Chapter 14 16.To Tandil

After everyone was happy for a while, all the people who arrived later, except perhaps the major, had a common feeling: they were dying of thirst.Fortunately, the Guamini River is not far away.We started on the road again, and arrived near the small courtyard at 7 o'clock in the morning.As soon as he saw that the yard was full of dead wolves, he knew how fierce the defensive battle was last night. After a while, everyone drank enough and had a very rich breakfast in the yard. The rib meat of "Nandu" was said to be delicious, and the grilled armadillo was even more delicious. "If you eat less, you will be sorry to God. You should eat until your stomach bursts." Paganel said.

He ate too much, but his stomach was not distended, for he drank the clear water of the Guamini, which he found to have an unexpected digestive power. Glenarvan didn't want to stay here for too long, so he gave the order to advance at 10 o'clock in the morning, and the leather buckets were filled with water, and everyone set out on the road.The horse is well-drunk, fed, and rested, and exhibits a high degree of activity, almost always maintaining a hunting pace.The slightly moist soil has also become more fertile, but it is still uninhabited. On November 2nd and 3rd, the journey was uneventful. On the evening of the 3rd, tired from their long journey, they rested at the end of the Pampa district, on the border of the province of Buenos Aires.They left Talkawalo Bay on October 14, and now it has been 22 days and they have traveled 730 kilometers, that is to say, nearly two thirds of the distance have been covered by luck.

The next morning they crossed the dividing line between the plains and steppes of Argentina.It was in this area that Tarcafe hoped to meet the Indian chief who had detained Captain Grant. Among the 14 provinces in Argentina, the province of Buenos Aires is the largest and richest.This province lies between the 64th and 65th longitudes of East, and borders on the Indian lands to the south.The province's land is particularly fertile and the climate is particularly pleasant.Grasses and tall vegetables are everywhere.The ground is flat, almost without any unevenness, to the foot of Tandil and Tabalconsi.

Our travelers were pleased with the marked improvement in temperature since leaving the Guamini.Here, the average temperature often does not exceed 17 degrees Celsius, as Patagonia's fierce cold wind constantly stirs the air waves in the air.Therefore, after being exposed to the heat, everyone felt very refreshed.They all moved forward with excitement and confidence.However, no matter what Tarcaf said, this area seems to be completely uninhabited, or more correctly, the people who live there have completely emigrated. This eastward route passes through many lakes and marshes, some of which are salty and some of which are fresh.There are many nimble birds jumping in the bushes on the shore of the lake, happy larks singing, and the beautiful tangara, whose plumage is like that of a hummingbird.These beautiful warblers fluttered their feathers with joy, paying no attention to the starlings with red epaulets and red breasts singing on the embankment.Among the thorn bushes, the hanging nest of the "Annubi" bird swings, just like the hammock used by the white people living in the colony.There are many gorgeous ibis by the lake, walking with neat steps, flapping their fiery red wings in the wind.People see their nests, which are 0.3 meters high and somewhat oval in shape, and they live in thousands of places, like small towns.Paganel was disappointed that the ibis did not fly away when the traveler approached.

"I've wanted to see how the ibis flies for a long time," he said to the major. "Good!" said the major. "Now that I have an opportunity, I'm going to take advantage of it." "Use it, Paganel." "You come with me, Major. You come too, Robert, I need witnesses." With that said, Paganel let his other traveling companions go first, and walked towards the group of red-winged birds, followed by Robert and the major. When he got to the place where the bullet could reach, he loaded the gunpowder and fired with a bang. Immediately all the ibises flew into the air. Paganel picked up the binoculars and watched carefully.

"How?" he asked the major, when the birds were out of sight, "did you see them fly?" "Of course, unless you're blind, you'll always see." "Do you think they fly like feathered arrows?" "Not at all." "It can't be compared at all." Robert added. "I have long believed that it is not like it!" The scholar said again, very satisfied. "But there is one person, who can be said to be the most proud of the humble people, that is, my fellow countryman, the famous Chateaubriand (a French writer in the early nineteenth century), he actually used feathered arrows to compare ibis! Ah! You see, Robert, literary metaphors are the most dubious of all! Don't trust metaphors all your life, and don't use them unless you have to."

