74 



THE PAMPAS. 



exhausted — nothing to eat — asked for bread, they 

 had none — I really could scarcely speak — carried 

 my saddle into a shed — two children asleep, and 

 one black girl — lay down upon the ground, and 

 instantly fell asleep — was awakened in two or three 

 hours by the woman of the post, who had brought 

 me some soup with meat in it — eat it all up, and 

 again dropt off to sleep — an hour before daylight 

 was awakened by the Gaucho who was to go with 

 me. " Vamos, Senor f said he, in a sharp, impa- 

 tient tone of voice — got up, had some mate, 

 mounted my horse, and as I galloped along felt 

 pleased that the sun which had left me the evening 

 before thirty miles nearer Mendoza, should find me 

 at my work. At first post detained fifteen minutes 

 for horses — the stage the longest between Mendoza 

 and Buenos Ay res, being fifty-one miles — the 

 woman would only give me one spare horse, which 

 we drove before us. Galloped my horse till he came 

 to a stand- still, and then got on the fresh one, and 

 left the postilion behind. In about an hour this other 

 horse quite done up — by constant spurring could 

 just keep him in a canter — at last down he fell, 

 and my foot hung in the stirrup — my long spur 



