ve was made, the luggage had
gone on, and the party followed in their two coaches. We now began to
approach a more pleasing country, and drove through little montes of
scrub and trees, with a few bright-coloured verbena and cacti growing
near the ground, making a brave show, and that larger optunia, the
prickly pear, with its silver grey appearance and the bright crimson of
its fruit showed up occasionally against the low trees. Altogether, the
land had a more homelike and less expansive appearance, as it was broken
up by these little groups of trees. It was a glorious drive. We were
favoured with another exquisite sunset which shed weird and beautiful
light over this strangely quiet and empty country. As the four-horse
char-a-banc had started some minutes ahead of the more modest two-horse
vehicle, it was to be supposed that it would reach the destination, Los
Moyes, first, and we hear that there was some consternation expressed by
the party of the smaller coach when, on their arrival they found that
nothing had been heard, or seen, of the more ambitious vehicle. However,
The Chaperon on being appealed to, impassively murmured "They're all
right," and started to give orders for unloading, and putting up beds
and generally arranging matters as if the section house belonged to him,
and this callousness on his part, we are told, calmed the others
sufficiently to allow of their enjoying the remnants of the sunset,
undisturbed by any thoughts of the horrible fates which might (but were
not likely to) have overtaken their companions.

Certainly Los Moyes section house is most prettily situated, with an
expanse of alfalfa beyond the little front garden, and trees in the
distance opening to show a glimpse of the smallest lake. There are three
of these lakes not far from the house, and fishing is carried on, by
means of spearing, in their waters. Long after the last trace of sunset
had faded from the sky, The Jehu appeared with his coach, and a rush was
made by the hosts of Los Moyes, and their earlier arrivals, to ascertain
the cause of this delay. All anxiety was quickly allayed by one glance
at the face of The Instigator. He was exuberant with joy. The rest of
the occupants of the coach seemed rather less excited, and more weary,
as they explained that The Instigator had sighted in the far offing a
steam plough, and despite murmurs of "the dinner waits and we are tired"
from The Delineator and The Wild Man, he insisted on inv