SHOOTING IN CHILE. 



201 



we did dance ! and how I did dance ! I stamped about 

 and went at it, as the Doctor said, " like a patent ten- 

 day chronometer ; '^ but it never does to be shy in Chile, 

 and the girls never laugh at you — not they. I remember 

 after making one terrific pirouette, in the performance 

 of which I knocked Don Gabriel into a coal scuttle, 

 and very nearly went up to the roof myself, they all 

 applauded me to the echo, " Muy bien ! muy bien, 

 senor ! '^ However, I made it all right with Don Gabriel 

 by telling him that that was the way they danced the 

 cueca in the United States, at which explanation he 

 appeared perfectly satisfied. 



I can^t say I perfectly remember events after two a.m. 

 Long before this Don Francisco had succumbed to chichaj 

 and was carefully deposited under a bed just as he 

 was, everyone being apparently perfectly aware of his 

 little failings, while the Doctor and Don Gabriel were 

 busily engaged at an interesting game of cribbage. 

 Everything passed off without a hitch, I suppose, as 

 I found myself next morning comfortably wrapped 

 up in two or three ponchos under the table. After 

 about a pint of ice-cold cJdcha, I felt as right as any- 

 thing. 



On getting back to the farm we found the predictions 

 of the raayordomo verified, as a peon had brought word 

 that there were three condors pegging away at the calf; 

 so, judging that we had better leave them to get well 

 gorged before bestowing any little extra attention on 

 them, we mounted, and leaving our guns behind us, but 

 not forgetting to take four or five bottles of chicha with 

 us, we sallied out to see a little of the real Chile sport — 

 the rodeo. A short way from the farm we met the 

 haciendado, accompanied by two huasos, and, as the 



