CHAPTER I.

Mrs. Hardy's Resolution

CHAPTER II.

The Start

CHAPTER III.

A New Life

CHAPTER IV.

The Pampas

CHAPTER V.

The Settler's Home

CHAPTER VI.

A Tale of the Mexican War

CHAPTER VII.

Seth Continues His Narrative of the Mexican Adventure

CHAPTER VIII.

Farm Work and Amusements

CHAPTER IX.

Neighborly Visits and Advice

CHAPTER X.

The Lost Cattle

CHAPTER XI.

Quiet Times

CHAPTER XII.

A Steady Hand

CHAPTER XIII.

The Indian Attack

CHAPTER XIV.

Terrible News

CHAPTER XV.

The Pampas on Fire

CHAPTER XVI.

At the stake

CHAPTER XVII.

Rescued

CHAPTER XVIII.

And last

CHAPTER I.

MRS. HARDY'S RESOLUTION.

"What are you thinking of, Frank?" Mrs. Hardy asked her husband one

evening, after an unusually long silence on his part.

"Well, my dear, I was thinking of a good many things. In the first

place, I think, I began with wondering what I should make of the

boys; and that led to such a train of thoughts about ourselves and

our circumstances that I hardly knew where I was when you spoke to

me."

Mr. Hardy spoke cheerfully, but his wife saw at once that it was

with an effort that he did so. She put down the work upon which she

was engaged, and moved her chair nearer to his by the fire. "It is

a serious question, Frank, about the boys. Charley is fifteen now,

and Hubert fourteen. I wonder myself sometimes what we shall do

with them."

"There seems no opening here in England for young fellows. The

professions are crowded, even if they were not altogether beyond

our means; and as to a clerkship, they had better have a trade, and

stick to it: they would be far happier, and nearly as well paid.

The fact is, Clara," and here Mr. Hardy paused a little, as if to

gain courage to say what he feared would be very disagreeable to

his wife--"the fact is, we are altogether too crowded here. The

best thing for the children, by far, and I think the best thing for

ourselves, would be to emigrate."

Mrs. Hardy gave a little sigh, but said nothing, and sat looking

quietly into the fire, as her husband went on: "You see, my dear, I

am just, and only just, earning enough for us to live upon. Nor is

there any strong probability of an increase of business. The boys,

as you say, are growing up, and I see no prospect of giving them a

fair start in life. Abroad it is altogether different: we can buy

land and stock it for next to nothing. We should live roughly,

certainly; but at least there is no fear for the future, and we

should start our boys in life with a fair certainty of success.

Still, Clara, I do not of course mean that I have made up my mind

upon the subject. It is far too serious a matter to decide upon

hastily. I only threw out the suggestion; and if you, after

thinking it over, are against it, there is an end of the matter."

Mrs. Hardy was silent for a little, and a tear sparkled on her

cheek in the firelight; then she said, "I am not surprised, Frank,

at what you have said. In fact I have expected it for some time. I

have observed you looking over books upon foreign countries, and

have seen that you often sat thoughtful and quiet. I guessed,

therefore, what you had in your mind. Of course, dear, as a woman,

I shrink from the thought of leaving all our friends and going to

quite a strange country, but I don't think that I am afraid of the

hardships or discomfort. Thousands of other women have gone through

them, and there is no reason why I should not do the same. I do

think with you that it would be a good thing for the boys, perhaps

for the girls too; and that, when we have got over the first

hardships, we too should be happier and more free from care than we

are now. So you see, Frank, you will meet with no opposition from

me; and if, after deliberation, you really determine that it is the

best thing to do, I shall be ready to agree with you. But it is a

hard thought just at first, so please do not say any more about it

to-night."

Mr. Hardy was an architect, as his father had been before him. He

had not, however, entered the office at the usual age, but when

eighteen had gone out to the United States, to visit an uncle who

had settled there. After spending some time with him, the love of

adventure had taken him to the far West, and there he had hunted

and shot for nearly three years, till a letter, long delayed on the

way, entreated him to return to England, as his father's health was

failing. He at once started for England, and found that his father

was in a feeble state of health, but was still able to carry on the

business. Frank saw, however, that he was unequal to the work, and

so entered the office, working hard to make up for lost time. He

was a good draughtsman, and was shortly able to take a great burden

off his father's shoulders.

He had not been long at home, however, before he fell in love with

Clara Aintree, the daughter of a clergyman; and his father making

over to him a share in the business, they were married just as

Frank attained his twenty-fourth year, his wife being about

nineteen. Two years after the marriage Mr. Hardy senior died, and

from that time Frank had carried on the business alone.

B--- was a large provincial town, but it scarcely afforded

remunerative employment for an architect; and although Mr. Hardy

had no competitor in his business, the income which he derived from

it was by no means a large one, and the increasing expenses of his

family rendered the struggle to make ends meet yearly more severe.

