g, gambling, either with cards, dominoes, or coin, a sort of
pitch and toss game, and they would frequently make bets on the strength
of their horses. To settle the point their plan was to fasten the two
horses stern to stern by a short lasso, secured to the saddle, or girth
of either animal, at a short distance from each other. The gauchos
having mounted their respective horses, one being placed on one side of
a line, drawn on the ground, and the other on the other side, then set
to work to lash and spur their steeds in opposite directions until the
strongest drew the weaker over the line, the former being thus declared
the victor. Their custom of racing gave Desmond and me the idea that we
might manage some evening to make our escape. We appeared always to
watch their performances with great interest, and, at last, we proposed
to race any of them who would like to try with us. None of the grown
men would condescend to do so, but two lads came forward and agreed to
start. Away we went to the westward, taking good care to let our
competitors win. Next evening we had another race, when we were again
beaten hollow. We complained that it was the fault of our horses, and
that if they would give us better ones they should see that Englishmen
were able to ride as well as they could. They agreed to this, and we
started in the same direction as before. Gerald's horse was the best,
and reached the tree which was to be our goal before either of the young
gauchos, who, however, got in before me. I had as long as I was in
sight of the camp belaboured and spurred my steed, but as soon as our
competitors got ahead of me I let the animal go at the pace he chose.

"We had now, we hoped, gained the confidence of our captors, and Gerald
and I agreed that the next evening we would propose racing together.

"We had each of us some reals and smaller pieces of money in our
pockets. We pulled several of them out as stakes, which, to assist in
disarming suspicion, we gave to one of the gauchos to hold for us.

"This evening we were fortunately on the right of the camp, that is to
say on the side nearest the river. We fixed on a tree which appeared on
the outskirts of a wood in the south-east as our goal. We both
pretended to be much interested in the race, and jabbered away in the
same fashion as they do. We felt anxious enough, as you may suppose,
about the result, though not in the way our captors fancied.

"We had managed t