;400 . IN THE WILDS OF SOUTH AMERICA 



Chaco the flocks suddenly dispersed and they disappeared 

 singly in all directions. We found them spending the days 

 in open places— rout in the .hot sun or rain. The railroad- 



. track, or small plots where there was not even grass, were 

 the favorite sleepiag-sites chosen, and sometimes two or 

 three were f oimd together. 



After a week we returned over the route we had come 

 to a station called General Piaedo. This was a new settle- 

 ment and several dozen board huts were being constructed 

 on both sides of the track. Here there were seemingly limit- 

 less stretches of fine pampas with occasional small clumps 

 of red quebracho-woods. Niunbers of cattle grazed in 

 the rich grass, and this place was much more attractive 

 than the one we had just left. As might be supposed, the 

 fauna was typical of the open country and included an 

 abundance of short-eared and burrowing owls. The latter 

 sat on fence-posts or on the mounds near their burrows 

 all day long; at night they became very active and flew 



; back and forth oyer the fields grabbing up beetles and small 

 rodents with their feet. Their long, tremulous screeches 

 pierced the darkness all night long. 



On Sunday all the men congregated at the two rum-shops 

 and tested their capacities, for strong drink. Often the 

 day ended in a series of brawls when knives and machetes 

 were pKed freely — once with fatal result to one of the com- 



-.pcdres. I asked one of the guards what would be donewith 

 the murderer,;, who; ha-d promptly been arrested, He said 



..that: if he. could give; two himdred- p^ds to the ccmimisafio 

 and ten to each of the guards, the matter, would be dropped. 



\Later I was told. that the matter had been "fixed up" satis- 

 .faetorily, but. of course could not verify this. 



,; .June 14 foimd us in. the village of Lavalle,. in the heart 



•of Argentina's desert regions. When the train from TuCU- 



-man pulled put,., leaving: ourselves and our belongings on 

 .the: station, platform, we at once began to-re^et that -We 

 had come at aH. ;: The place looked decidedly; uninviting. 



; There was only the small cluster of adobe hovels, while all 



