i sat there till it was very dark, and the longer i sat the colder and stiffer i grew, yet i felt no disposition to walk farther. at length a large owl, flapping down close to my head, gave utterance to a long hiss, followed by a sharp, clicking sound, ending with a sudden loud, laugh-like cry. the nearness of it startled me, and, looking up, i saw a twinkling yellow light gleam for a moment across the wide, black plain, then disappear. a few fireflies were flitting about the grass, but i felt sure the gleam just witnessed proceeded from a fire; and after vainly trying to catch sight of it again from my seat on the ground, i rose and walked on, keeping before me a particular star shining directly over the spot where that transient glimmer had appeared. presently, to my great joy, i spied it again in the same place, and felt convinced that it was the gleam of firelight shining from the open door or window of some rancho or estancia house. with renewed hope and energy i hastened on, the light increasing in brightness as i progressed; and, after half an hour's brisk walking, i found myself approaching a human dwelling of some kind. i could make out a dark mass of trees and bushes, a long, low house, and, nearer to me, a corral, or cattle-pen, of tall, upright posts. now, however, when a refuge seemed so close, the fear of the terrible, savage dogs kept on most of these cattle-breeding establishments made me hesitate. unless i wished to run the risk of being shot, it was necessary to shout loudly to make my approach known, yet by shouting i would inevitably bring a pack of huge, frantic dogs upon me; and the horns of the angry bull i had encountered were less terrible to contemplate than the fangs of these powerful, truculent brutes. i sat down on the ground to consider the position, and presently heard the clatter of approaching hoofs. immediately afterwards three men rode past me, but did not see me, for i was crouching down behind some scrubby bushes. when the horsemen approached the house the dogs rushed forth to assail them, and their loud, fierce barking, and the wild shouts of some person from the house calling them off, were enough to make a dismounted man nervous. however, now was my only chance, and, starting up, i hurried on towards the noise. as i passed the corral the brutes became aware of my approach, and instantly turned their attention on me. i wildly shouted. “ave maria,” then, revolver in hand, stood awaiting the onset; but when they were near enough for me to see that the pack was composed of eight or ten huge yellow mastiff-like brutes, my courage failed, and i fled to the corral, where, with an agility surpassing that of a wild cat, so great was my terror, i climbed up a post and placed myself beyond their reach. with the dogs furiously barking under me, i renewed my shouts of “ave maria”—the proper thing to do when you approach a strange house in these pious latitudes. after some time the men approached—four of them—and asked me who i was and what i did there. i gave an account of myself, then asked whether it would be safe for me to descend. the master of the house took the hint, and drove his faithful protectors off, after which i came down from my uncomfortable perch.
he was a tall, well-made, but rather fierce-looking gaucho, with keen black eyes, and a heavy black beard. he seemed suspicious of me—a very unusual thing in a native's house, and asked me a great many searching questions; and finally, still with some reluctance in his manner, he invited me into the kitchen. there i found a big fire blazing merrily on the raised clay hearth in the centre of the large room, and seated near it an old grey-haired woman, a middle-aged, tall, dark-skinned dame in a purple dress—my host's wife; a pale, pretty young woman, about sixteen years old, and a little girl. when i sat down my host began once more questioning me; but he apologised for doing so, saying that my arrival on foot seemed a very extraordinary circumstance. i told them how i had lost my horse, saddle, and poncho in the wood, and then related my encounter with the bull. they listened to it all with very grave faces, but i am sure it was as good as a comedy to them. don sinforiano alday—the owner of the place, and my questioner—made me take off my coat to exhibit the bruises the bull's hoofs had inflicted on my arms and shoulders. he was anxious, even after that, to know something more about me, and so to satisfy him i gave him a brief account of some of my adventures in the country, down to my arrest with marcos marcó, and how that plausible gentleman had made his escape from the magistrate's house. that made them all laugh, and the three men i had seen arrive, and who appeared to be casual visitors, became very friendly, frequently passing me the rum-bottle with which they were provided.
after sipping maté and rum for half an hour we settled down to discuss a plentiful supper of roast and boiled beef and mutton, with great basins of well-seasoned broth to wash it down. i consumed an amazing quantity of meat, as much, in fact, as any gaucho there; and to eat as much as one of these men at a sitting is a feat for an englishman to boast about. supper done, i lit a cigar and leant back against the wall, enjoying many delightful sensations all together—warmth, rest, and hunger satisfied, and the subtle fragrance of that friend and comforter, divine tobacco. on the farther side of the room my host was meanwhile talking to the other men in low tones. occasional glances in my direction seemed to show that they still harboured some suspicion of me, or that they had some grave matters to converse about unsuitable for a stranger to hear.
at length alday rose and addressed me. “señor, if you are ready to rest i will now conduct you to another room, where you can have some rugs and ponchos to make a bed with.”
