198 



JOURNEY ACROSS 



neighbourhood of a dead carcass. We founds 

 to-day, the half-picked skeleton of a horse, on 

 the road, surrounded by them. 



Whilst the baggage was being adjusted on the 

 pack-horse, we had galloped quite out of sight, 

 and lost our way. We made for a lonely kan- 

 cho, and on reaching it discovered that we were 

 at least a league out of our course. This, with 

 tired horses, was provoking. A young gaucho 

 mounted a horse, to go to the post-hut with us ; 

 but he rode at such a pace that our sinking 

 beasts could scarcely follow him. This would 

 have been an excellent opportunity for the peon 

 and the dragoon's servant to make off with our 

 portmanteaus ; and I was not quite comfortable 

 on this point, till I saw that all had arrived safe 

 at the post-hut, and that a fresh baggage-horse 

 was in readiness to proceed with us. 



In the course of the day, to our great joy, 



