Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1901-12-27
Ha;SSseSS22z22
J Dat on the Pampas ]
y sya. A. HeNry g
Frank Mrs. Hardy asked.

Frans:' Mrs. Hardy asked.
1.-The next plot to ours belongs to three
young EngliShmcn. and the ground be-
tween us and Rosario is also principally
occupied 10y English: so that we shall
have n%eighbors near. and l do not sup
pose that it will he long before we have
them all around u.s."
"lf the advantages of the place are so
great. Frank, how is it that you ave got
il so very c%hcaply: | understood from
Mr.. Thompson that land in IL rising neigh
borhood. and that WAS likely to increase
in value, WIS worth two OF three shil-
li!gs. or even more. an acre"
MIR. Hardy licsitatcd.' We'll. Clara.
tine land is at present upon The extreme
verge of the settlements. and the Indians
are apt sometimes TO he q; little trouble
some. and to drive off a; few horses or
cattle. No doubt. the thing has lccn, c&-
a@geratcd: still, there is something in 1t.
and the consequence is people are rather
afraid to bid, and | have got this spl,n-
did tract of land for about twenty-five
hundred dollars: and, not improbably, in
ten years ii may he worth ten times as
much.'
IA great proportion of these Indian
tales arc built upon very small founda-
tions." MIR. Thompson said, cliecringly.
In another two days Mr.. Hardy and
the boys. accompanied by Mir. Thompson.
! Went down to Buenos .Ayres and took up
their quarters AT the hotel for Il night.
At parting, Mr.. Thompson presented
them with n couple of fine mastiffs. MIR.
Hardy had brought Il brace of retricvcrs
y-itl In, ni,, x,i+J lD., ~.
and mucil Misunderstanding. they said Good
by as the steamer moved off from tho
shore. The heavy luggage was to follow
in a sailing vessel upon the following day.
CHAPTER Ill.
The voyage up the river Iarana was
marked by no particular incident. The
distance to Rosario from Buenos .Ayres
is about two hundred and fifty miles,
which was performed by the steamer in
about Il day and Il half. The river is
nearly twenty miles in breadth. and is
completely studded by islands. The boys
We're disappointed at the aspect of Ito-
sario. which, although a rising place,
contained under IA thousand Inhabitants.
after Bucnos .Ayres. Here they were
lllCl ny al StlltlClilitll 10 Mlloul MI. Jump
son had introduced MIR. Hardy, and with
whom he had stayed on his first visit
to Rosario. He had brought horses for
themselves and bullock carts for their
luggage.
What! are these your boys, MIR. HAIR
dy? l had not expected to nave seen
such big fellows. Why, they will be
men in no time
~
Charley and Hubert deserved Mr.. Per-
cy's commentator. They were now sin
teen and fifteen years old. respectively,
and We're remarkably strong. wcll-grown
lads. In a few minutes the luggage was
packed in two bullock carts. and they
were OF their way ont to Mr.. Pcrcy's sta
tion, which WAS about half way TO the
camp of Mr.. Hardy. The word camp in
the pampas mems station or property;
it is Il corruption of the Spanish word
caspos, literally plains or meadows.
Here they found that Mr.. Percy had
most satisfactorily performed the com
mission with which Mr.. Hardy had in
trusted him. He had bought Il couple of
the rough country bullock carts, three
! pairs of oxen accustomed to the yoke,
half Il dozen riding horses, two mich
COWS. and Il score of sheep and cattle to
supply the larder. He had hired four men
"a stock keeper named Lopez, who was
called the capitaZ or head man, Il tall,
Swarthy fellow. whose father was a Span
lard and his mother Il native woman:
two laborerS, the one Il German. called
Hans, who had been some time in the
colony, the other an lrishman, Terence
kelly, whose face the boys remembered
Mt once as having come out in the same
ship with themselves. The last man WAS
an American. one of those wandering fell
lows who are never contcntcd to remain
anywhere. but are always pushing on,
as if they. thought that the further they
went the better they should fare. H.
WAS engaged as carpenter and useful
man, and there were few things to which
he could not turn his hand.
They waited the next day at MIR. Per-
cy's station. and started the next MORN
ing before daylight. as they had sill
ten miles 10 travel. and. were DESTROYS
of getting as early TO the ground rs pos
sihlc.
The boys were in The highest spirits
ut being ut last really out upon the
pampas. There WAS no road or track of
amy kind, and consequently the party
StihSS!th uiolS III IL tOlluStu UOtN. L lTSI
came the animals-the sheep, b;,liocks
and COWS. Behind these rode Lohez, in
his gnacho dress and Il long whip in his
hand, which he cracked from time TO
time, with 81 report like that of Il pistol.
The first bullock cart was driven by
Hans. who sat upon the top of a heap of
baggage. his head covered With a very
old and battered Panama hat. through
several broad holes in which his rod hair
bristled out in Il most comic fashion. and
over his blue flannel shirt Il large red
beard flowed almost to his waist. Terence
was walking by the side of the second
cart in corduroy breeches and CATERS
and blue coat, with a high black hat,
battered and bruised out of all shape. on
his head. In his hand he held IL favorite
shillalah. which he had brought with him
from his native land, and with the end
of which he occasionally poked the ribs
of the oxen. The Yankee rode sometim $
near one. sometimes by another. seldom
exchanging Il word with any one. He
wore Il fur cap made of foN's skin; a fad.
ed blanket. with 4 hole cut in the mid
i r..