Roughriders of the Pampas: A Tale of Ranch Life in South America

by F. S. Brereton

"Not yet," came the curt answer, "and it would have been better for him had he done so, though I should have followed. The fool does not know when there is danger. He has wonderful fortune. Think, man! I have raided his estancia more than once, and set the house in flames, and yet the fellow has escaped owing to some unforeseen chance. My men have attacked him in Montevideo, he has been waylaid in Buenos Ayres, and of late on the river. The dog has a charmed life. But his fortune is gone now. This time it has come in Antonio Sarvisti's direction."

"With this alteration," said the man beside him, as if determined to snatch at every chance to belittle the prospects of his own employer. "I was saying that this man Blunt is British. This young fellow who commands in front of us is of the same nationality, and we have met many besides. They are dogs for stubbornness. They will often fight when even an imbecile would see that further struggle is out of the question and likely to lead to death, and worse than that——"

He waited for a moment, while Antonio Sarvisti ground his teeth and muttered beneath his breath.

"Worse than that!" he exclaimed with rising anger. "Why, have you nothing but croaks to give? What is this other matter?"

"Simply this. The youth who commands is bosom friend to this Mr. Blunt, and he knows well what surrender means to his employer. You follow, amico? It is not his own skin and his own safety which troubles him; it is the security of his employer. There! He is British, I repeat; and men of that nation stick fast to one another. He would rather be slain himself than let you ride over to the estancia unexpectedly and murder his employer."

Having given vent to all that was on his mind, and, incidentally, roused his own rascally employer to a condition of furious anger, the gaucho who had been speaking calmly plucked another leaf from the overhanging branch, and proceeded to chew it thoughtfully. In his heart the fellow was tired of this master of his. He himself was not so young as he had been, and the constant fear of a sudden death at the hands of his employer had already begun to prey on his mind and unsettle him. He had had a warning of what he might expect that very night, and he had seen many a man shot by the cold-blooded ruffian beside him.

There was another reason to promote his dissatisfaction with his present employment. This gaucho had been unusually careful. He had not spent all his ill-gotten gains, but had hoarded them; at that very moment his mind turned to the thought of his wealth and to the spot where it was securely hidden.

"Pah!" he exclaimed beneath his breath. "I shall wait till this matter is settled, and then this Antonio Sarvisti must look for another lieutenant."

There was silence for a while between the two men, while each was engaged with his thoughts, which in the case of the leader of this robber band were none of the pleasantest. For this lieutenant of his had opened his eyes a little, and the Italian was beginning to lose some of his confidence. He could see now that even sixty men might not be able to help him, and that his own position in the forest was not a whit better than Dudley's. For many minutes he pondered on the situation, and wondered whether he should order his men to make a rush and so capture the band. But all the conquests of this robber band had been made by sudden and unexpected attacks. Often enough their raids were met by single men alone, totally unprepared to defend themselves. In consequence it was seldom that they had cause to mourn the loss of one of their number. But on this night two had been killed, while the shots which Dudley and his men had sent in response to the volleys aimed at them had resulted in half a dozen wounds amongst the enemy. The lesson had not been lost, and Antonio Sarvisti knew in his own mind that if he gave the order some at least of his following would not respond. There would be disobedience to his orders, and such a thing would be fatal when matters were so critical.

"Pshaw! I will starve the brat and his men," he exclaimed aloud. "I will keep a close ring drawn round him, and leave him till he makes up his mind to surrender."