A pulperia with the usual crowd evenings, Spanish Mayor domo excited
because he says a big Argentino (a stranger in with a tropa of
prairie schooners from Mendoza) drew a knife on his compradre, the
Italian proprietor. Writer was close but saw no knife. Spaniard being
a man in authority has always a lot of human jackals ready to take
his part; he is not any good himself. Argentino run out of pulperia
and beaten, etc., till insensible. Englishman comes up and finding
another Spaniard (said to have been a brigand formerly) burning the
Argentino's fingers with a match, saying that he is shamming, abuses
everybody; stooping over the Argentino, finding his heart is still
beating; slips his hand under him and takes his knife (a poor little
one which he pockets); asks if the crowd think they've done enough?
They go back to the pulperia, Englishman also, but he returns in five
minutes and finds the man has come to and is staggering about. He
lies down when found. Crowd turn up again, but hearing that the first
who meddles will be shot, keep quiet till at last the juez de paz
(Argentino) turns up and takes charge of man. Tried in Rosario later,
he says that the Englishman, who is not called as a witness saved his
life, dare say he was right; men are brutes sometimes.
[Illustration: A Row.]
[Illustration: What's Left of San Carlos Cathedral--Humatiaá,
Paraguay.]