Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1906-07-20

Finally they dropped off their bron-
chos on TO the glistening sand and
fell into dreamless sleep, minding not
at all the increasing heat rays and
the furry of cutting particles of South
American territory. Also, the bronchos
lay fiat on their sides, painting rapid
~.
So the two Americans progressed
toward the foothills of the Andes, al.
ways bound for a place called the
Lake Manuel Huapi. On the eighth
day they arrived-two sand.veneered
pilgrims out of the boundless spaces
OF the pampas, who looked so black
that native Argentinos and Chileans
marveled greatly when these new.
corners failed to respond to them in
the language of the land.
Once they came to little Welsh
settlement, where they met with much
hospitality, because Gill, in some oc-
cult manner. conveyed to them the
intelligence that he had recently come
from the home country. Later they
passed through little German set
Element, the inhabitants Of which wore
very long boards and liked them much
not only because they were Ameri
cans and not English, but because
they were members of the Anglo
Saxon race and not southrOns.
The objective was still Lake Ma
huel Huapi, and so the journey was
continued on fresh horses. They left
their old friends. thinned so spectac-
ularly that their bony frames, when
they stood aslant of the sun, refused
to cast shadows. Moreover, they
dropped their heads like brokendown
hack horses of American cities and in
general they were the most listless
animals that ever wore saddles.
Surprised the Natives.
Eventually they drifted into Chilelo.
which is one of the Argentine prov
inces in the boundary lands-in the
district called the Legion of the
Kings Award" because King Edward
VII. apportioned it between the chat,
ing powers of Argentina and Chill.
Here they met CHILEAN gauchos, who
visitors lasso steers with supreme
deXterity. The native cattlemen cour-
teOusly asked the newcomers to illus
trate further, and then. in all the
pride and glory of their training and
their citizenship, Messrs. Gill and Co
burn threw steer after steer, neatly
branded them. and in general per
formed with such rapidity that the
native ranchers opened their eyes
wide and chartered constantly
Gill and Coburn continued farther
southwark until they reached the re-
mote Indian settlements near Nell
moyu and saw natives. who, with star
ing eyes. came forward slowly and
felt of their faces and seemed Devil
dered to look upon men of white col
or. These Indians spoke a language
utterly unlike that of other Indians OF
any other country, but when the
Americans made overtures in the sign
language of the western plains of the
United States the response was imme
diate. The natives scurried into their
huts and brought ''yerba,' a form OF
tea. and eatables. and invited the
strange men to sit down and accept
their hospitality.
Guide Is Killed.
But these were pleasant diversions
of the long ride in the country of Ar
eentina. There came January day
when the sun warmed the foothills
of the Andes with summer heat and
the world was very beautiful. Still,
il was not wise travelling to neglect
the rocky road for the pleasures of
the scenery, for eventually the horse
of the guide stumbled. lost his bal
ance and fell off the trail. When the
Americans lay fiat on their stomachs
and looked down the abyss into the
mass of foliage below the horse and
rider were still descending. Mani
testify both were dead, so the travellers
gave up all hopes of rescuing them
and resumed their journey.
They were disappointed in the COM
mercial value of this country. Here
and there were excellent cattle graz
ing lands, but in general there were
no prolonged stretches of first-class
prairies, like the lands of Montana
and of other states of North America.
Besides, the grass was poor in quality,
the means of transportation hopeless
ly inadequate to the needs of the
century and, over and above
all, the cost of the enterprise was eX
cessive.
Therefore they turned and went
until they saw the pampas
and then for nine more days they fac
ed the blood heat of the day and the
frosts of the night and the
pitiless swirl of sand, until they ar
rived in Neu Quen again. Thence
they travelled by train to Bahia Blan.
ca.
The air of Bahia Blanca was sugges-
tive of the air of home and a steam