MAKE PRESENTS TO THE GAUCHO CHIEF. 119 



dians scampered away over the plains, leaving the field to 

 the Gauchos, who raised a yell of triumph which had an 

 infernal sound to our ears. 



Joaquin now sought the chief of the party, explained 

 to him our situation, and the great service we had rendered 

 him and expressed a hope that no violence was intended 

 to such good friends. The chief promised that not one of 

 our little party should be injured, but wished to see what we 

 had in camp. He behaved very politely before Mr. Barrill 

 and myself, and hoped we had had a fine journey. We 

 showed him our packs, while his party were engaged in 

 attending their wounded, killing the wounded Arauca- 

 nians, and appropriating whatever was valuable about the 

 slain horses and their savage masters. They contained 

 nothing to tempt his bump of acquisitiveness, but our 

 arms caused his eyes to brighten. Mr. Barrill saw which 

 way his thoughts ran, and happily anticipated him, by 

 presenting him with a pair of handsome pistols, to which 

 I added a Colt's revolver, the use of which Joaquin glibly 

 elucidated. With this latter present, the chief seemed 

 overjoyed. Calling some of the Gauchos, he told of the 

 presents we had made him, and bade them all remember 

 that not a hair of our heads was to be touched. They 

 assented, some of them, I thought, rather sullenly. 



It was now ascertained that but two Gauchos had been 

 killed and three wounded, while twelve Indians had been 



