A NEW LIFE.
Tide was fortunately high, and the boat containing the Hardys and
the lighter portion of their luggage was able to get up to the
landing place without the carts being called into use. As they
approached the land they were hailed in a hearty voice, and
greetings were exchanged between Mr. Hardy and his friend Mr.
Thompson--a sunburnt-looking man with a great beard--in a Panama
hat and in a suit of spotless white.
"Why, Mrs. Hardy," he said as they landed, "you hardly look a day
older than you did when I last saw you--let me see--fourteen years
ago, just as this big fellow was beginning to walk. And now, if you
please, we will be off as soon as we can, for my estancia is
fifteen miles away. I have made the best arrangements I could for
getting out; but roads are not a strong point in this country, and
we seldom trust ourselves in wheeled vehicles far out of the town.
You told me in your letters, Hardy, that the young people could all
ride. I have horses in any number, and have got in two very quiet
ones, with side-saddles, which I borrowed from some neighbors for
your girls; but if they prefer it, they can ride in the trap with
Mrs. Hardy."
"Oh, no, please," Maud said; "I had much rather ride."
Ethel said nothing, and her mamma saw that she would rather go with
her. Accordingly, Mrs. Hardy, Ethel. Sarah, and some of the lighter
bags were packed into a light carriage, Mr. Thompson himself taking
the reins, as he said he could not trust them to any one but
himself. Mr. Hardy, the boys, and Maud mounted the horses prepared
for them, and two of Mr. Thompson's men stowed the heavier trunks
into a bullock cart, which was to start at once, but which would
not reach the estancia until late at night.
As the party rode through the town they were struck with the
narrowness and straightness of the streets, and at the generally
European look of everything; and Mr. Thompson told them that nearly
half the population of Buenos Ayres are European. The number of
people upon horseback also surprised our young travelers; but
horses cost only thirty shillings or two pounds, and grass is so
abundant that the expense of their food is next to nothing;
consequently every one rides--even shepherds look after their sheep
on horseback. The horses seemed very quiet, for in front of most of
the offices the horses of the merchants could be seen fastened by a
head rope to a ring, grooms not being considered a necessity.
Once out of the town, the riding horses broke into a canter; for
the road was so good that the horses in the light carriage were
able to go along at full speed. As they proceeded they passed many
houses of the rich merchants of the place, and all were charmed
with the luxuriance and beauty of the gardens. Orange and lemon
trees scented the air with their delicious perfumes; bananas, tree
ferns, and palms towered above them; lovely butterflies of immense
size, and bright little humming-birds, flitted about among a
countless variety of flowers. The delight of the young ones was
unbounded.
Presently they left the mansions and gardens behind and drove out
fairly into the country. Upon either side the plains stretched away
as far as the eye could reach, in some parts under the plow, but
far more generally carpeted with bright green grass and
many-colored wild flowers. Everywhere could be seen droves of
horses and cattle, while dotted here and there over the plain were
the estancias of the proprietors.
It was a most delightful ride. The horses went very quietly, but
the boys found, to their surprise, that they would not trot, their
pace being a loose, easy canter. The last five miles of the
distance were not so enjoyable to the party in the carriage, for
the road had now become a mere track, broken in many places into
ruts, into which the most careful driving of Mr. Thompson could not
prevent the wheels going with jolts that threatened to shake its
occupants from their places, and they felt as if every bone in
their bodies were broken by the time they drew up at their host's
estancia.
Here Mrs. Thompson came out to greet them. She had been a great
friend of Mrs. Hardy in their young days, and great was their
pleasure at again meeting after so long a separation. Mr. Thompson
had already, explained that his wife would have come over to meet
them, but that at the time he had left home it was not known that
the Barbadoes had arrived. She was due, and, as a measure of
precaution, the horses and cart had for the last two days been in
readiness, but the exact date of her arrival was of course
uncertain.
Mr. Thompson's estancia was a large and picturesque building. It
was entirely surrounded by a wide veranda, so that at all hours of
the day relief could be obtained from the glare of the sun. In
front was an extensive garden; and as Mr. Thompson had made it one
of his first objects when he built his house to plant a large
number of tropical trees and shrubs, these had now attained a
considerable size, and afforded a delicious shade. At a short
distance behind the house were the houses of the men, and the
corrals, or enclosures, for the cattle.
