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

by F. S. Brereton

As it happened, however, the voyage downstream which the trio had been compelled to make was shortly afterwards brought to a sudden conclusion. It was densely dark, and in consequence steering was impossible, for it was seldom that Mr. Blunt caught a glimpse of the banks. Indeed, some few minutes later the boat grounded upon a bank of mud, coming to a standstill so gently that those aboard were hardly aware of the circumstances.

"The difficulty vanishes," laughed Mr. Blunt, when all were sure of what had occurred. "We may just as well make ourselves comfortable for the remainder of the night, for we are fast ashore. I don't think we need fear a second attack from our enemies, for they are far behind us, and if they venture to follow will probably run past us without even seeing our spars. But I fancy they will be too busy looking to their own safety. They know very well that I shall take steps to have a search made for them, though it is little enough that one can expect from such action. Still, there are police down at Buenos Ayres, and some also at the settlements lying between us and that city. I shall make complaints, and try to stir the authorities up to some sort of action. But I fear little will come of it, for the cities and settlements are too busy to spare men for police duties, as a rule, while the country is so vast, there are such numbers of unregistered foreigners in it, that arrest of evildoers becomes a rare occurrence. Still, I will make my complaints, and will then return to the estancia. For the next few months I will devote myself to the building of forts, for I know now that the rascal who has on former occasions caused attacks to be made on me is still in the country. He will not rest after this. There are a hundred cut-throats to be had in the ports of Montevideo and Buenos Ayres, broken down gauchos and other ruffians. We must make preparation to meet them in case a second band is organized. And now for a sleep. As I said, there is practically no fear of interruption, for now that those rascals have failed they will be eager to make good their escape."

Feeling secure against further attack, and having assured themselves that their vessel was hard and fast on the mud, the trio lowered the sail and stepped down into the cabin so lately occupied by the Italian and his rascals. The door had been left wide open, and as a consequence the pokey little place had been thoroughly aired. However, when the lamp had been set alight, the feeble illumination it gave showed to some extent the character of its late inhabitants. Tin pannikins, some half-filled with spirit and water, still lay on the table, while the stone jar had rolled on to the floor, where it had smashed into a hundred pieces, scattering them and what little was left of the contents all over the cabin. Dudley at once took a broom, which he found on the deck, and swept the boards clean. Then some sacking was procured, and within a little while all were fast asleep, Harold hugging himself closely in some sacking; for the night had been a little cool, and his soaking garments had not conduced to warmth.

A brilliant sun greeted the trio as they came on deck on the following morning.

"As I thought," said Mr. Blunt in tones of satisfaction. "We are ashore on the mud, and should be able to push the vessel off with poles. No damage has been done to our craft, and we shall soon have an opportunity of acting as navigators. But what about some breakfast? Come, Harold, you shall be our cook to-day, and Dudley shall supervise your work. He is a practised hand after his life on the pampas."

The two young fellows ran off to see what the ship's larder contained, and very soon a column of black smoke was rising from the funnel which protruded from the galley. As for Mr. Blunt, while he waited the results of his two young friends' efforts, he carefully surveyed his surroundings, and was overjoyed to see, a mile or more up the river, and almost wholly out of sight round a gentle bend, the boat which he and Dudley had chartered.

"Then I feel fairly sure of obtaining my goods again," he said, as he watched the craft. "I see no one moving aboard her, and as she, too, has run ashore, I fancy the rascals who were aboard her have decamped. But they shall hear from me later, and in the meanwhile I have a bone to pick with the crew of both vessels. It seems to me that they must have known of this proposed attack, and have absented themselves purposely."

This was, indeed, the fact, for unknown to him the crew of the boat he had chartered had slipped ashore across the gangway soon after the hands he had hired had made their way to the saloons; while the men who manned the boat on which he found himself now had dropped into their small boat and followed the same plan.

It was in the dinghy which they had used to get ashore that his own hands had put out into the river in order to join their accomplices.

"Breakfast!" shouted Dudley, appearing at the door of the galley in his shirt sleeves, and bearing a smoking pan in his hands. "Now, Harold, pass Mr. Blunt the bill of fare and get into the cabin to lay the cloth. We shall want forks and knives."