His father had been possessed of a small private fortune, but had

rashly entered into the mania of railway speculation, and at his

death had left about fifteen thousand dollars to his son. This sum

Frank Hardy had carefully preserved intact, as he had foreseen that

the time might come when it would, for his children's sake, be

advisable to emigrate. He had long looked forward to this, but

had abstained from taking any step until his sons were of an age to be

able to make themselves useful in a life in the bush or upon the

prairies.

Frank Hardy, at the time our story begins, was about forty. He was

a tall, active man, and the life he had led in America when young

had hardened his muscles, and given him the full use of every

faculty.

Mrs. Hardy was five years younger than her husband, and scarcely

looked thirty years old. She was a high-spirited woman, well fitted

to be her husband's companion in the dangers and hardships of a

settler's life.

The subject of emigration once started, was frequently continued,

and presently books and maps began to be consulted, and the

advantages and disadvantages of the various countries and colonies

to be debated. Finally, Mr. and Mrs. Hardy agreed that the

Argentine Republic, in its magnificent rivers, its boundless extent

of fertile land, in its splendid climate, its cheap labor, and its

probable prospects, offered the greatest advantages.

The decision once arrived at, it was determined to announce it to

the children, who had up to this time no idea of the great change

decided upon. Breakfast was over, and the boys, whose holidays had

just begun, were about to leave the table, when their father said:

"Wait a moment, boys; there is something we want to talk to you

about."

The boys resumed their seats. "Your mamma and I have been wondering

what you boys are to become, and we do not see any openings likely

to occur here. Now, what should you say to us all emigrating?"

"What, going abroad, papa!" they both exclaimed joyously.

"Yes, boys, settling in the backwoods or in the prairies."

"Oh, that would be jolly," Charley said, "I know, I papa, having

fights with Indians, and all that sort of thing. Oh, it would be

glorious!"

"Well, Charley," his father said, smiling, "I do not know that we

shall have fights with Indians, nor do think it would be very jolly

if we did. But we should have to rough it, you know; you boys

would have to work hard, to help me in everything, and to look after

the cattle and sheep."

"What fun! what fun!" the boys both shouted; "we should like it of

all things in the world."

"And what do you think of it, Maud and Ethel?" their mamma asked

the two little girls, who were looking very surprised, but rather

doubtful as to the pleasure of the fights with Indians which their

brothers had spoken so delightedly about. "You will have to be two

very useful little women, and will have to help me just as the boys

will have to help your papa. Very likely we may not be able to get

a servant there, and then we shall have to do everything."

"That will be fine, mamma," said Maud, who was rather over twelve,

while her sister was just eleven. "I don't think I could cook, but

you should cook, and I could scrub and do all the hard work, and

Ethel could wash up, and lay the table, and that sort of thing.

That would be fine, mamma."

Ethel, who almost always agreed with her elder sister, did so now,

and the four young ones became quite uproarious in their plans for

making themselves useful. At last Mr. Hardy called for order.

"Now silence all, and listen to me. This affair is a serious

business; and although I hope and believe that we shall all enjoy

our life very much, still we must prepare for it, and look upon it

in earnest, and not as a sort of game. I have business here which I

cannot finish before another eight or nine months. Let us all make

the most of our time before we start. In the first place, the

language of the people among whom we are going is Spanish, and we

must all learn to speak it well before we leave. For the next three

months we will work together at grammar and exercises, and then I

will try and get some Spanish teacher to live in the house, and

speak the language with us until we go. In the next place, it will

be well that you should all four learn to ride. I have hired the

paddock next to our garden, and have bought a pony, which will be

here to-day, for the girls. You boys have already ridden a little,

and I shall now have you taught in the riding school. I went

yesterday to Mr. Saris, and asked him if he would allow me to make

an arrangement with his head gardener for you to go there to learn

gardening. He at once agreed; and I have arranged with the gardener

that you are both to be there every morning at six o'clock, and are

to work until nine. At nine you will come in to breakfast. From

breakfast to dinner you will have to yourselves, except upon the

days you take riding lessons; and I should wish you to spend this

time at your usual studies, except Latin, which will be of no use

to you. From two till half-past four you are to learn carpentering.

I have made an agreement with Mr. Jones to pay him so much to take

you as a sort of apprentices for the next nine months. In the

evening we will all work together at Spanish. It will be hard work;

but if you want to be of any real use to me, it is absolutely

necessary that you should be able to use a spade and to do rough

carpentering. As the time draws on, too, I shall ask one of the

farmers near to let you go out with his men and get some notion of

plowing. Well, what do you say to all that?"

