THE KINGDOM OF THE WINDS 129 



to the margin of a deep brown lagoon. Of many colours were these 

 lagoons. Burbury said that region was more dismal than Tierra 

 del Fuego — old deserts, varied by marshes and califate-bush, stone 

 and boulder, thorn and sand. After a rest in the afternoon we 

 rode on, and presently struck a deserted camp of the Argentine 

 Boundary Commission, near which the steam-launch, which had 

 been brought across the pampas for the exploration of Lake 

 Buenos Aires, was secreted. 



Nothing in the world looks more forlorn than a deserted camp. 

 But we were far from being depressed on this occasion, for in this 

 old camp of Mr. Hans Waag's we made a find which we looked 

 upon as a great slice of luck. 



On November 2nd I find in my diary : " More accidents to 

 the cooking-pots, this time at the hoofs of Horqueta. The flat- 

 bottomed pot still survives, but the round one and the kettle 

 are more damaged than whole. One more such accident will mean 

 that the corned-beef tins must be called into requisition." 



In this camp we found sundry boxes, old iron-bound packing- 

 cases, and while I was enoraored in licrhtino^ the fire I heard an 

 exclamation behind me, and Burbury sang out : 



" Here's a big enamelled saucepan, nearly new! " It was so, 

 and then again, " And here's another. What luck !" 



Of course, if those saucepans had not been shut up in cases, they 

 might have been considered treasure-trove. As it was, one did not 

 need the deductive powers of a Sherlock Holmes to conclude that 

 the travellers who had hidden these pots away so carefully meant 

 to return, find, and once again use them. They belonged, as 1 

 knew, to Mr. Waag's Commission of Limits, as they call the 

 Boundarv Commission out there. When I met that Q-entleman in 

 Buenos Aires I never dreamt that I should yet be reduced to steal- 

 ino- his cookino' utensils. But we did not "steal" them, we onlv 

 " availed " ourselves of them. I hope my readers see the difference 

 as plainly as we saw it. And what do you think our companions 

 said when they heard the story ? Did they urge us to make resti- 

 tution ? What they said referred to the finding of some empty 

 bottles among the rubbish, "A pity there was no whisky in them I " 

 If there had been, of course we should not . . . well, who knows.'* 



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