they had, in one of the villages
through which they passed, supplied themselves each with a fresh stout
mule, besides two serviceable animals to carry their provisions and camp
equipage.

Pedro, who of course rode ahead in the capacity of guide, seemed to
possess an unlimited supply of cash, and Lawrence Armstrong had at least
sufficient to enable him to bear his fair share of the expenses of the
journey. As for Quashy, being a servant he had no expenses to bear.

Of course the finest, as well as the best-looking, mule had been given
to the pretty Manuela, and, despite the masculine attitude of her
position, she sat and managed her steed with a grace of motion that
might have rendered many a white dame envious. Although filled with
admiration, Lawrence was by no means surprised, for he knew well that in
the Pampas, or plains, to which region her father belonged, the Indians
are celebrated for their splendid horsemanship. Indeed, their little
children almost live on horseback, commencing their training long before
they can mount, and overcoming the difficulty of smallness in early
youth, by climbing to the backs of their steeds by means of a fore-leg,
and not unfrequently by the tail.

The costume of the girl was well suited to her present mode of life,
being a sort of light tunic reaching a little below the knees, with
loose leggings, which were richly ornamented with needlework. A straw
hat with a simple feather, covered her head, beneath which her curling
black hair flowed in unconfined luxuriance. She wore no ornament of any
kind, and the slight shoes that covered her small feet were perfectly
plain. In short, there was a modest simplicity about the girl's whole
aspect and demeanour which greatly interested the Englishman, inducing
him to murmur to himself, "What an uncommonly pretty girl she would be
if she were only white!"

The colour of her skin was, indeed, unusually dark, but that fact did
not interfere with the classic delicacy of her features, or the natural
sweetness of her expression.

The order of progress in narrow places was such that Manuela rode behind
Pedro and in front of Lawrence, Quashy bringing up the rear. In more
open places the young Englishman used occasionally to ride up abreast of
Manuela and endeavour to engage her in conversation. He was, to say
truth, very much the reverse of what is styled a lady's man, and had all
his life felt rather shy and awkward in female society, but