Terence had taken a contract to dig the holes for
the posts of the strong fence which was to surround the house, including
a space of a hundred yards square. This precaution was considered to be
indispensable as a defence against the Indians. Seth, the Yankee, had
similarly engaged to dig a well close to the house. No supervision of
them was therefore necessary. Lopez was to accompany them. Each took a
double-barrelled gun and a revolver. The day was very fine--about as hot
as upon a warm day in June in England. Mr. Hardy proposed that they
should first ride westerly as far as the property extended, six miles
from the river; that they should then go to the south until they reached
that boundary, and should follow that to the river, by whose banks they
should return, and bring back a bag of wild fowl for the larder. Quite a
pack of dogs accompanied them,--the two mastiffs, the setters, and four
dogs, two of which belonged to Lopez, and the others to Hans and Seth:
these last, seeing that their masters had no intention of going out,
determined to join the party upon their own account.

These dogs were all mongrels of no particular breed, but were useful in
hunting, and were ready to attack a fox, an animal which swarms upon the
Pampas, and does great damage among the young lambs.

For the first three or four miles nothing was seen save the boundless
green plain, extending in all directions; and then, upon ascending a
slight rise, they saw in the dip before them two ostriches. Almost
simultaneously the creatures caught sight of their enemies, and went off
at a prodigious rate, followed by the dogs and horsemen. For a time
their pace was so fast that their pursuers gained but little upon them.
Presently, however, the dogs gained upon one of them, and, by their
barking and snapping at it, impeded its movements. The horsemen were
close together, and the boys had drawn out their revolvers to fire, when
their father cried, 'Don't fire, boys! Watch Lopez.'

At this moment the guacho took from the pommel of his saddle two balls
like large bullets, connected with a long cord. These he whirled round
his head, and launched them at the ostrich. They struck his legs, and
twined themselves round and round, and in another moment the bird was
down in the dust. Before Lopez could leap to the ground the dogs had
killed it, and the guacho pulled out the tail feathers and handed them
to Mr. Hardy. 'Is the flesh good?' Mr. Hardy asked.

'