CHAPTER VII
ON THE RANCH
"WHAT is that you have, Manuel?" cried Francisco, to one of the _peons_,five days later, as he sat under an ombu tree in the garden on hisuncle's _estancia_, playing with some tame _tierra_ birds, that kept thegarden clean of worms.
Manuel was one of the house _peons_ and he had a queer looking machinewith a long snout under his arm.
"Why, this is an ant destroyer, Senorito; would you care to watch mekill ants?"
For answer, Francisco ran eagerly to his side and the two walked towardthe peach orchard. Francisco had had five days of rest from his tiresomeride the day of the sale, and he was now ready for any new adventure.
They had arrived at the Tres Arroyas ranch three days before and he hadmade friends with every one connected with the house and gardens. Theheat had been too great to allow of any wider acquaintance, which wouldhave included the gauchos, or cowboys; at least the nearer ones, for theTres Arroyas ranch was very large, and Francisco never could have knownthem all. Jose had told him that one could ride all day from the centreand not reach its boundaries.
"Why do you use that to kill ants?" he asked of Manuel. "Our _servienta_at home uses hot water when they get into the _patio_."
"Ah, yes, Senorito, but these country ants come in such armies it wouldtake a geyser of boiling water to kill them. Now, we are here in theorchard; you can see how they destroy things."
Curious rivulets of tawny brown ran here and there as far as the eyecould reach.
"Last spring these ants fairly cleaned our peach trees of their tenderyoung leaves, and it was only by continuous labour that we exterminatedthem. Now, look at them! Thick as ever."
"But how can you kill millions of ants with so small a machine?"
"Well, I can't this afternoon. I brought the machine here to place itand get it ready; then early in the morning I will tap on the iron barsof your window and you must follow me."
It was scarcely more than dawn the next morning when Francisco heard thegentle tapping on the _rejas_ at his window. He had forgotten hisengagement with Manuel, and started up in bewilderment. The sight ofthe _peon_ reminded him and he hurried into his garments and was soonwith Manuel in the crisp morning air.
"A little more of the sun above the horizon and we would have been toolate for to-day," said the swarthy Spaniard, as he busied himselflighting the machine.
"Ants are early risers, and it's only by getting up before they havemade their morning toilets that we can manage to make war on them."
Francisco laughed at the idea of an ant bathing and dressing, and bentover on his knees beside Manuel who was scratching a match to light thedry rubbish in the cylindrical can, in one end of which was a smallamount of sulphur. He screwed a lid on the other end, inserted the snoutinto an ant hole and with a pair of bellows he sent the volumes ofsulphurous smoke into the labyrinthine passages of the ant houses.
"Look, look," excitedly cried Francisco, as quantities of smoke wereseen issuing from many holes, here and there, within a radius of severalhundred yards; showing how intricate and many winding are theunderground passages of these industrious pests.
"Yes, there won't be many ants getting out to work this morning. But ina short while they will be just as bad as ever."
They went from one part of the orchard to another until the sun was toohigh, and they were obliged to stop until another morning. Franciscolearned, as they walked toward the house, that these ants are the worstpest, excepting the locust, that the farmer has to combat. Theyparticularly delight in carrying away whole beds of strawberries andthey often come in armies that swarm over every obstacle in their path.
As they entered the house, Francisco noticed that his uncle had had_cafe_ and was in his riding breeches ready for a morning gallop.
"May I go with you, Uncle Juan?" cried Francisco.
"Hey! That's spirit for you! Rode yourself to fragments a few days agoand ready for another trial to-day. _Che_," clapping his hands as a_peon_ appeared.
"Saddle Barboza for the Senorito, _inmediatamente_."
Francisco gulped his _cafe_ and nibbled at a biscuit, but he was tooexcited to eat more.
When the horses were brought to the door, his eyes gleamed, for he sawthat the smaller horse, that was to be his to ride while he was on the_estancia_, was resplendent in a new saddle, bridle and bit. The servantbrought a set of solid silver spurs and smart leather riding boots whichhe assisted Francisco to put on, and which he told him his uncle had hadsent with the saddle and outfit from the city.
The stirrups were of silver, beautifully chased, and the head stall,ornaments for the brow band which covers most of the horse's face, andthe _pretel_ bangles that jingled across the horse's breast, were all ofthe same valuable metal. It was indeed the outfit of a gentleman, and onBarboza, the sleek bay horse, with the neat, light hoof of the prairiesteed, it seemed an equipment fit for a prince. His uncle appeared atthe mounting block and Francisco kissed him again and again as hethanked him for the lovely gifts.