Hubert looked a little downcast at this recital of the preparatory

work to be gone through, but Charley said at once, "It sounds

rather hard, papa, but, as you say, we shall have to work hard out

there, and it is much better to accustom one's self to it at once;

besides, of course, we should be of no use at all to you unless we

knew something about work."

"And what are we to learn, mamma?" Maud asked.

"Not a very great deal, my dear," Mrs. Hardy said. "Spanish to

begin with, then cooking. I shall teach you at any rate, to make

simple dishes and puddings, and to boil vegetables properly. I

shall myself practice until I am perfect, and then I shall teach

you. Besides that, it will be as well for you to learn to attend to

poultry; and that is all I know of at present, except that you must

both take pains to improve yourselves at sewing. We shall have to

make everything for ourselves out there."

"I suppose we shan't do any more regular lessons, mamma?"

"Indeed you will, Maud. You do not imagine that your education is

finished, do you? and you cannot wish to grow almost as ignorant as

the poor Indians of the country. You will give up the piano, and

learn Spanish instead of French, but that will be all the

difference; and I shall expect you both to make as much progress as

possible, because, although I shall take you both out there, and

shall teach you whenever I find time, your lessons must of

necessity be short and irregular. And now you can all go out into

the garden and talk the matter over."

"But you have not told us yet where we are going to, papa," Charley

said.

"We are going to farm upon the bunks of one of the great South

American rivers--probably the Parana, in the Argentine Republic."

Mr. and Mrs. Hardy watched their children from the window. They

went out in a group to the summer-house in the corner of the

garden, all talking excitedly. Then Maud ran back again to the

house, and in a minute or two returned with the schoolroom atlas,

and opening it upon the table, they all clustered over it in eager

consultation.

Mrs. Hardy turned to her husband with a smile. "You will have to

get up the subject, Frank, so as to be able to answer the

innumerable questions you will be asked."

"I shall always refer them to you."

There was quite a talk in B--- when it was known that Mr. Hardy was

going to emigrate with his wife and family. He, and his father

before him, had been so long established in the town that there

were few people who did not know him, more or less.

Emigration in the year 1851 was far less common than it is now, and

the interest was proportionately greater. Charley and Hubert became

quite popular characters among their late schoolfellows, who,

whenever they met them, would always stop to have a talk about the

distant country to which they were going. The boys, however, had

now but little time for talking; for upon the week after their

father had first told them of his intention, they had set-to

regularly at the work he had laid down for them. They rose every

morning at five, had a slice of bread and a cup of milk, and were

off to the gardener's, where they worked hard until half-past

eight. Mr. Hardy had requested that they should be specially

instructed in the raising of vegetables, and in the planting and

pruning of fruit-trees. The culture of flowers could be of no

utility. The digging made the boys' backs ache at first, and

blistered their hands, but they stuck to it manfully, and soon

became accustomed to the work, returning to breakfast with glowing

cheeks and tremendous appetites.

In the afternoon they might be seen in the carpenter's shop with

their coats and waistcoats off, working away with saw or plane.

Although both made good progress in both pursuits, yet their tastes

differed; Charley preferring the carpentering, while Hubert was the

gardener's most promising pupil. The former was therefore

christened the head carpenter by his sisters, while the latter was

promoted to the post of chief gardener.

Four or five months of this work made a visible difference in the

boys' appearance. They both widened out across the shoulders, their

arms became strong and muscular, and they looked altogether more

healthy and robust. Nor did their appearance belie them; for once

when spending a holiday in the cricket-field with their former

schoolfellows, wrestling matches being proposed after the game was

over, they found that they were able to overcome with ease boys

whom they had formerly considered their superiors in strength.

In the meantime Mr. Hardy had succeeded in obtaining the services

of a young Spanish lady, who had come to England to learn the

language, as governess; and of an evening the whole family worked

at Spanish, and made such progress that they were soon able to

establish the rule that no other language should be spoken at

mealtimes. The girls here soon surpassed their brothers, as they

had the advantage of morning lessons in the language, besides which

young children can always pick up a language sooner than their

elders; and they had many a hearty laugh at the ridiculous mistakes

Charley and Hubert made in their efforts to get through a long

sentence. In six months, however, all could speak with tolerable

fluency.

Maud and Ethel were as amused and as diligent at learning household

work as their brothers were in their departments, and might have

been seen every afternoon in the kitchen, in their little white

pinafores, engaged in learning the mysteries of cooking.

One day, after they had been so engaged for about four months, Mrs.

Hardy said at breakfast: "I am going to try an experiment. I have

given the cook leave to go out for the day. Mr. and Mrs. Partridge

are coming to dinner, and I intend handing over the kitchen to the

girls, and letting them make their first essay. We are going to

have soup, a leg of mutton with potatoes and spinach, a dish of

fried cutlets, and a cabinet pudding. I shall tell Sarah to lift

any saucepan you may want on or off the fire, but all the rest I

shall leave in your hands. The boys will dine with us. The hour

will be half-past five, punctually."

