352 IN THE WILDS OF SOUTH AMERICA 



* 

 drifting logs, with only the ever-vigilant eyes showing the 

 faintest animation; boundless wastes of pestilential swamps 

 and lagoons, where mosquitoes and other obnoxious insects 

 in clouds forestall the advent of man, but where millions 

 of egrets, storks, cormorants, and other water-loving birds 

 find a safe haven and lead their wild, joyous Hves in blissful 

 ignorance of despoiling plume-himters; but, a shout of 

 " Ya estd, senor," from the mule-driver reminded me of the 

 fact that day-dreams must soon end. The man had un- 

 loaded the luggage at a little hut surrounded by shade-trees 

 and fields of alfalfa. He had been unable to find the owner, 

 but thought we could arrange to stay there should that 

 personage appear. Most important of all, he wanted his 

 money — and then he was off with twenty-seven miles of 

 up-hill road ahead of him, before reaching Sucre that 

 night. 



While taking stock of our outfit and arranging it conve- 

 niently in the little adobe hovel that was to serve as our 

 home, an elderly Bolivian woman came from one of the 

 alfalfa-fields near by, and I rightly guessed that she was 

 the owner of the property. To my request that we be per- 

 mitted to remain, she promptly replied that she would 

 consider it an honor to have us do so. I wondered if there 

 are many places in our own country where courtesy to 

 utter strangers is so universal as in Spanish America. Fre- 

 quently, after long and trying journeys afoot or on mule- 

 back (sometimes of hundreds of miles) our appearance 

 was disreputable; but with one or two exceptions only diiring 

 the entire course of my travels in South America, the 

 kindness and politeness of the inhabitants was unfailing. 

 When we left the Pilcomayo, the senora accepted not a 

 cent of payment. 



The country for many miles about was arid, excepting 

 only the few irrigated flats near the river where fodder, 

 grain, and vegetables. ^ew luxuriantly. Cacti and thorny 

 shrubbery dotted the slopes, but even these plants of the 

 dry lands were not abundant. Numerous small streams 