"Hey! Hey! We can't waste time thus, my boy. I am going over to the westof the _estancia_ to inspect some horse branding that is to take placeto-day. The _mayor domo_[16] will follow me later."
They cantered off across the corral and were soon on the open plains. Onand on, over the pastures, some of them red, like battle grounds withthe scarlet _margarita_ or verbena; when again they would reach a hugepatch of white ones that looked at a distance like snow.
"What was that, Uncle?" exclaimed Francisco, startled, as a large birdwith yellow breast and gray wings screeched across their path, emittinga harsh cry of several syllables.
"That is the _bicho-feo_."[17]
"Why do they call it ugly bug? It is a bird."
"Because its cry is not unlike those words. Listen again and you willhear how plainly he says it. It is a bird of prey and lives on smallerbirds. That bird just fluttering up out of the grass at your left is ascissors bird."
"Oh, I know why. See how its two long tail feathers clip the air likescissors as it flies."
They passed numbers of small gray owls; and once Francisco spied a flockof flamingoes across the water of a small lake. Occasionally they passeda shepherd's hut; but now they were getting on beyond the sheep grazingpastures and great herds of cattle came in sight.
Francisco leaped in his saddle with joy. "Oh! Uncle, are we coming tothe cowboys?"
His boyish enthusiasm had pictured them on their native heath so often,and now he was really to see them! He had watched them when they came tothe city on holidays and walked along the Paseo de Julio, where the pawnshops, with their tempting offers of silver sheathed knives, gailystriped _ponchos_, and silver mounted _rebenques_[18] draw them as honeydraws bees; but to see them on the plains,--that was what he wanted!
"SOON AFTER HIS EAGER QUESTION THEY PASSED A GROUP OFTHEM."]
He did not have to call on his reserve of patience; indeed, soon afterhis eager question they passed a group of them, crouched on the groundaround a fire of dry thistles, over which hung a can, suspended by wirefrom a tripod, and which held the water for their morning _mate_. Theyarose to their feet as the Colonel galloped past and greeted him with_vivas_.
"Do they often use those murderous looking knives on each other, Uncle?"asked Francisco; the sight of their weapons having subdued his zealsomewhat. They were rougher looking men in their working clothes thanwhen they came to the city dressed for a lark.
"Seldom, Nino; unless they are intoxicated. They are not very civilizedand they have no education whatever. They fairly live on their horses'backs and cannot be persuaded to do any work that must be done outsidetheir saddles."
They were, indeed, fierce in appearance. Their knee-high boots were madeof rawhide; they wore no trousers, but a striped blanket held around thewaist with a belt, then brought between the legs and fastened again tothe belt in front, formed the covering of the lower part of the body.This is called the _chirapa_ and when walking it gives the wearer abulky appeara
nce, not unlike a Turk.
As these were _peon gauchos_, or low-class cowboys, they were not sopicturesque as the gentleman _gaucho_, who is entirely different inappearance and character.
The _mayor domo_ rode up to them within the first hour, and his costumewas that of the _caballero_ class or gentleman _gaucho_.
He also wore the _chirapa_, but it was over long white cotton trousers,the edges of which were embroidered and finished with hand-made lace.Instead of the rawhide belt of the _peon gaucho_, his was a strip ofhogskin doubled, the inside forming a pocket, which was stitched intocompartments, these being made secure with clasps made of silver coins;from all of this hung a festoon of coins encircling the entire waist.The large clasp in the front was of solid silver, carved to representthe crest of Argentina. Several knives were thrust through his elaboratebelt, and his riding whip was of closely braided rawhide, with a heavysilver handle.
Francisco eyed him curiously, but with evident admiration. This was moreto his liking, and he rode between this gentleman of the Pampas and hissoldier uncle with great pride. Almost, he was persuaded to be a_gaucho_, but a side glance at his idolized uncle brought quickrepentance to his heart.
How could he be so disloyal to his family traditions! A _soldado_,[19]of course, that was his destiny.
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 16: Superintendent.]
[Footnote 17: Beech-o fay'-o.]
[Footnote 18: Riding whips.]
[Footnote 19: Soldier.]