LITERATURE.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2481, 20 March 1882, Page 4

LITERATURE.

HIDE AND SEEK ON THE PAMPAS. A PERILOUS OAME. The short South American twilight had given way to the heavy darkness of a a arless right, as, dismounting from my tired horse, I gave it over to tne chargj of one of my native servants, whila I ordered another 1 peon ' to serve me with the never-failing mate, a tea peculiar to the country, made from the verba plant, and whioh is exceedingly refreshing, especially to the exhausted traveller.

My estancla, or farm, situated as it was in a lonely part of the wild province of Cordova, had frequent visits from detachments of roving Indians, who, while never daring to venture close up to the house itself, owing to a plentiful and every ready supply of firearms, I always kept 'on guard,' very often succeeded, especially during the night, in helping themselves to some of my cattle. These Indiana, I may here remark, always find a ready market for stolen horses and oxen in the neighboring country of Chili ; aud the nice little arrangement they make is, when about to return, to steal all the live stock they can lay on there, and dispose of the same to Government agents, when they get back to th» Argentine Bopublic. The English Government, by the way, is not tbe only one whote efforts are ineffectual in putting a st .p to illegal traffic;, whether such be in horseflesh, or, say, falsi3 jewelIe y. My only neighbor happened to be a native of the country, whose rancho was barely half a mile from my farm. Joan Arrove was a quiet inoffensive man, own'ng a few horses and cows, and some twenty or thirty aores of land, which he annually sowed iu wheat and maize. Generally speaking, the natives of the province of Cordova are a bad untrustworthy lot, but I was particularly fortunate in having such a one as Don Juan iu close proximity, as he was certainly supe rior to most of his fellow-countrymen. Occasionally of an evening he would dome and ply me with questions about England and the English. His want of general knowledge, outside of hia immediate local experience, was deplorable. for instance, never having seen any sheet of water larger than a small lake or river, his curiosity as to what the sea was like caused him to make various queriea regarding tho same. 'Senor,' he weald ask in his Spanish dialect, *how msny yards (cvantot varus) acroas is the sea between my country and your luglaterra ? ' Or again,— 'la the eea very deep? Perhaps,' ha would continue, ' it would take me over tho head ? *

Hia height was about five feet. When I tried to explain to him that we did not measure the ocean by yarda, much less feet, as its extent was much greater than his own far-at retching pr aires, he would only shake his head and say,— ' Oaramba I ' a favcri'e native ejaculation which le applied to everything in general and nothing in particular. This nntravelled individual being, I may nay, the hero of this sketch, it is better that he shonld be particularly introduced. As I have already implied, Don Juan Arroyo was a wetl-meaniog native, very nnsuspiolous und obliging. His senora, a good-natured, dark skinned, little Spanish beauty, was the proud mother of three fat chubby girls, all still very young, the last comer, in fact, being yet In its babyhood. While Don Juan was some forty-five years of age, his handsome partner would be at least twenty-five years his junior; but notwithstanding the Kteat disparity in the'r respective ages, they lived very happily together. Having finished my mate, I partook of a hoarty supper, in which I was j >lned by my only gnest at that time. This visitor rejoiced in the appellation of ' General' Green. That he was a real general I had grave doubts. Whether Mr Green was entitled ti any military title or not does not here signify. He had a most wonderful capacity for having some personal adventure, always to his own glorv, ready to relate in connection with any subj 'ct that might turn up, and hs certainly was the most incorrigible and inveterate liar —the expression is bard, but necessary—l ever met with during a long stay abroad; and I may sifely affirm that, besides the notorious Yankee story-teller, I have met with a good few Individuals who can—well, prevaricate occasionally. General Green (to be polite) and I had concluded our mvai, and were lighting our pipes fcr a go-to bed smoke when the Btill night air was suddenly pierced by the shriil tones of a female voice screaming excitedly, ' Patron, patron!' X : Udhirg from the house, and calling upon the general to follow me. I quickly made my way across the yard and out into tbe open onrnp, in the dlreotion whence the cries for assistance came.' I son met the woman, whom I recognised as the Senora Arroyo already alluded to. She was hurrying to my farm for help, and was evidently in great distress of mind The moment I came in sight she beckoned to me wildiy, crying cut, ' Make haate, for the love of the Virgin Mary t my husband is being murdered !' and then, overcome with grief and ter.-or, she sank down in a swocn en the cold damp prairie-ground. Leaving the unhappy wemin to recover as best she could, the ' General' and I made all possible speed for the little neighboring rancho, whence she had no doubt come to seek help. In order to relate the events as they actually took place, it will be necessary to show what had hapoened of snch pressing nature as to induce Mrs Juan Arroyo to seek my assistance in the summary manner she did.

Don Juan and his family were peaotf ally seated in the only room of their small rancho, eDJoying the Irresistible mate, when they heard the well-known tramp of approaching horses. A native herd-boy who lived with them opened the door of the hut, and looking out, saw t'.roe horsemen ride np, and while two of them halted some few yards off, the third came close to the lad, and rrdered him to fetch a light for his cigarette. The little fellow, retiring into the house, soon returned with a spoon, In which lay a rod hot oinder (native fashion), and gave It to the stranger. Don Juan, although surprise* at such late and unceremonious visitors, did not feel at all auspicious of them ; but his wife, naturally more nervous than he, went near to the open doorway, trying to obtain a better view of the horseman. The latter kept carefully out of the ray of light which the room lamp now cast over the threshold j but as he stooped, cigarette In mouth, to get a light from the cinder, which sent a bright little glare from the pewter spoon, the slight reflection shone for a moment on his face, which was sufficient tima. however, to show the observant wife that the man had a mask on.

She at once told her husband of this. He, now growing suspicious, was just going to cail his serving-lad inside and close the house-door, when the boy shouted out that the three strangers win hod to see the 'patron.' Don Juan Arroyo did not feel comfortable on hearing this request, and his senora warned him not to go outside. He was uncertain which course to adopt, when one of the horsemen, crying out to him to have no fear of them, dismounted, and advancing, held out both of his hands to show he had no weapon?. My neighbor, still reluctant, went slowly outside, not msklngany reply to hia wife's earnest entreaties to re main with her. The stranger, taking Don Juan's hand in his, give it, by way of salutation, a hearty shake, retaining hold of it until bis two companions, who had suddenly dismounted, placed themselves on either side of tbe astonished farmer. Each held along knife, or rather a dagger, in readiness, diriog him to move an inch on pain of instant death. The third Gaucho, or native robb»r, now produced a lasso, with whioh he proceeded to tie Don Juan hand and fcot, fastening the lasso in a coarse knot ja&t over his chest. Ihey then laid him on the ground, and again cautioned him to neither move nor utter a sonnd, else he would be a dead man. He could see they were all three masked, whioh made it likely that they were known in these parts, and wished to avoid identification. After frankly explaining to my unfortunate neighbor that they did not wish to murder blm —all they wanted was any valuables that might be in bis house, inolnd ing his handsome little senora, whom they intended carrying off aa well—the three Gauchos, leaving Don Juan lying on his back iu impotent wrath, now entered the rancho, causing the terrified children to rash oat into the dark night screaming with fear. {To be continued )