THE PAMPAS. 



227 



sioned by his mode of leading the baggage- 

 horse. The boy was mounted on a horse that 

 had been saddled for me ; but as I did not like 

 the look of the beast, before starting from St. 

 Luis, I took my saddle off, and put it on the 

 horse he had intended for himself. I omitted 

 to take off the bridle in the exchange, and 

 when we were starting I gave my sword to the 

 boy to carry, having run the point of it through 

 the end of the scabbard, by using it for poking 

 on the loaded horses when they were tired ; in 

 which duty it had been more serviceable, than 

 it would have been as a defence against the 

 Indians. I was not a little annoyed, therefore, 

 to see the beaten boy drop the leading rein, 

 turn his horse's head towards St. Luis and 

 gallop off at once, carrying with him my sword 

 and bridle, and leaving the party to find their 

 way to the post as they best could, without his 



