THE PAMPAS. 



was I spoke to the man, but I received no answer ; 

 I then called out, when he told me from some dis- 

 tance, that he was feeling Avith his hands for the 

 path — that he could not find it, — and that there 

 were so many holes that, as we had lost ourselves, 

 it would be dangerous to proceed. I accordingly 

 dismounted, and, unsaddling my horse, I had in- 

 stantly my bed ready. I could see nothing, but 

 the Gaucho and I made our beds side by side, and 

 as soon as we lay down he tied the horses' bridles 

 round his own neck, and he then was asleep in a 

 moment. 



The country we were in was much infested by 

 salteadores (robbers,) but as I was always well 

 armed I felt quite secure, and in a short time I was 

 also asleep. About midnight I was awakened by 

 the rolHng of thunder, and, sitting up, I saw by 

 the occasional flashes of lightning that I was lying 

 on brown coarse grass, and that there were here 

 and there a few shrubs. Some large heavy drops 

 of rain began now to fall, and I made up my mind 

 that we were to have a drenching shower ; how- 

 ever, it was useless to move, for I did not know 

 where to go, so I took the usual precaution^ which 



