Part 3 (1/2)
But when you are again at liberty it will be necessary for you to kill someone” Very much amazed, I asked hihter is now established in this depart ame of _pato,_ where the man that carries the duck away is pursued by all the others, and before they give up chasing him he must prove that he can keep what he has taken There are several fighters you do not knoho have resolved to pick quarrels with you in order to try your strength
In your next fight you reatly disturbed at this result of my accidental victory over Bias the Bearded, and did not at all appreciate the kind of greatness my officious friend Claro seemed so deter to hear that I had already established hter in so warlike a department as Paysandu, but then the consequences entailed were disagreeable, to say the least of it; and so, while thanking Eyebrows for his friendly hint, I resolved to quit the _estancia_ at once I would not run away from the authorities, since I was not an evil-doer, but fro people for the sake of peace and quietness I certainly would depart And early nextabond's Rest to pursue my adventures elsewhere
CHAPTER V
Faith in the _estancia_ as a field for my activities had been weak frouished it altogether; and after hearing that ostrich parable I had only reo back towards Montevideo, not, however, over the route I had co a wide circuit into the interior of the country, where I would explore a new field, and perhaps meet with so in a south-westerly direction towards the Rio Marlo in the Tacuarembo depart anxious to get well away frohbourhood where I was expected to kill someone, I did not rest till I had ridden about twenty-five et some refreshment at a little roadside _pulperia_ It was a wretched-looking place, and behind the iron bars protecting the interior, giving it the appearance of a wild beast's cage, lounged the storekeeper slish-looking faces One was a handso felloith a someorn and dissipated look on his bronzed face; he was leaning against the counter, cigar in e revolver slung ostentatiously at his waist
His co, heavy rey, as evidently very drunk, for he was lying full-length on a bench, his face purple and swollen, snoring loudly I asked for bread, sardines, and wine, and, careful to observe the custo ht, auinary quarrel, and of quarrelling I had just then had enough
He declined with thanks, and entered into conversation with me; then the discovery, quickly reat pleasure He at once offered to takeaccount of the free, jovial life he led in coentleht a piece of land and settled down to sheep-farladly accepted the invitation, and e had finished our glasses he proceeded to wake the sleeper
”Hullo, I say, Cap, wake up, old boy,” shouted o hoht--up you come Now let me introduce you to Mr Laain! damn it, old Cloud, that's unreasonable, to say the least of it”
At length, after a great deal of shouting and shaking, he succeeded in rousing his drunken coered up and stared at me in an imbecile manner
”Now let me introduce you,” said the other ”Mr Lamb My friend, Captain Cloudesley Wriothesley Bravo! Steady, old cock--now shake hands”
The Captain said nothing, but tookforwards as if about to eot hi hi off Half an hour's ride brought us to my host Mr
Vincent Winchco little horeenery and flowers, and filled with pleasant rievously disappointed to find that his ”ho _rancho,_ with a ditch round it, protecting so appeared Mr Winchcombe explained, however, that he had not yet had tis, don't you know,” he said
”I don't see them,” I returned
”Well, no; we had a lot of caterpillars and blister beetles and things, and they ate everything up, don't you know,” said he
The room into which he conducted e deal table and so ainst the walls On every available place were pipes, pouches, revolvers, cartridge-boxes, and ear-basin, a monstrous tin teapot, and a demijohn, which I soon ascertained was half-full of Brazilian ru, drinking tea and ru excitedly, all of theaveout tea and ru pipes and pouches towards me
”You see,” said Mr Winchcoether, ten of us settlers here going in for sheep-far Four of us have already built houses and bought sheep and horses The other six fellows live with us from house to house, don't you know Well, we've eested it--and it is that every day one of the four--the Glorious Four we are called--keeps open house; and it's considered the right thing for the other nine fellows to drop in on hi the day, just to cheer him up a bit Well, we soon made the discovery--old Cloud, I fancy, s to have on these occasions To-day it was my day, and to-morroill be some other fellow's, don't you know And, by Jove, how lucky I was to meet you at the _pulperia!_ It will be ever so much jollier now”
I had certainly not stulish paradise in this Oriental wilderness, and as it alwaysinto inteenerally, I was not rapturously delighted with ”old Cloud's”
systelishmen in this distant country, and in the end I succeeded inmyself tolerably happy
The discovery that I had a voice pleased thereatly, and when, so cavendish, rum, and black tea, I roared out:
And may his soul in heaven dwell Who first found out the leather botel,
they all got up and dranktumblers, and declared they would never let uests departed, all except the Captain He had sat with us at the table, but was too far gone in his cups to take part in the boisterous fun and conversation Once in about every five ive hiht for his pipe, then, after two or three ineffectual puffs, he would let it go out again He had also atte, but soon relapsed again into his imbecile condition