The interior was handsomely furnished in the European style, except
that the floors were uncarpeted, and were composed of polished
boards. Everywhere were signs that the proprietor was a prosperous
and wealthy man. Mr. Thompson had only one son, a lad of about the
same age as Charles Hardy. To his care Mrs. Thompson now assigned
the boys, while she conducted Mrs. Hardy and her daughters to their
rooms.
In half an hour the party reassembled at dinner, to which they all
did ample justice, for their long row and ride had given them the
keenest of appetites. They were waited upon by an Italian
man-servant; and Mrs. Thompson said that there were a good many of
this nation in Buenos Ayres, and that, although they were not
considered good hands for rough work, they made excellent servants
many of them having been waiters in hotels or stewards on board
ship before coming out.
During dinner the conversation turned chiefly upon English friends
and affairs, and upon the events of the voyage. After it was over
George Thompson proposed to the boys to take a stroll round the
place before it became dark. The gentlemen lit their cigars and
took their seats under the veranda; and the two ladies, with Maud
and Ethel, went out into the garden. The conversation of Mr. Hardy
and his friend turned, of course, upon the country, its position
and prospects, and upon the advantage which the various districts
offered to newcomers. Presently the dusk came on, followed rapidly
by darkness, and in half an hour Ethel came to summon them to tea.
The boys had already come in, and were full of delight at the
immense herds of cattle they had seen. As they sat down to the
tea-table, covered with delicate English china, with a kettle over
a spirit-lamp in the center, and lit with the subdued light of two
shaded moderator lamps, Maud said, "It is not one bit like what I
expected, papa, after all you have told us about hardships and
working; it seems just like England, except the trees and flowers
and butterflies."
"Do not be afraid, Maud," her father said, laughing--for her voice
had a tinge of disappointment in it--"you won't be cheated out of
your hardship and your work, I promise you. Mrs. Thompson will tell
you that it was a very different sort of place when she first came
here."
"Yes, indeed," Mrs. Thompson said, smiling; "this was considered a
very lonely place when we first settled here. We had a little hut
with two rooms, and it was more than six months before I could get
a woman servant to come out, and then it was only one of our
shepherds' wives, who knew nothing of cooking, and who was only
useful in drawing the water and sweeping the floors. In time the
country became more settled, and there are stations now sixty or
seventy miles beyond us."
The next week was spent in riding over the estate, which consisted
of four square leagues--that is to say, was six miles each way--and
in examining the arrangements of the enclosures for the cattle. At
the end of that time Mr. Hardy started on a tour of inspection
through the provinces most likely to suit, provided with numerous
letters of introduction from his host. While he was away the boys
were to assist upon the estate, and to accustom themselves to the
work and duties of the life they were to lead. Into this they
entered with the greatest zest, and were in the saddle from morning
till night, getting more and more sunburnt from constant exposure,
until, as Mr. Thompson told them, they looked like two young
gauchos. The gauchos are the natives of the country. They are
fine-looking men, with Spanish faces. Their dress is very
picturesque. They wear loose calzoncillas or drawers, worked and
fringed round the bottom. Above this is a sort of shawl, so
arranged that it has the effect of very loose trousers. These
shawls are generally of bright colors, woven in stripes, and
sometimes of black cloth edged with scarlet. The white calzoncillas
show below this garment, and above a colored flannel shirt is worn.
The boots are long and are made of undressed leather. They wear a
broad leathern belt, with pockets in it; in this a knife, too, is
always stuck. Upon _fete_ days they come out with gay silver
ornaments upon themselves and their horse-trappings. Their saddles
are very clumsy and heavy, and are seldom used by Europeans, who,
as Mr. Hardy had done, generally bring English saddles from home.
After an absence of a month Mr. Hardy returned with the welcome
news that he had made his choice, and had bought at the public
auction a tract of four square leagues, upon a river some twenty
miles to the south of the town of Rosario, and consequently only a
few days' journey from Buenos Ayres. Mr. Thompson looked a little
grave when he heard the location of the property, but he only said
that he was very glad that his friend had fixed upon a spot which
would make it easy for the families to see something of each other.
After the first greetings were over Mr. Hardy proceeded to satisfy
the curiosity of his hearers as to the new property.
