ng, elf-like locks of hair, his low, receding forehead, his
swarthy complexion, and high cheek bones. The mark of a terrible spear
wound across his face and nose did not improve his looks.

'Yes, senors,' he was saying, 'that was a fearful moment for me.' He threw
back his poncho as he spoke, revealing three ugly scars on his chest. 'You
see these, senors? It was that same tiger made the marks. It was a
keepsake, ha! ha! that I will take to de grave with me, if any one should
trouble to bury me. It was towards evening, and we were journeying across
the pampa. We had come far that day, my Indians and me. We felt
tired--sometimes even Indians felt tired on de weary wide pampa. De sun
has been hot all day. We have been chased far by de white settlers. Dey
not love us. Ha! ha! We have five score of de cattle with us. And we have
spilt blood, and left dead and wounded Indians plenty on de pampa. Never
mind, I swear revenge. Oh, I am a bad man den. Gaucho malo, mucho malo,
Nandrin, my brother _cacique_, hate me. I hate him. I wish him dead. But
de Indians love him all de same as me. By and by de sun go down, down,
down, and we raise de _toldo_[14] in de canon near a stream. Here grow
many ombu-trees. The young senors have not seen this great tree; it is de
king of the lonely pampa. Oh, so tall! Oh, so wide! so spreading and
shady! Two, three ombu-trees grow near; but I have seen de great tiger
sleep in one. My brother _cacique_ have seen him too. When de big moon
rise, and all is bright like de day, and no sound make itself heard but de
woo-hoo-woo of de pampa owl, I get quietly up and go to de ombu-tree. I
think myself much more brave as my brother _cacique_. Ha! ha! he think
himself more brave as me. When I come near de ombu-trees I shout. Ugh! de
scream dat comes from de ombu-tree make me shake and shiver. Den de
terrible tiger spring down; I will not run, I am too brave. I shoot. He
not fall. Next moment I am down--on my back I lie. One big foot is on me;
his blood pour over my face. He pull me close and more close to him. Soon,
ah, soon, I think my brother _cacique_ will be chief--I will be no more.
De tiger licks my arm--my cheek. How he growl and froth! He is now going
to eat me. But no! Ha! ha! my brother _cacique_ have also leave de camp to
come to de ombu-tree. De tiger see him. P'r'aps he suppose his blood more
sweet as mine. He leave poor me. Ha! ha! he catch my brother _cacique_ and
carry him under de shade of de o