The Guide of the Desert

as up, but early as I had been, my companio

to meet him, but

ay which is commencing. The fresh morning breeze flutters gently through the tall grass, which it bends by its light and cadenced movements. Here and there the venados raise their timid heads, and throw around them frightened glances. The birds, crouched for warmth under the foliage, prelude with some timorous notes their morning hymn. On the little heaps of sand formed by the holes of the viscac

with its green and calm waters, the shore

a cigarette I fell into reflection, and w

voice which burst upon me in a tone

ibio was

The pampa is beautiful at the

wered, without knowin

passed a g

ks to your gener

ption has been poor enough. Times are hard. Only four or five years ago it woul

he contrary. But you are return

," added he, raising his eyes to the sky and mentally calculating the

ee my companion. It appears to me that it woul

you," said the gaucho, laughi

t to return

rary, he wil

surprise, mingled with une

d to speak to you about it before mounting his horse; but, on reflecting on it, you appear

urn without

he will not long delay; we shall see

am I to do, I who

is

me the route I

uld torment yourself; he has requested me to be

you. You are not rich, as

ven if it might please you to live a month in my humble rancho, I should be h

I resigned myself, therefore, to

s exerted themselves to bring out my good hu

ount his horse, I asked to accompany him. He agreed; I sa

r being together alone, to lead the conversation to my companion, whom he appeared to know very wel

tell me anything. The man who was so communicative, and so inclined to relate, often in a too prolix fashion, his own affairs, pres

llables, or by the exclamatio

ressing him any more, and resigned m

hat our journey was at an end, and that we were about to return t

n adventurous gallop, is but a trifle for gauch

n two hours in sight of the ranch

nced at full sp

im immediately with feelings

ve been waiting for you for an hour." Then, addressing me, he adde

" I cried, "

I am convinced y

red, "without seeking to guess of

tching out his arm in the

nising my rascal of an Ind

at do you th

marvel; I cannot understand how yo

r. For a man habituated to the pampa, nothing is more easy than to put his hand upon them; this one, especially, trusting to your ignorance of the desert, did not take the trouble to conceal himse

ered; "but what do you wish tha

t him, in a style he will remember; then, as you have engaged him to serve as guide as far as Braz

reat confidence in his

. This man, when once he has been corrected, will se

ment, whatever it may be, I confess I fe

re is our friend, Don Torribio, who

be agreeable to you," said d

poor fellow who doubtless knew what awaited him, ha

rturbable coolness. Don Torribio occupied himself by

u basely abandoned him in the pampa, but you have robbed him; you merit punishment, and that punishment you are about t

nscientiousness with which he did everything, he raised his la?o, which fell

make a movement; he

inwardly, but I did n

ithout emotion the strokes

nth the bloo

ho did n

nder the blows which came more and more r

the gaucho without one being missed. At the thirty-second, notwithstanding all his courage, the Indi

Zeno, when the number wa

body of the poor fellow fe

fat, water, and vinegar the bleeding wounds of the India

n has fainte

yourself about that. Those fellows h

d I entered into the rancho. I was still a novice; but I was to witness,

olonged for a considerable time, don Zeno order

o looked at him for some second

e merited the punishm

wered the Indian,

that I know whe

now

lero agrees to pardon you, w

on one c

rt, bribón," replied don Zeno. "You dese

ques

ou be f

es

t or reward I shall charge wi

derst

leave here tomorrow, at sunrise; nine days h

all be

n between us; y

d," coldly answ

to revive you from the blows you

im, emptied it in a draught with evident sati

d myself to don Zeno with the mo

Se?or, that notwithstanding his promises, I h

ully; not from affection, but from fear. He knows very well that

s you have allowed me to guess, you are again going towards t

e. However, I reckon on seeing you at the fazenda do Rio d'Ouro, where probably I shall arrive before you. In any case, will you remain there till I

g these new circumstances, "not to remind you of the event to which you allude

e of the people who had so well received me, and whom I thought I should never

language, language of the Incas. It signif