ROUND AND ABOUT LAKE BUENOS AIRES 143 



of smoke rising some two miles off. Two columns of smoke 

 close together were our danger-signal, and meant " Something very 

 wrong, come at once." I was morally certain that they were the 

 work of the small man, whom we had nicknamed "the Snipe," 

 especially as the smokes were lit at a distance from the position of 

 Horsham Camp, and if anything serious had happened, it seemed 

 most probable that the two men left in charge there would have 

 lit their signal-fires on the hill close behind the camp, instead of 

 riding to some distance for that purpose. However, there was 

 nothing for it but to send Scrivenor back, with instructions to show 

 a smoke upon the shore of the lake behind an island in our view 

 if my presence were really required, 



W^hile he returned to Horsham Camp, Barckhausen and I rode 

 on towards the cafiadon of the River de los Antio-uos. 



