Part 36 (1/2)

Then the unfortunate man, having spent a very considerable part of the day thus, bethought him of trying to catch the other horse, but with it he was also unsuccessful--indeed, the failure was even more emphatic, for Lawrence's steed refused to let him come within even hopeful distance of it.

At last, in the profoundest state of despair to which he was ever known to have sunk, he returned to camp. Lawrence had got there before him, saw him coming, and advanced to meet him.

”Well, Quashy, I have failed,” he said, with a sigh.

”So's I,” returned Quashy, with a growl.

”This losing of our horses,” remarked Lawrence, ”is the worst that could have befallen us.”

”No, ma.s.sa,” said the negro, with more of sulkiness--or less of amiability--than he had exhibited since they first met on the western side of the Andes, ”breakin' our legs would be wuss--smas.h.i.+n' our necks would be wusser still. But de hosses is _not_ lost. Dey's on'y s.p.u.n.kerblued.”

”How? What d'you mean?”

”Dey's down dar,” returned the negro, pointing with his finger, ”down in dat holler--s.p.u.n.kerblued.”

”Not killed, I hope,” asked Lawrence, anxiously.

”Oh no, ma.s.sa, on'y s.p.u.n.kerblued--stuffed to de muzzle wid deir own self-will.”

Lawrence received this explanation with a light laugh. ”Come,” he said, quickly, ”lead the way, Quash, and I'll show you how to get them out of the s.p.u.n.kerblues.”

Comforted and rea.s.sured by his master's hearty tone and manner, the negro led the way to the spot where he had spent such a busy day.

Now, we do not know whether we have made it obvious to the reader that Lawrence Armstrong's kindliness of nature embraced not only the human race but the whole animal kingdom. At all events it is true that wherever he came in contact with the lower animals he managed by some species of fascination to gain their affections. The mode of fascination began, no doubt, with their stomachs, but this does not alter the fact. Among other creatures Lawrence had gained the affections of Quashy's steed, and also of Manuela's and Pedro's horses, as well as his own, by means of sugar. With this simple appliance he went into the hollow, and held out his hand.

”Come, Ole Scrubby,” he cried, using Quashy's words.

With a cheerful neigh the rebellious one trotted up, received the sugar, and suffered himself to be led once more into servitude.

”Even among the brutes, Quash,” he remarked, as he patted the nose of his own steed, ”we are meant to `overcome evil with good.' Come, we must spend another night here, for it is too late to start off now; besides, I am tired out, and starving.”

”Ma.s.sa,” returned Quashy, as they mounted, ”I's done up to dat extent, an' _so_ hungry, I could sleep on p.r.i.c.kly pears, an' heat my wittles raw.”

In this condition of body and mind they galloped back to camp, and took particular care that the horses should not again stray.

Next morning, after breakfasting on the remains of their food, they mounted, and, taking the sun as their guide, headed away eastward at full gallop.

Silently and steadily for two hours or more they swept along over the Pampas waves, turning aside only a little once or twice to avoid ground that had been riddled and rendered unsafe by the biscachos.

As noon approached Quashy gave a shout, and pointed to the horizon ahead of them, where living objects of some kind were seen moving along.

”Ostriches,” said Lawrence.

”Dey's a noo kind ob ostriches wid four legs,” returned the negro, ”an'

wid peepil on deir backs.”

”I believe you are right. A party of mounted men, apparently. Come, this is well. Whoever they are we shall at least be able to gather some information from them, and, at the worst, we can follow them to some inhabited spot.”

”True, ma.s.sa, an' if dey's rubbers we kin fight dem.”

On drawing near they found that the riders belonged to a family of Gauchos. There were six of them--all fine-looking fellows, clad in the graceful, though ragged costume of the Pampas. One of their number was a little boy of about five years of age, who rode his horse with all the elegance and ease of a Spanish grandee, though only about the size of a large monkey.