112 BAHIA BLANCA TO BUENOS AYRES. [cuap. vi. 
view such a Salvator Rosa scene. They were seated undera 
low cliff, so that I could look down upon them; around the 
party were lying dogs, arms, remnants of deer and ostriches ; 
and their long spears were stuck .in the turf. Further in the 
dark background, their horses were tied up, ready for any sudden 
danger. If the stillness of the desolate plain was broken by one 
of the dogs barking, a soldier, leaving the fire, would place his 
head close to the ground, and thus slowly scan the horizon. 
Even if the noisy teru-tero uttered its scream, there would be a 
pause in the conversation, and every head, for a moment, a little 
inclined. 
What a life of misery these men appear to us to lead! They 
were at least ten leagues from the Sauce posta, and since the 
murder committed by the Indians, twenty from another. The 
Indians are supposed to have made their attack in the middle of 
the night; for very early in the morning after the murder, they 
were luckily seen approaching this posta. The whole party 
here, however, escaped, together with the troop of horses; each 
one taking a line for himself, and driving with him as many 
animals as he was able to manage. 
The little hovel, built of thistle-stalks, in which they slept, 
neither kept out the wind or rain; indeed in the latter case the 
only effect the roof had, was to condense it into larger drops. 
They had nothing to eat excepting what they could catch, such 
as ostriches, deer, armadilloes, &c., and their only fuel was the 
dry stalks of a small plant, somewhat resembling an aloe. The 
sole luxury which these men enjoyed was smoking the little 
paper cigars, and sucking maté. I used to think that the carrion 
vultures, man’s constant attendants on these dreary plains, while 
seated on the little neighbouring cliffs, seemed by their very 
patience to say, “Ah! when the Indians come we shall have a 
feast.” 
In the morning we al sallied forth to hunt, and although we 
had not much success, there were some animated chaces. Soon 
after starting the party separated, and so arranged their plans, 
that at a certain time of the day (in guessing which they show 
much skill) they should all meet from different points of the 
compass on a plain piece of ground, and thus drive together the 
wild animals. One day I went out hunting at Bahia Blanca, 
