the "ould country."

They waited the next day at Mr. Percy's station, and started the
next morning before daylight, as they had still ten miles to
travel, and were desirous of getting as early to the ground as
possible.

The boys were in the highest spirits at being at last really out
upon the pampas, and as day fairly broke they had a hearty laugh at
the appearance of their cavalcade. There was no road or track of
any kind, and consequently, instead of following in a file, as they
would have done in any other country, the party straggled along in
a confused body. First came the animals--the sheep, bullocks, and
cows. Behind these rode Lopez, in, his gaucho dress, and a long
whip in his hand, which he cracked from time to time, with a report
like that of a pistol--not that there was any difficulty in driving
the animals at a pace sufficient to keep well ahead of the bullock
carts, for the sheep of the pampas are very much more active beasts
than their English relations. Accustomed to feed on the open
plains, they travel over large extent of ground, and their ordinary
pace is four miles an hour. When frightened, they can go for many
miles at a speed which will tax a good horse to keep up with. The
first bullock cart was driven by Hans, who sat upon the top of a
heap of baggage, his head covered with a very old and battered
Panama hat, through several broad holes in which his red hair
bristled out in a most comic fashion, and over his blue flannel
shirt a large red beard flowed almost to his waist. Terence was
walking by the side of the second cart in corduroy breeches and
gaiters and blue coat, with a high black hat, battered and bruised
out of all shape, on his head. In his hand he held a favorite