"You should be satisfied with this experiment, right?" asked the major. "Very satisfied." "I am satisfied too. Hurry up and go, because your famous countryman has left us two kilometers behind." When Paganel caught up with his traveling companion, he encountered Glenarvan talking with Tarcave and suffering from his lack of Spanish.Takaf stopped several times to observe the distant horizon, and every time he observed it, his face showed a look of surprise.Seeing that his entourage and interpreter were not around, Glenarvan wanted to ask him directly, but they still couldn't understand each other after trying their best.Therefore, as soon as he saw Paganel from a distance, he called out: "Come, friend Paganel! Tarcaf and I are talking, and we cannot understand each other!"

Paganel talked with Tarcave for a few minutes, then turned to Glenarvan and said: "Tarcaf was surprised to see a very strange phenomenon." "What phenomenon?" "It is in these plains that it is usual to meet many Indians walking up and down in groups, or driving the plundered cattle in the pastures, or going all the way to the Udas Mountains to sell their weasel blankets. And whips made of leather thongs, now not only can't I meet Indians, but I can't even find the traces of their passing." "What does Tarcaf think is why they don't come up these plains?"

"He couldn't say why, just surprised." "What kind of Indians did he expect to meet in this country?" "Want to meet the Indians who have had foreign captives in their hands, the Indians led by chiefs like Cavgula Catellier or Janstruz." "What kind of people are these chiefs?" "Thirty years ago they were supreme tribal chiefs, and they were driven over this side of the mountain. Since then they have been tamed, as tame as the Indians could be. Roaming around in the province of Buenos Aires. They are brigands in this part of the world, and I am as surprised as Tacaf that I don't see them now."

"In that case, what shall we do?" Golinarvan asked again. "Let me ask." Paganel talked with Tarcafe for a while and then said: "I think his opinion is very appropriate, it is this: we continue to go east, until we reach Fort Independence-this is on our route, we arrived at There, if we don't hear from Captain Grant, we may at least know where the Indians of the Argentine plains have gone." "Is this Fort Independence far away?" Golinarvan asked again. "Not far, in the Tandil Mountains, about 90 kilometers from here." "When will we be there?"

