200 RAMBLES AFTER SPORT. 



Carmelita y Mercedita were anxiously expecting us. 

 *' Two of the prettiest girls in tlie province," said the 

 Doctor. In England a doctor is not thought more of 

 than a lawyer, but in Chile " el Doctor " is by far the 

 most important man in the district, As Don Gabriel 

 had brought his mozo with two saddled horses for us, and 

 declared the girls had not danced a cueca for a month, of 

 course the affair was settled. An additional inducement 

 ibr us to stay was the promise of the mayordomo that on 

 the morrow we should see some sport with the huitres or 

 condors, as a calf had died in the night, and in the 

 morning there would be sure to be three or four of these 

 birds pretty well gorged ; he also told us that he was 

 going to have a sort of rodeo, or cattle collecting on a 

 small scale, as a haciendado was coming to buy some. 

 So off we started to Don Gabriels house, witK the full 

 intention of going in for a good spree ; and a real good 

 Chile spree is no joke, I can tell you. 



On arriving at the house — which, ^I was thankful to 

 perceive, was not more than a mile off, as I had serious 

 doubts as to our getting back over a longer distance — 

 we found the two above-mentioned young ladies, and 

 two more besides, and a young haciendado whom T knew 

 very well, named Don Francisco. In less than fifteen 

 minutes I had drunk the healths and conversed with 

 every one of the girls in turn, and finally laid siege to 

 Senorita Mercedita, a charming girl of sixteen summers, 

 and with such eyes ! What jolly girls those Chilenas 

 are ! and all classes are the same. Their natural grace, 

 good breeding, and withal their perfect ease, render them 

 by far the most agreeable people I know at almost any 

 time, and at a tertulia or party — well, I should like to 

 see the man who could tire them out at dancing. How 



