80 



THE PAMPAS. 



of his only son, and offered up some prayer, to 

 which all the Gauchos joined their responses. I 

 joined and crossed myself with them, for as the 

 courier looked at me, I was anxious to assist in 

 alleviating the sorrows of an old man, and enter- 

 taining my own feelings, which it is not necessary 

 to describe. 



As soon as the ceremony was over (it lasted about 

 two minutes), we put on our hats. Con que, 

 Senores/' said the old man ; and after a long pause, 

 " Vamos f said he, upon which the party split 

 into groups to hght segars. I had scarcely lighted 

 mine, when the old man came up to light his. His 

 son''s body was at our feet, but he put his face 

 close to mine, and as he was sucking and blowing, 

 with that earnestness of countenance which is only 

 known to those who are in the habit of lighting a 

 segar, I could not help thinking what an odd 

 scene was before me. However we mounted our 

 horses — I took a last farewell look at the peach- 

 tree, and we then all galloped across the dry 

 brown grass, to regain the road, and the few mi- 

 nutes of time which we had thus spent at the hut. 



***** 



