Evening star., 1898-12-31

an old skull cap, or soft SLOUGH hat. Up
on the upper part of his body hangs a
blanket, often striped in bright colors
through the center of which his head is
thrust. Another blanket is wound about
his waist and pulled between the legs and
fastened. out of this lower blanket white
drawers extend down to his ankles. These
are often edged at the bottom with
lace, while bright red or blue Slip
pers may cover his feet. He usually
be decorated with silver buckles and ban
giles. He is fond of silver, and decorates
the trappings of his horse with it when
ne possibly can. He has the best horse he
can buy, steal or borrow, and his saddle is
often adorned with silver stirrups, while
the bit of his bride is often silver-plated
and usually Of great size. A gaucho is
never without horse. Even If he has to
morse, the Argentine being one of the few
countries of the world where the beggars
really go about on horseback.
The Homes of the Pampas.
You Will see the homes Of the gauchos
scattered over the pampas. Let me de-
scribe one 1t is a mud hut fifteen feet
square and so low that you have to stoop
to enter the door. The floor is the earth.
and there is no furniture except the skulls
or bullocks which are used for seats and a
table made of a board or two, which the
gaucho has probably stolen from some rich
land owner near by. The only table 4urni-
1si 1ufe TO be seen is couple of tin pans
Inc gaucho does not need cooking uten-
Sis. lie roasts his meat on a spit over the
Hre he makes outside the door. As the
meat cooks he bastes it with the juice
Which he catches in the pan and then cuts
It off, slice at time. He does not need a
lork, but holds one end of the slice in his
hahd ana cllnches the other end between
his teeth, while ne draws his knife across
nj frcJ, pfI,
at every bite. His favorite dish is carne
c3ncuero. This is meat cooked with the
SKIN. The meat is wrapped up tightly in
the skin, and thus cooked over the Goals
The skin keeps in the juices and the result
is delicious.
HOspitabfe, hut Dangerous
The gaucho is very hospitabe If YOU
come to his hut he will take you in and give
you the best he has, although he NAV in
tehd to stab you in the back as soon as YOU
nave gone lew rods away. He cares little
lor plood letting, and is always ready to
hsht. Every gaucho has his knife. and is
seldom backward in using it. Sometimes he
acts ike demon, stabbing without cause.
! heard of a gaucho who came along one
DAY where woman was working with her
little boy beside her. AS lie gaucho saw
the boy he said:
Il feel like killing some one."
ana with that he took up the boy and
atAppeu HILL nedru or another gaucho
who shot boy with no more proyocation
than the above. Neither OF these men was
hung for murder.
The gauchos often have duels. Their
IasoIlte method OF fighting is with knives.
Inc duellsts upon some such occasions have
their left legs tied together, each kneeling
upon the right knee, SO ,.,at they face one
another. Each man is now given a poncho
OF blanket which he l..rows over his left
arm and uses as guard and a knife which
ne hoIds III his right hand. AT a word from
the principal the two men begin to stab II
drops dead. ~
And do such men have wives and fam
lLes! YES but they do not often waste
t.I tneir money on weddings. for weddings,
countries. They are performed bv the
priest, who must have his fee before he will
tie the golden bands of matrmonv The
gauchos are good lovers as well as good
matters. They are said to be affectionate
husbands and good fathers when they are
sober, though very cruel when drunk AL
most all of them are drunkards at times.
y lney IKE 10 gamble and play billiards, and
scattered over the pampas you will find
here and there little saloons, which are kent
up by the gauchos. They do not think II
wrong TO cheat at cards, and the man who
can cheat best Is considered the most skill
ful player. These gauchos make good SOL
dlers, and some of the best fighting of the
Argentine has been done by them. Today
the braveSt men in the army come from
this class, the Argentines of the cities not
comparing with them In activity or hray-
cry. FRANK G. CARPENTEp
When an earthquake occurs the entire
crust OF surface OF the earth experiences
some effects of the disturbance An earth.
quake in Calcutta, which was accurately
recorded, gave basis for determining the
sFeed OF transmission of the wave of dis.
.uroance que to the shock. The disturb.
ance was registered al Edinburgh Observa.
tcry. thousands of miles distant. and gave
speed of transmission OF six and Two.
tenths miles per second for the heavier
shocks and less than two miles per second
for the lighter ones.
The oldest house in America is in St An.
gustine. Fla. In 1854 1t was built by the
monks of the Order of st. Francis and The
whole Of the solid structure is composed OF
coquina, combination of sea shells and
mortar, which Is almost indestructfbIe
When Francis Drake sacked and burned
the town this was the only house left IL