“if my presence here is not inconvenient,” i returned, “i would rather remain and smoke by the fire.”
“you see, señor,” he said, “i have arranged to meet some neighbours and friends, who are coming here to discuss matters of importance with me. i am even now expecting their arrival, and the presence of a stranger would scarcely allow us to talk freely over our affairs.”
“since you wish it, i will go to any part of the house you may think proper to put me in,” i returned.
i rose, not very cheerfully, i must say, from my comfortable seat before the fire, to follow him out, when the tramp of galloping horses came to our ears.
“follow me this way—quick,” exclaimed my impatient conductor; but just as i reached the door about a dozen mounted men dashed up close to us and burst forth in a perfect storm of yells. instantly all those who were in the kitchen sprang to their feet uttering loud exclamations and looking greatly excited. then came from the mounted men another wild outburst as they all yelled together, “viva el general santa coloma—viv—a.”
the other three men then rushed from the kitchen, and in excited tones began to ask if anything fresh had happened. meanwhile i was left standing at the door by myself. the women appeared almost as excited as the men, except the girl, who had glanced at me with shy compassion in her large, dark eyes when i had been roused from my seat by the fire. taking advantage of the general excitement, i now repaid that kindly look with one of admiration. she was a quiet, bashful girl, her pale face crowned with a profusion of black hair; and while she stood there waiting, apparently unconcerned by the hubbub outside, she looked strangely pretty, her homemade cotton gown, of limp and scanty material, clinging closely to her limbs so as to display her slender, graceful form to the best advantage. presently, seeing me looking at her, she came near, and, touching my arm in passing, told me in a whisper to go back to my seat by the fire. i gladly obeyed her, for my curiosity was now thoroughly aroused, and i wished to know the meaning of this outcry which had thrown these phlegmatic gauchos into such a frenzied state of excitement. it looked rather like a political row—but of general santa coloma i had never heard, and it seemed curious that a name so seldom mentioned should be the rallying cry of revolutionists.
in a few minutes the men all streamed back into the kitchen. then the master of the house, alday, his face on fire with emotion, thrust himself into the midst of the crowd.
“boys, are you mad!” he cried. “do you not see a stranger here? what is the meaning of all this outcry if nothing new has happened?”
a roar of laughter from the new-comers greeted this outburst, after which they raised another yell of “viva santa colomal!”
alday became furious. “speak, madmen!” he shouted; “tell me, in god's name, what has happened—or do you wish to ruin everything with your imprudence?”
“listen, alday,” replied one of the men, “and know how little we need fear the presence of a stranger. santa coloma, the hope of uruguay, the saviour of his country, who will shortly deliver us out of the power of colorado assassins and pirates—santa coloma has come! he is here in our midst; he has seized on el molino del yí, and has raised the standard of revolt against the infamous government of montevideo! viva santa colomal!”
alday flung his hat off, and, falling on his knees, remained for some moments in silent prayer, his hands clasped before him. the others all snatched off their hats and stood silent, grouped about him. then he stood up, and all together joined in a viva, which far surpassed in its deafening power their previous performances.
my host now appeared to be almost beside himself with excitement.
“what,” he cried, “my general come! do you tell me that santa coloma has come? oh, friends, the great god has remembered our suffering country at last! he has grown weary of looking on man's injustice, the persecutions, the bloodshed, the cruelties that have almost driven us mad. i cannot realise it! let me go to my general, that these eyes that have watched for his coming may see him and rejoice. i cannot wait for daylight—this very night must i ride to el molino, that i may see him and touch him with my hands, and know that it is not a dream.”
his words were welcomed with a shout of applause, and the other men all immediately announced their intention to accompany him to el molino, a small town on the yí some leagues distant.
some of the men now went out to catch fresh horses, while alday busied himself in bringing out a store of old broadswords and carbines from their concealment in some other part of the house. the men, talking excitedly together, occupied themselves in scouring and sharpening the rusty weapons, while the women cooked a fresh supply of meat for the last comers; and in the meantime i was permitted to remain unnoticed by the fire, smoking peacefully.
