The Guide of the Desert

tances-at the mercy of an Indian whose perfidy had been alr

and set out in pretty good spirits, convinced

were unnecessary. Don Torribio and don Zeno Cabral had said the truth; the rude correction inflicted on my

e of a talker; I took advantage of this change in his d

ian refused to answer me, but on account of his ignoran

nge, mysterious, incomprehensible being, whose power was very great. No one knew his regular abode; he almost possessed the attribute of ubiquity, for he had been seen at dist

g what had become of him, then they saw him suddenly camped i

n them, for the most part were much indebted to him; no one better than he

of my guide, left me more perplexed than I was before with regard to this

ance by the Indian aroused sti

ice, looking cautiously around him, as if he feare

: the information which had been given me with regard to them, although for the m

ganised under the intelligent and paternal direction of the two Jesuits, Antieta and Nobrega, a colony within a colony-a sort of half barbarous metropolis, which owes to its courage a

isdain to ally themselves with those strong and bellicose Indian races who s

ve, inured to all kinds of fatigue, and remarkably

ion of their colony of having shown an indomitable and independent disposition, an affected

e Paulistas have given

alone, is now the most civilised, the mo

zenda do Rio d'Ouro, where don Zeno Cabral had given me a rendezvous, was situated on the front

rney, my guide, notwithstanding the difficulties of the wa

rancho, we reached the Aldea of Santa Anna, the

nchos. Several had been carried away by the waters, the remainder were threatened with speedy inundation; the poor inh

ry, received us in the most hospitable way, placing

that on the next day at sunrise I left these good people, who overwh

wo o'clock in the afternoon, at an angle of the route, I suddenly turned my head, and in spite of myself I stop

ich he had been preparing for me for some hours by inducing me to take, under pre

ut ten leagues in circumference, of which, thanks to my position, my eye took in the minutest details. About the centre of this landscape, over an extent of two leagues, was a la

rtant river, an affluent of the Parana, that we had reached, a

xed. At first formed by aquatic plants, the vegetable earth had been heaped up there, and now it is covered with pretty thick wood. Then, in the distance, in the

eral arms, it lost itself, after innumerable meanderings, in the sombre valleys which stretched right and left. I could not take my eyes from the spectacle of nature in this grand, wild, and really imposing form. I remained ther

utiful!"

?" replied

magnificent co

ow, mi amo?" s

hen I come here today

known, mi amo," replied he; "people

but I should like

in former days all these mountains that you s

ed, interested i

xhausted or inundated with water. The master pr

the name of the good man w

not dare to assert it; but, for that matter, it would not astonish me, for singular things are related as to what passes in the calde

te, then, that is

and things which I, a poor Indi

lations of fright, accompanied by innumerable signs of the cross. Wearied of doing so,

we arrive at the

hours,

will already have arrived,

or don Zeno wishes to have arr

e questions, to which, according to his pleasure, he made such ridicul

ed aspects of a striking character. I thus traversed, without perceivin

ll-kept path that conducted to the first buildings, I perc

lightly on the arm w

him? It is the seign

ible!"

ook his head

to se?or Zeno," murmu

don Zeno Cabral, my old companion of the pampa.

te he was

o me joyfully, holding out his right hand, which

, "although I do not yet rank myself with a traveller of your calibre, I begin to be perfectly accus

with pride; "And does it not me

tain

ose," said he, turning towards the guide, who kep

he has completely

appy to hear you say so, that

caro, and announ

wait for a repeti

ooking after him "you can only subdue them by threatening

ling, "those who wished to do you so bad a

cted with good intentions, from the poin

ecome one day the vic

the mission that I have imposed upon myself; but never mind tha

e days only,

great hurry,

am absolutely ma

ou wish to leav

g exactly what to say, "I am

e fortune amounts to millions of piastres, who is master, under God, of a territory of more than thirty square leagues, and who commands more than two thou

ve a style of doing things which makes a refusal

ut make yourself easy; perhaps even if your vagabond notions still possess your

eagerly

, but hush! Here

we entered the fazenda, betw

in which hospitality was offered

which my host endeavoured

o ask him about it, fearing to appear impertinent, but I waited with impatience till he afforded me an opportunity to satisf

room. A servant, who accompanied him

the table, and sending him away, don Zeno seated

spoken of an expedition in which

, "and I am ready to

accepting your consent, let me g

o

ervals, trodden by the foot of the white man. We shall have nearly insurmountable obstacles to overcome-terrible dangers to run. Notwithstanding the

re you

so; but as to you, your position is not the same, and I do not s

ome what may; my decision is take

t the Paulistas; you have asked me for information about them; that information you will find in these notes that I le

now about to peruse. I have only taken the precaution to change certain names and dates, in order not to wound the just susc