Sleep was sweet that night, and Francisco's head was scarcely on his pillow when guanacos, vicuñas and even gauchos were forgotten in dreamless slumber.
FOOTNOTE:
[20] River.
CHAPTER IX
A SUCCESSFUL SEARCH
There was not a dull moment for Francisco during the weeks that followed. Don Carlos, the superintendent, lived in the great house the year through. He was a bachelor and a man of education, so that when the Colonel came each summer he insisted that he keep his usual quarters; for the house was very extensive and the Colonel enjoyed his company at meals and during the long evenings.
Francisco had accompanied Don Carlos on several excursions and once, with a tropilla of horses (eight or ten riding horses driven loose by a peon for fresh mounts on a long journey), they had gone on a journey of five days to a neighbouring estancia to purchase algarroba posts for the extensive fencing that was taking place on the Tres Arroyas ranch. This algarroba wood is like iron and under water is almost imperishable.
They had passed by one small estancia devoted almost exclusively to peanut culture; there were leagues and leagues of them being raised to be shipped to the Mediterranean ports to be made into olive oil. They had their dinner at this estancia and Francisco ate bread made from powdered peanuts mixed with wheat flour and he found it very delicious.