atter made an awkward
spring forward, and then fell upon the plain, where he lay kicking and
helpless. The horseman uttered a yell of triumph, sprang from his horse,
and running up to the prostrate animal, thrust the blade of his long
machete into its throat. The red stream gushed forth, and in a few
seconds the black monster lay motionless upon the plain.

The new-comer quietly unwound the thongs--the _bolas_--from the legs of
the dead bull, and then addressed himself to our travellers.

CHAPTER VII.

THE "VAQUERO."

Who was this deliverer? No other than the vaquero--the friend of
Guapo,--who now welcomed Guapo and his companions, telling them in the
polite phraseology of all Spanish-Americans that his _house(!)_ was at
their service. They were welcome to all it contained.

The macas, and maize, and a fresh steak from the wild bull, enabled them
to make a most excellent supper. In return for this hospitality, Don
Pablo made the vaquero a handsome present out of his purse; but what
gratified him still more was a supply of coca which his friend Guapo was
enabled to bestow upon him, for his own stock had been exhausted for
some days. Guapo, on leaving Cuzco, had spent his last _peseta_ in
buying this luxury, and therefore was well provided for weeks to come.

After they had had supper, he and his friend seated themselves on one
side, and quietly chewed for a good half-hour, when at length Guapo, who
knew he could trust the vaquero--because the latter, like himself, was
one of the "patriotas"--communicated to him the object of their journey
through that desolate region. The vaquero not only promised secrecy, but
bound himself to put any party of pursuers completely off the trail.

The vaquero, even in his remote mountain-home, had heard of Don Pablo,
knew that he was a good patriot and friend of the Indians, and he would
therefore have risked his life to serve such a man--for no people have
proved more devoted to the friends of their race than these simple and
faithful Indians of the Andes. How many instances of noble
self-sacrifice--even of life itself--occurred during the painful history
of their conquest by the cruel and sanguinary followers of Pizarro!

The vaquero, therefore, did all in his power to make his guests
comfortable for the night. His dogs--there were four of them--were not
so hospitably inclined, for they did not seem to know friends from
enemies. They had come up shortly after their master