Chatting together as they rode, trotting at times, and at others going at a gentle amble, they finally reached their camping ground for the night, and slid from their horses. It took but a little while to water the beasts and to feed them, when, leaving them to the enjoyment of their meal, Dudley and his employer went for a stroll, while Pepito, his sleeves rolled to the elbow, lit a fire, placed a kettle upon it, and skewered a piece of deer flesh on his ramrod. Presently the meal was ready, and when it was finished, and Mr. Blunt had smoked his cigar, saddles were placed on end, blankets laid on the ground, and in a little while the three were sleeping, their ponchos wrapped well round them, and only the stars above to look down upon their recumbent figures.
On the following afternoon they reached the port at which Dudley had first disembarked, and were lucky in getting a boat at once.
"One never knows how they will be running," said Mr. Blunt, "and I have made it a practice, when going down to the coast, to send in a messenger a few days before to get tidings of the boats. This is luck, and in a matter of three days we shall be at Buenos Ayres. On the way down we will go thoroughly into these matters we have been speaking of."
Two days later, after a most pleasant sail down the Paraná, they arrived at their destination, and Mr. Blunt at once led the way to a business house with which he was acquainted.
"I have an agent here who buys my cattle," he said. "The beasts are driven to slaughterhouses near the river, and there the flesh is dried. Boats lie alongside the little dock, and at once carry the dried flesh, the hides, and hoofs, and horns, down to Buenos Ayres. It is a good arrangement, for once the beasts are handed over by my gauchos I have no further trouble. The time has come to clear some of the herds out, and that is partly the reason of my visit here. Now, this is the house. You will see that my friends here will be able to supply us with all that we want. They are general agents, and buy or sell everything from live beasts to nails and tinned tacks."
The firm to which he went were indeed exceedingly up-to-date, and once they had ascertained Mr. Blunt's wants, and had looked over his lists, they declared that they could obtain all the articles within three days.
"The guns we shall get here, as well as ammunition," said the manager. "Then the tools, nails, and other things are in this store, so that they will not delay you. The wood is the only difficulty. You say, Mr. Blunt, that there is not sufficient up near your estancia?"
"That is so," was the answer. "What there is, is too small. Besides, I haven't men enough to spare for cutting. It will be cheaper to buy round or squared logs and ship them to the cattle station. From there they can be carted to the corrals. That reminds me, I shall want a couple of dozen extra hands to help with the buildings."
In half an hour the details of the whole order had been arranged. Mr. Blunt was advised to charter a boat to carry all the stores to be obtained in Buenos Ayres, and to pick up his logs at a port higher up the river, where it would be cheaper.
"You will have to send up several loads, without doubt," said the manager, "for one of the boats would not carry enough for one fort even. The boat will be chartered this evening, and the loading can commence to-morrow. I will engage a couple of dozen men, if possible, and they can go up with you."