102 HUNTING EXTINCT ANIMALS 



it was simply what they had learned in their public schools 

 at home. 



Trailing next morning brought us at once into the sand 

 hills where the going was very slow, but after twenty-two 

 or twenty-three miles we reached the Romberg house 

 about four in the afternoon. They invited us to come up 

 and have some tea, which we were doubly glad to do, as 

 we could go no further, the next water being fifteen miles 

 ahead; and as it was beginning to rain again, the prospect 

 of seeing the inside of a dwelling house was very attractive. 

 It was one of the typical sheet-iron houses as far as the 

 outside went, but inside we were at once attracted to a 

 grand piano filling up half of the living room. Of course 

 we asked Mrs. Romberg to play it, but she hesitated and 

 asked if any of us could. This was just what Turner was 

 itching to do, and he was soon seated and playing the piano 

 with all the gusto of an unexpected pleasure. Mrs. Rom- 

 berg soon volunteered to sing, and in a few minutes a 

 genuine concert was under way which continued with only 

 momentary interruptions for supper until midnight. Mrs. 

 Romberg was a trained opera singer when, five years be- 

 fore, she had married and come to Patagonia, bringing with 

 her the grand piano (how they got it through the surf and 

 to the house is still a mystery to me) , since which time she 

 had never had the opportunity of hearing it played except 

 by herself. That evening will always be a memorable one, 

 the pleasure being especially heightened by its unexpected- 

 ness, and by the contrast to the lack of culture in the barren 

 country which we had been traversing. Like so many 

 others we found the Rombergs planning just how soon 

 they would be far enough ahead to sell out and return to 

 the fatherland. We made plans to repeat this evening 

 on our return trip, and were invited to celebrate Christ- 

 mas there, which, however, we could not plan. 



Five o'clock came all too soon, but by this time routine 

 had drilled us so that we were on the road at the usual 