The little girls' eyes flashed with pleasure, and they quite

colored up at the thought of the importance and difficulty of the

task before them. At lunch the boys pretended to eat an extra

quantity, saying that they felt very doubtful about their dinner.

In the afternoon Mrs. Hardy felt strongly tempted to go into the

kitchen to see how things were getting on; but she restrained

herself, resolving to let Maud and Ethel have entirely their own

way.

The dinner was a great success, although the soup was rather hot,

from Ethel, in her anxiety, having let too much pepper slip in; and

the cabinet pudding came up all over the dish, instead of

preserving its shape, it having stuck to the mold, and Maud having

shaken it so violently that it had come out with a burst and broken

up into pieces, which had caused a flood of tears on the part of

the little cook. It did not taste any the worse, however. And when

the little girls came in to dessert in their white frocks, looking

rather shy, and very scorched in the face, from their anxious

peeping into pots to see that all was going on well, they were

received with a cheer by the boys; and their friends were not a

little astonished to hear that the dinner they had partaken of had

been entirely prepared and cooked by these little women.

After four months' gardening, Mr. Hardy placed the boys with a

farmer who lived a mile distant, and made an arrangement for them

to breakfast there, so that they now remained at work from six in

the morning until twelve. Here they obtained some idea of

harnessing and driving horses, of plowing, and of the other farming

operations.

They now only went four days a week to the carpenter's, for their

papa had one day said to them when they were alone with him before

dinner: "Do not put on your working clothes this afternoon, boys; I

am going to take you out with me, but do not say anything about it

at dinner. I will tell you why afterward."

Rather surprised, they did as he told them, wondering where they

could be going. Their father said nothing on the subject until they

reached the town, which was a quarter of a mile distant from their

house. Then he said: "Now, boys, you know we are going out to a

country of which a great portion is still unsettled; and as land is

a good deal cheaper at a short distance from the inhabited parts,

we shall perhaps have no one within many miles of us. Now it is

just possible that at first the Indians may be disposed to be

troublesome. I do not suppose that they will, but it is just as

well to be prepared for everything. There is no reason why you boys

should not be able to shoot as straightly as a man, and I have

therefore bought two carbines. They are the invention of an

American named Colt, and have a revolving breech, so that they fire

six shots each. There is a spare chamber to each, which is very

quickly shifted in place of the one discharged; so that each of you

could fire twelve shots in a very short time. They will carry up to

five hundred yards. They are a new invention, but all accounts

agree that they are an excellent one. I have obtained leave from

Mr. Harcourt, who lives three miles from here, to put up a target

at the foot of some bare hills on his property, and we will walk

over there twice a week to practice. I used to be considered a

first-rate shot with a rifle when I was a young man in America, and

I have got down a rifle for my own use. I do not want you to speak

about what we are doing to your mamma, or indeed to any one. We

shall keep our rifles at a cottage near where we shoot, and no one

need know anything about it. It is not likely that we shall have

any trouble with the Indians, and it is of no use making your mamma

uncomfortable by the thought of the probability of such a thing."

As Mr. Hardy spoke the boys were ready to dance with delight, and

this was increased when they turned into the gunsmith's shop, and

were shown the arms which their father had bought for this

expedition.

Mr. Hardy had already an excellent double-barreled gun, and he had

now purchased a long and heavy rifle carrying a conical ball. In

addition to the boys' carbines, he had bought them each a light

double-barreled gun. Besides these were two brace of Colt's

revolving pistols. These were all new; but there were in addition

two or three second-hand double-barreled guns for the use of his

servants, in case of necessity, and three light rifles of the sort

used for rook-shooting. Altogether, it was quite an armory. The

carbines were in neat cases; and the boys carried these and a box

of cartridges, while Mr. Hardy took his rifle; and so they started

off to their shooting ground.

Here their father instructed them in the use of their revolving

carbines, and then, after some practice with caps only, allowed

them to fire a few shots each. The firing was certainly rather

wild, owing to the difficulty they felt at first of firing without

shutting their eyes; but after a few weeks' practice they became

very steady, and in three or four months could make pretty certain

of a bull's-eye at three hundred yards. Of all this Mrs. Hardy and

the girls knew nothing; but there was not the same secrecy observed

with reference to their shotguns. These they took home with them,

and Mr. Hardy said that he understood that the plains of South

America swarmed with game, and that, therefore, it was well that

the boys should learn how to shoot. He insisted, however, that only

one gun should be taken out at a time, to diminish the danger of

accidents. After that the boys took out their guns by turns when

they went to work of a morning, and many a dead blackbird soon

attested to their improving skill.