n, as I intend giving you a
good dinner. If we can call _charqui_ flesh, as I suppose we must, then
we shall have fish, flesh, and fowl, all the three courses. So we'll
dine sumptuously, after all."

Saying which, he draws out his knife, and cuts open the crane's crop,
exposing to view several goodly-sized fish, fresh as if just cleared
from a draw-net! They are of various sorts; the riverine waters of
South America being noted for their wonderful multiplicity of both
genera and species. The Amazon and its tributaries, are supposed to
contain at least three thousand distinct species; a fact upon which the
American naturalist, Agassiz--somewhat of an empiric, by the way--has
founded a portion of his spurious fame, on the pretence of being its
discoverer. It was pointed out by a real naturalist, Alfred Wallace,
ten years before Agassiz ever set eyes on the Amazon; and its record
will be found in the appendix to Wallace's most interesting work
relating to this, the grandest of rivers.

In the La Plata, and its confluent streams, are also many genera and
species; a question that gives Gaspar not the slightest concern, while
contemplating those he has just made the _garzon_ disgorge. Instead, he
but thinks of putting them to the broil. So, in ten minutes after they
are frizzling over a fire; in twenty more, to be stowed away in other
stomachs than that of the soldier-crane.

CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR.

ATTACKED BY GYMNOTI.

Gaspar's promise to give them a dinner of the three orthodox courses--
fish, flesh, and fowl--was only meant in a jocular sense. For the
flesh, their stock of _charqui_ is not drawn upon; and as to fowl, the
soldier-crane would be a still more unpalatable morsel. So it results
in their dining simply upon fish; this not only without sauce, but
swallowed at second-hand!

While they are occupied in the eating it, the gaucho, seeming more
cheerful than usual, says:--

"I've a bit of good news for you, _hijos mios_."

"Indeed! what?" is their eager inquiry.

"That we are still upon the right road. The redskins have gone past
here, as I supposed they would."

"You've discovered fresh traces of them, then?"

"I have ever so many scratches of their horses' feet, where they slipped
in stepping down to the stream. Quite plain they are; I could
distinguish them some way off, and with half an eye, as I was hauling in
the _soldado_. Good news, I call it; since we won't have to take the
back-tr