He had finished his
first cigarette and now began slowly making himself a second one; but
I waited patiently for him to speak, my irritation had quite vanished,
those "wild flowers" of his were not without beauty, and his love and
devotion for his unhappy mistress made them smell very sweet.
Presently he resumed: "Senor, you have told my mistress that you are
a poor man; that you look upon this country life as a free and happy
one; that above all things you would like to possess an _estancia_
where you could breed cattle and race-horses and hunt ostriches. All
this she has revolved in her mind, and because it is in her power to
offer you the things you desire does she now ask you to aid her in her
trouble. And now, senor, let me tell you this. The Peralta property
extends all the way to the Rocha waters; five leagues of land, and
there is none better in this department. It was formerly well stocked.
There were thousands of cattle and mares; for my master's party then
ruled in the country; the Colorados were shut up in Montevideo, and
that cut-throat Frutos Rivera never came into this part. Of the cattle
only a remnant remains, but the land is a fortune for any man, and,
when my old master dies, Dona Demetria inherits all. Even now it is
hers, since her father has lost his calabash, as you have seen. Now
let me tell you what happened many years ago.
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