"The grass flares at once," said Pietro, when warning him, "and I have seen a gringo set the pampas on fire and have to ride for his life. Then scores of gauchos have had to gather, and for days perhaps the battle has gone on between them and the flames. The señor must cut the grass in a circle always before lighting the thistle tops, or he must choose a rocky place. Then he must always stamp out the embers, or the wind may carry a small portion, or animals kick the hot ashes into the grass."
Dudley carefully followed out the directions given him, and then sauntered off to the corral, carrying his huge spurs now with absolute ease and comfort, and being, in fact, quite unconscious of them. He found the gauchos collecting in preparation for the day's work, and as Mr. Blunt had not yet arrived, these men of the pampas seized the opportunity of seeing for themselves what the newcomer could do.
"There are no wagers this time, señor," said Pietro, standing beside Dudley with an unconscious air of pride about him, as if it were he who had introduced the latest gringo, and was responsible for his actions and for his ability. "The men have asked me how long you have been in the country, and they can scarcely believe that you are such a shot. I have told them, and so have the comrades who looked on, how you beat Giono. But no; they cannot credit the statements."
"And I cannot blame them," came the answer. "Of course it is funny to find a gringo able to shoot. But then you can let the gauchos know that Mr. Blunt gave me heaps of practice on the voyage out. I suppose, too, that there are some fellows who get hold of a knack quickly. For instance, some men can ride almost at once, while others can never manage a horse."
"That may be true in your country, señor, but not in this. Here we gauchos ride from infancy. There was a time, no doubt, before the Spaniards came, and introduced horses, when the Indian knew nothing about riding. But nowadays we never walk far. Horses are cheap. An active man who can wield a bolas can always borrow a mount and go out on the pampas to make a catch. Then he has merely to break in the animal. I said that we ride from infancy. I remember that the very first time I ever mounted a horse was when I was tiny, and far too small to reach his back in the ordinary way. Fortunately he was a quiet beast, for as he cropped the grass in front of my father's hut I caught him by the tail, and with the help of a brother, as small as myself, I swarmed up on to his quarters. That, señor, was my first attempt. As to the knack of shooting, every gaucho can shoot, but it is not all, or even many who have an eye and a hand such as yours. The gift is a fine one; I wish I had it. But the señor will do what the men wish?"
"Certainly, I'll do my best. That shot at the flying pith ball was more or less of a fluke, but I might manage it again. At any rate I'll try."
He pulled his revolver from his pocket as the men gathered round, and then stood nursing the barrel just as he had done on the previous occasion. Pietro himself threw the bolas as before, and to Dudley's delight, and, to be honest, to his amazement, he had the good fortune to strike the pith ball at the first shot and shatter it into a hundred or more pieces.
"Bueno! That is shooting, comrades," exclaimed the big, melancholy-looking man who had shaken hands with him on the previous day. "The señor can shoot, and by all accounts he is brave and can swim. Who knows, perhaps he can ride also. Whatever more he can do he is certainly the best gringo we have ever seen. Let the señor take the advice of an old gaucho. Let him learn to draw his weapon swiftly. Therein lies the secret of safety and of victory when dealing with the rough men of the pampas. Now we shall hope to show him how we ride."
He went into the corral with a dozen of his comrades, Pietro being amongst them, while Mr. Blunt came up to Dudley's side. Together they watched as the gauchos inspected the captive horses, their trained eyes picking out the younger and more suitable animals. As for the poor beasts themselves, they were excessively wild, and now that so many strange figures surrounded them they were almost mad with terror, all save one grand animal, the father of the herd. He stood with head lifted and ears pricked up, his eyes blazing; and presently, as the gauchos approached, he gave a snort of rage and dashed at them.
"Watch and you will see some quick work and some fun," said Mr. Blunt. "If that wild fellow were to catch any of the men it would go hard with them. Look at them running."