"The night after tomorrow." Glenarvan was disappointed by this unexpected event.It's unthinkable not to meet a single Indian in Pampa.Usually there are too many Indians here.Something special must have forced them out of here.The more serious question was: If Captain Grant had been a captive among a tribe in the district, was he now being taken north or south?This question made Glenarvan hesitate.No matter what, they must grasp the clues of Captain Grant's movement.After much deliberation, it is better to follow Takaf's opinion!Go to Tandil Village first, and at Tandil Village, at least you can find someone to talk to. When it was almost 4 o'clock in the evening, I saw a hill on the horizon in the distance. The hill was quite high, and it could be counted as a mountain in such a flat area.That is Mount Tabalcon, at the foot of which the traveler spends the night.The next day, crossing the mountain couldn't be easier.The sand undulates like waves, and the slope is not steep.Those who have climbed the high and low banks of the Andas do not take such hills seriously, and the mountain roads here hardly slow down the rapid speed of the horses.At noon, we walked through the abandoned fortress of Tabalkun, which was the first fortress of the chain of forts built in the south of the mountain to prevent the locals from shooting and looting.Here again no Indians were encountered, which surprised Tarcave all the more.Towards noon three men rode across the plain with guns, and observed the little caravan.They kept people from approaching them, and escaped with incredible speed.This made Sir very angry. "They are gauchos," said Tarcaf, whose name he had given to these natives had caused a dispute between the major and Paganel. "Ah! Gauchos," replied the major. "Er! Paganel, what do you think of these fellows when the north wind is gone today?" "I think they look like great robbers." "My dear scholar, how far is it from being a robber to being a robber?" "Just a step, my dear major!" Paganel's admission made everyone laugh. Instead of being angry, he made a very interesting comment to the Indians: "I don't remember which book I read: Arabs have a very fierce expression on their mouths, but their eyes are gentle. Looking at the natives in America now, it's just the opposite. These people's eyes are particularly fierce." A professional Mr. Xiangmian could not describe the Indians more correctly than he did. At this time, according to Tarcaf's order, everyone moved closer together.No matter how wild and uninhabited the place is, one cannot but be wary of attacks.But this precaution is superfluous.That night, everyone rested in a deserted village, which was originally the place where Chief Catleyell usually assembled his team.Tarcaf saw no sign of recent occupancy.He had to check the ground, and he found that no one had occupied the village for a long time. The next day, they entered the plain again.The nearest large pastures near the Tandil Mountains are now visible.But Tarcaf decided not to stay in those places, and went straight to Fort Independence to inquire about the news.He especially wants to know why there are no people in this area. Since passing the high and low rocks, there are very few trees.Now trees have appeared again, most of which were planted after Europeans arrived in America.There are neem trees, peach trees, poplars, willows, and bean curd trees. These trees grow very fast and well despite no one taking care of them.These trees usually surround the perimeter of the stables.Cattle, horses, sheep, etc. are raised in the livestock pen.Livestock are marked with a brand representing the owner.Many strong and capable dogs guarded the perimeter of the main fence.The slightly salty soil at the foot of the mountain grows the best grasses and is excellent for grazing animals.So people chose this place especially to build a ranch.Each ranch has a steward and a foreman, and they have four helpers for every thousand head of livestock. This group of people lived the lives of the great shepherds in the Bible.Their herds were perhaps larger than those of the herdsmen who filled the Mesopotamian plains with their cattle and sheep.But the shepherds here have no family life, and the owners of the pastures in Pangpa are all big merchants who sell cattle and horses, and there is nothing like the old patriarchs with many children and grandchildren mentioned in the Bible. These are the words Paganel explained to his traveling companions.On this point he talked a lot about his ethnology, and made some very interesting comparisons of different races, which even interested the major.It can be seen from the expression. Once again Paganel had the opportunity to show his companions one of those mirages that are common in such flat fields: many pastures look like islands from a distance, surrounded by poplars and willows The reflection is in the clear water, and this clear water often recedes in front of the pedestrian as the pedestrian advances.The phantom was so real that the human eye could not discern the reality. On November 6th, I encountered several large pastures and one or two places where sexual animals were slaughtered. This kind of place is called "Killing Ladro".As its name indicates, after "killing", it is salted into "cured" meat.This bloody work begins in late spring.Send people from "Shaladro" to the pasture to bring the livestock, and use the "Lasso" to catch them. One will be caught one by one. Cattle, oxen, and sheep, hundreds of them are killed once, and the skin is skinned and the meat is cut.But the bull will often resist.In this case the butcher becomes the matador.This kind of occupation is very dangerous, but they are skilled and extremely cruel.All in all, the scene of this massacre is appalling.Nothing could be more creepy than the surroundings of such a landowner.The air was stinky, and the courtyard was filled with the screams of the butcher, the barking of dogs, and the wailing of dying livestock. At the same time, thousands of birds of prey flew tens of kilometers from the Argentine plains Come, snatch the trembling wreckage from the butcher.For now, though, these slaughterhouses are silent, calm, and deserted, because the time for mass slaughter has yet to come. Takaf urged Toka forward.He was going to Fort Independence that night.The horse is spurred by the owner, following Taojia's example, galloping among the tall grasses.On the way, I also met a few village households, all of which were deep trenches and high fortifications. There was a balcony on the main house. The residents in the village had weapons, and they could shoot the bandits in the plain from the balcony.Glenarvan might be able to get some of the information he needs from those Zhuangzi.But the safest way is to inquire in the village of Tandil.Because, not far along the way, we crossed the Lohuiso River, and after a few kilometers passed the Shabarev River.In a few moments the horse's hooves were on the first grassy slopes of Mount Tandil.An hour later, the village of Tandil was visible, hidden deep in a narrow valley with the battlements of Fort Independence on top.