Some horsemen watched them. As the sun went down,

The waggon reached the estancia builded like a town.

With wide corrales where the horses squealed,

Biting and lashing out; some half-wild hounds

Gnawed at the cowbones littered on the field,

Or made the stallions stretch their picket bounds.

Some hides were drying; horsemen came from rounds,

Unsaddled stiff, and turned their mounts to feed,

And then brewed bitter drink and sucked it through a reed.

The Irishman removed his pipe and spoke: