Natla's Mines - Defeating the Cowboy - Magnums
and Crossing the Lava River
After obtaining secret #1, as shown in the previous section, swim across the pool, climb out on the ledge with the barrels, and follow the tunnel...
...to the cave with the drill car. Continue along the tracks into the passageway.
Go around the Natla box to the larger cavern where you got the SECOND FUSE.
Now that you're armed, you can take on that cowboy (1). As you move out into the middle of the cave, he starts talking. Then he emerges from behind the pillars on the right with magnums drawn. If you like, you can go mano a mano. He's not that tough. Just watch where you step. It's easy to fall off the far edge into the lava river or slip into any of the various lava pits. Keep moving, and either use the pillars for cover...
...or run/jump past him and roll, so you can shoot him in the back without him doing too much damage.
- OR -
Alternatively, for a fairly reliable low-damage strategy, draw pistols and run straight forward from the entrance into the middle of the room to get the cowboy's attention. As soon as Lara gets a lock on him...
...back flip away into the tunnel...
...and up against the wall. Continue to hold Action so Lara fires whenever he's in range.
Most of the time, you can just park here and keep shooting, and he'll do little or no damage.
NOTE: I tested the scaredy-cat strat multiple times on a first playthrough but not yet in New Game+. Maybe one in five times, the cowboy will come close enough to actually wound Lara, but even then, she'll lose maybe a quarter of her health. I'm not sure if the cowboy is more aggressive the second time around.
Defeating the cowboy unlocks the "It's Personal Now!" achievement/trophy. He's also carrying your MAGNUMS (12), so be sure to take them back.
Go to the far right (southwest) corner of the cave to a drop-off overlooking a lava river.
Down below is a small square ledge jutting out from the wall. Safety drop down to it. (In NG+ there's a save crystal here.)
Still facing the wall with the lava river behind Lara, drop and hang from this ledge. Let go and quickly press and hold Action again to grab the ledge below. Pull up and pick up a small medi pack (13).
Grab the crevice in the rock wall and traverse to the right as far as you can.
Drop to the ledge below. Go around the corner to the right...
...and grab the next crevice. Again, traverse all the way to the right and drop onto the angled block. (It looks steep, but it's safe.)
Turn right and examine the wall ahead. Another horizontal crevice runs along below a sloping ledge. Take a tricky running jump (see the note below) to grab the angled ledge.
NOTE: In the remastered game, I experienced a recurring glitch with this jump. Using the normal setup with tank controls—walk to the edge, hop back, then run and jump—Lara would consistently stop at the edge of the angled block and take a standing jump into the lava. Instead, walk to the edge, hop back, then walk one step backward. It's more like half a step, since there isn't a lot of room to maneuver, but if you do this, then take the running jump, Lara should behave.
Let go and grab the crevice below. Traverse to the right and drop down in the doorway.
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