e impatient now--'burning'
bold Donald called it--to get away to this same Silver West and begin the
very new life that was before us.

But ships do not always arrive from England exactly to a day; the vessel
in which Moncrieff's men, dogs, goods, and chattels were coming was
delayed by contrary winds, and was a whole fortnight behind her time.

Meanwhile we restrained ourselves as well as we could, and aunt went
shopping. She had set her heart upon guanaco robes or ponchos for each of
us; and though they cost a deal of money, and were, according to
Moncrieff, a quite unnecessary expense, she bought them all the same.

'They will last for ever, you know,' was aunt's excuse for the
extravagance.

'Yes,' he said, 'but we won't. Besides,' he added, 'these ponchos may
bring the Gaucho malo (the bad Gaucho) round us.'

'All the better,' persisted aunt. 'I've heard such a deal about this
Gaucho malo that I should very much like to see a live specimen.'

Moncrieff laughed.

'I much prefer _dead_ specimens,' he said, with that canny twinkle in his
eye. 'That's the way I like to see them served up. It is far the safest
plan.'

We were very fond of aunt's company, for she really was more of a sister
to us than our auntie; but for all that we preferred going shopping with
Moncrieff. The sort of stores he was laying in gave such earnest of future
sport and wild adventure.

Strange places he took us to sometimes--the shop of a half-caste Indian,
for instance, a fellow from the far south of Patagonia. Here Moncrieff
bought quite a quantity of ordinary ponchos, belts, and linen trousers of
great width with hats enough of the sombrero type to thatch a rick. This
mild and gentle savage also sold Moncrieff some dozen of excellent lassoes
and bolas as well. From the way our friend examined the former, and tried
the thong-strength of the latter, it was evident he was an expert in the
use of both. Bolas may be briefly described as three long leather thongs
tied together at one end, and having a ball at the free end of each. On
the pampas, these balls are as often as not simply stones tied up in bits
of skin; but the bolas now bought by Moncrieff were composed of shining
metal, to prevent their being lost on the pampas. These bolas are waved
round the heads of the horsemen hunters when chasing ostriches, or even
pumas. As soon as the circular motion has given them impetus they are
dexterously permitted to leave the hand at a tangen