, poultry, wasps, and fleas, we sat down to dine on trout, rabbits-_a-pimiento_, and _chorizo_ (forty horse-power sausage).

I believe my boys also ate the frog!

Two hours after dark we were still dragging along the upland, while the outlines of the jagged cordillera behind had faded in gathering night. I could scarce have sat much longer on that bony saddleless mule when a light was descried far below, and, on learning that we were still twenty miles from our destination, I decided to put up for the night at that little _venta_ of Almenge, sleeping on bare earth alongside my boys, and close by the heels of our own and sundry other mules.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

At breakfast there sat down, besides ourselves and hostess, sundry muleteers, all sympathetic and commiserate since my mission had become known. I was hurrying homewards to distant Inglaterra--so Juanito had explained--because my brother was _poco bueno_--not very well. The hostess looked hard, and said, ”Senor, it must be _muy grave_ (very serious), or they would not have telegraphed for the _caballero_ to return.”

Many more hours of tedious mule-riding followed ere at last from lowering spurs we could see the end of the hills and the white track winding away till lost to view across the plain below.

Here in the highest growth of trees were grey shrikes (_Lanius meridionalis_), adults and young, besides missel-thrushes, turtle-doves, etc. On the level corn-lands below, which we now traversed for miles, we observed bustards (these, we were told, retired to lower levels in September)--nothing else beyond the usual larks and kestrels common to all Spain.

[Ill.u.s.tration: SCENES IN SIERRA DE GReDOS.

MOREZoN. CUCHILLAR DE NAVaJAS. ALMANZoR.

THE CIRCO DE GReDOS.

LAGUNA DE GReDOS.

A BIRD'S-EYE VIEW--SHOWS THE AMEaL AND CUCHILLAR DEL GUETRE.]

LOOKING SOUTH ACROSS LAGUNA.

HERMANITOS--