HOMEWARD 289 



sat in silence — saving only the fat spokeswoman — inert and appa- 

 rently content ; occasionally one would grunt or shift the child at 

 her breast, but otherwise one heard scarce a sound but the whim- 

 pering of the wind from the Cordillera or the plashing of the wild- 

 fowl in the swampy margin of the lagoon. 



I need not describe at length the days which followed. In 

 due time we came upon a wheeltrack and sighted the first fence. 

 This was in the valley of the River Coyly, a good place for pastur- 

 ing sheep, but inexpressibly desolate and monotonous in aspect. 

 For two days we held along in this valley or on the pampa 

 immediately above it, but, remembering our experiences near 

 Santa Cruz, I resolved to sleep in no boliche until we reached 

 Gallegos. 



The canadon of the Coyly was fenced at intervals, the grass 

 eaten close to the ground by many sheep. Thousands of wild 

 geese clamoured on the banks of the river. In this river valley 

 we made our last camp in Patagonia. There was no wood for 

 fire, and the horses found but little to eat, the sun set among sickly 

 green lights, and presently rain came on. Altogether it made 

 a dismal good-bye to the life we had led for so many months. 



The following day, striking across the pampa for the River 

 Gallegos, we knew ourselves to be entering on the last stage of our 

 wanderings. And here we very nearly had a disastrous accident. 

 Meeting two Gauchos, we asked them about the condition of the 

 ford over the Gallegos, which they told us had been but hock-high 

 when they passed through with their horses. Consequently, when 

 we arrived at the ford half an hour later, we took our troop down 

 into the water, but seeing it looked uncommonly deep for the de- 

 scription given us by the Gauchos, we returned to the shore, and, as 

 there happened to be a house at no great distance, I sent Bernardo 

 to make inquiries. He brought back the news that the tide 

 was running strong and the ford quite impracticable, but it was 

 possible that we might be able to cross higher up at another spot. 

 We followed this advice and crossed in safety, I with my 

 precious photographs tied round my neck ; but had we tried 

 the lower ford I am very sure I should have lost them all, which 

 would have been a disappointment indeed, considering the circum • 



