too hurriedly--to
repack my treasures. The result was what I had anticipated and
intended; they refused to leave the wagon, and gradually reduced their
demands until finally I obtained the whole of the gold for about two
yards of calico, a bandana handkerchief, four yards of copper wire, and
a handful of beads; and even these prices, I explained, were far higher
than I could possibly afford to give in future!

I fully anticipated that the result of this transaction would be to
bring out the remainder of the villagers with proposals to barter such
gold as they might possess; but although so many of them turned out that
by sunset I estimated that every man, woman, and child in the village
must have visited the wagon, I saw no more gold that day. And for a
very good reason; for it afterwards appeared that the headman had spent
a busy afternoon going round the village, buying up every particle of
gold he could lay hands upon, doubtless with much profit to himself: and
on the following morning, while we were inspanning the oxen, he turned
up, accompanied by a couple of women bearing between them nearly sixty
pounds of gold, and detained me more than two hours while he haggled
with me over the sale of it. But I had by this time come fully to
understand that gold possessed absolutely no value for these people,
except as a plaything for the children; and the result was that when at
length I bade the man goodbye, and gave the order to trek, the fellow
was glad to let me have the whole at my own price, and I secured it upon
very favourable terms.

I was now in high feather, for I had already secured, from one village
alone, more than seventy pounds of gold, which I estimated must be worth
close upon four thousand pounds sterling; and if I could do so well at
only one village, what might not I achieve by the time that I had traded
away all my "truck"? Already, in imagination, I saw myself back at
Bella Vista, with the house rebuilt and furnished in luxurious style,
the land amply restocked, and plenty of money in the bank as well!
Alas, I little guessed what lay before me; and it was just as well,
perhaps, that I did not; otherwise--But I must not get ahead of my
story.

With my head full of pleasant visions, and my imagination busily
employed in the construction of _chateaux en Espagne_, we proceeded upon
our journey, travelling over undulating country which ahead manifested a
disposition to become hilly, and still closely