"It is six miles square," he said, "that is, about twenty-five
thousand acres, and I bought it for about sixpence an acre. There
is a good-sized stream runs through it; there are a good many
trees, considering that it is out on the Pampas; there are several
elevations which give a fine view over the plain, and upon one of
these our future home will stand. A small stream falls into the
larger one, and will, I think, be useful. There is an abundance of
game; ducks, geese, and swans swarm upon the river. I saw a good
many ostriches out on the plains. And, lastly, the soil appears to
be excellent. A great point is, that it is only distant twenty
miles from Rosario, a most rising town; so that the value of the
land is sure to increase yearly, as new settlers come around us."
"That is a most important point," Mr. Thompson said. "Rosario is
the most rising town in the country, and the land around it is
certain to be very much sought after in a few years."
"Are there any settlements near, Frank?" Mrs. Hardy asked.
"The next plot to ours belongs to three young Englishmen, and the
ground between us and Rosario is also principally occupied by
English; so that we shall have neighbors near, and I do not suppose
that it will be long before we have them all round us."
"If the advantages of the place are so great, Frank, how is it that
you have got it so very cheaply? I understood from Mr. Thompson
that land in a rising neighborhood, and that was likely to increase
in value, was worth two or three shillings, or even more, an acre."
Mr. Hardy hesitated. "Well, Clara, the land is at present upon the
extreme verge of the settlements, and the Indians are apt sometimes
to be a little troublesome, and to drive off a few horses or
cattle. No doubt the thing has been exaggerated; still there is
something in it, and the consequence is, people are rather afraid
to bid, and I have got this splendid tract of land for about
twenty-five hundred dollars; and, not improbably, in ten years it
may be worth ten times as much."
"A great proportion of these Indian tales are built up upon very
small foundations," Mr. Thompson said cheeringly; and Mrs. Hardy's
face, which had been a little serious, cleared up again, and in
listening to her husband's account of his travels, she forgot all
about the Indians. The boys, however, by no means did so; and as
they were going to bed Charley said: "I think there is some chance
of a row with the Indians, Hubert, for I noticed that Mr. Thompson
looked grave when papa first said where he had bought the land.
Depend upon it, we shall have some fun with them after all." They
would have thought it still more likely had they heard the
conversation between their father and Mr. Thompson after the ladies
had gone to bed.
"Why, my dear Hardy, how came you, with a wife and family, to think
of buying land so exposed to the Indian attacks? Every season, when
they come down, they sweep off the horses and cattle from the
outlying settlements, and murder the people if they get a chance. I
look upon it as madness."
"There is a good deal in what you say, Thompson, and I thought the
whole matter over before I bought it, There is a risk--a great
risk, if you like; but I hear the Indians seldom attack the houses
of the settlers if they are well prepared and armed. They do
occasionally, but very seldom. I shall be well prepared and well
armed, and have therefore no fear at all for our personal safety.
As to our animals, we must protect them as well as we can, and take
our chance. It is only for two or three years at most. After that
we shall have settlements beyond and around us; and if emigration
keeps on, as I anticipate, and if, as I believe, Rosario is to
become a very large and important place, our land will eventually
be worth five dollars an acre, at the very lowest. I shall take
care not to invest my whole capital in animals, so that I cannot be
ruined in one blow. I think that at the end of five years you will
agree with me that I have done wisely."
"I have no doubt that your property will increase very much in
value, as you say, Hardy, and that in the long run your speculation
will be a very successful one; but it is a terrible risk, I think."
"I do not think so, Thompson. We shall be a pretty strong party: we
shall have certainly two men besides ourselves. The boys could
bring down their man at three hundred yards, and I should do
considerable execution among a body of Indians at six or seven; so
I have no fear--not the least in the world."
In another two days Mr. Hardy and the boys, accompanied by Mr.
Thompson, went down to Buenos Ayres, and took up their quarters at
the hotel for a night. At parting, Mr. Thompson presented them with
a couple of fine dogs, which he had bred from English mastiffs: Mr.
Hardy had brought a brace of fine retrievers with him. Then, with a
hearty adieu and much hand-shaking, they said "Good-by" as the
steamer moved off from the shore. The heavy luggage was to follow
in a sailing vessel upon the following day.