e."

"Das true," returned Quashy, entangling the knot with another.

"Well, nebber mind," said Susan, with a little nod of assurance. "I's
put it all right. I'll stole one."

"Sooz'n!" exclaimed her lover, with inexpressible solemnity, "you'll do
nuffin ob de sort. I b'longs to a good man now, so I knows better dan
dat. You mus' nebber steal no more--_nebber_. But I'll get massa to
buy you a hoss. Das what I'll do."

Quashy had scarcely given utterance to his intentions, when a shout from
Lawrence summoned him. The party under Colonel Marchbanks was about to
start on their journey eastward.

The negro soon informed his master of his difficulty. As he had
anticipated, it was removed at once. Horse-flesh is cheap on the
Pampas. A lady's wardrobe--especially a black lady's--does not take
long to pack in those regions. In less than half an hour a passable
steed was purchased from the Gauchos, and Susan mounted thereon. Her
little all, in a bundle, was strapped to her true-lover's saddle, and
she fell into the cavalcade, which soon afterwards left the village and
rode out upon the illimitable plains.

It was not a large band, but it was composed of rare and strong
materials. Our friend Pedro--alias Conrad of the Mountains--alias the
Rover of the Andes--of course took the lead. Colonel Marchbanks,
Manuela, and the fair Mariquita followed. Antonio, Spotted Tiger, the
sportsman and his friend came next, and Lawrence with Quashy and Sooz'n
brought up the rear.

In this order they set off at full gallop over the roadless plains,
diverging a little here and there as the nature of the ground required,
but otherwise steering a straight line in the direction of the rising
sun.

CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN.

DESCRIBES SEVERAL INTERESTING AND SOMEWHAT VIOLENT PROCEEDINGS.

Over the flowering plains! Oh, there is something soul-stirring in a
free, furious, prolonged gallop, where obstructions are few, where the
land is almost level, and Nature reigns unfettered by the influence of
man! No fences, no ditches, no ploughed lands, no enclosed estates,
nothing to check even for a moment the grand onward sweep through
illimitable space save the capacity of endurance in steed and rider.

Of course it has its drawbacks, but we will not pause to meditate on
these. Life has its drawbacks everywhere, and if we were to attempt an
enumeration of them our tale would become unreasonably long, and also
somewhat unprofitable