THE ARGENTINE FRONTIER 363 



a corral. Soon other caravans arrived, until there were 

 several hundreds of men and animals gathered on the river- 

 bank. We spent the afternoon strolling through the ad- 

 jacent apricot-orchards and vineyards. The former trees 

 were laden with fruit, all ripening; it was small in size, 

 but of delicious flavor. By seven o'clock the water had sub- 

 sided many feet, and one of the arrieros having previously 

 ridden across the river to test its depth, the caravan started 

 across. The stream was three hundred feet wide and the 

 current very strong, so that crossing it seemed an endless 

 operation; the mules struggled onward gamely, but to the 

 rider it seemed as if they stood stock-still while a maze of 

 rushing water seethed and raged all around him in frantic 

 efforts to sweep away everything in its path. Our own 

 animals got across safely, although some of the packs were 

 drenched; but a long train of burros laden with huge boxes 

 of the popular Sucrenses cigarettes fared "badly, and a number 

 of the poor creatures were upset and whirled away down- 

 stream. We continued onward in the darkness two leagues 

 to Poste Escalera, a lone hut on a hillside, and spent a try- 

 ing night at this flea-infested post. Next day we reached 

 the Pilcomayo at a point where the river is divided into 

 many narrow channels, although there is one main stream 

 spanned by a swaying wooden bridge. 



A detailed narration of each day's ride would mean the 

 recoimting of practically the same things. There were, 

 however, a few things of unusual interest, and these will 

 be mentioned later. 



The country is dry, roUing, and unproductive. In some 

 places there is a sparse growth of cacti and thorny shrub- 

 bery, but vast areas are rocky and barren of all vegetation. 

 We crossed ridge after ridge, the elevation of the trail vary- 

 ing between eight thousand and twelve thousand feet. 

 Travel in this type of country is most trying. Water is so 

 scarce that long distances must be covered in order to find 

 suitable camping-sites; in one instance we were compelled 

 to ride thirty-six miles in the course of a day, between 



