The ranchero could have easily dispensed with this factitious generosity of the officer, the cost of which he well knew he should have to pay out of his own pocket. However, he executed the order, hiding the chagrin he felt under the most gracious air he could assume. The cries and protestations of federalism were renewed with redoubled ardour: the brandy circulated, and joy seemed to have reached a climax.
The lieutenant next took a guitar, which happened to lie beside him.
"Come, muchachos," said he; "a zambacueca" (a Mexican dance). "Voto a Dios, Room for the dance."
There was no refusing. Whatever the secret fears of those present, the gracious invitation of the colorado was so neatly put, that they were obliged to take heart of grace, as the saying is, and play their parts to the end. It was the best plan to resign themselves to their lot. They were in the claws of the tiger, who might devour them at any moment if the fancy seized him.
The middle of the room was cleared; the dancers, male and female, took their places, their eyes fixed on the officer, in expectation of his signal.
They had not long to wait; as soon as the lieutenant saw his victims prepared, he swallowed an enormous bumper of refino, and set himself to rattle on the guitar with his knuckles; while he sang, or rather screeched, in a shaky voice, the gay zambacueca so well known in the Argentine provinces, and which begins with the following charming verse:
"Para que vas y vienes,
Vienes y vas.
Si otros andar menos,
Consiguen más?"[2]
It has been truly said that the Spaniards are excessively fond of dancing; but in this, as in many other matters, the South Americans have left them far behind They have carried this passion to such a pitch, that it reaches the limits of folly. The scene we are about to describe will prove the truth of our assertion.
These very men, who had only consented to dance because, as one may say, the knife was at their throats, and were still under the influence of extreme terror, had scarcely heard for a few minutes the groaning chords of the guitar, and the words which marked the time, than they immediately forgot their precarious position, and gave themselves up heart and soul, in a sort of savage frenzy, to their favourite pastime.
Those who at first had prudently kept themselves within bounds, in consequence of their anxiety, were soon fascinated by the bounds of the dancers, and leaped and stamped, howling, like the others, with all the strength of their lungs.