A Serious Necessity

           THEArgentinePampasextendfromthethirty-fourthtothefortiethdegreeofsouthernlatitude.ThewordPAMPA,ofAraucanianorigin,signifiesgrassplain,andjustlyappliestothewholeregion.Themimosasgrowingonthewesternpart,andthesubstantialherbageontheeastern,givethoseplainsapeculiarappearance.Thesoiliscomposedofsandandredoryellowclay,andthisiscoveredbyalayerofearth,inwhichthevegetationtakesroot.Thegeologistwouldfindrichtreasuresinthetertiarystratahere,foritisfullofantediluvianremainsenormousbones,whichtheIndiansattributetosomegiganticracethatlivedinapastage.

           ThehorseswentonatagoodpacethroughthethickPAJA-BRAVA,thegrassofthePampas,parexcellence,sohighandthickthattheIndiansfindshelterinitfromstorms.Atcertaindistances,butincreasinglyseldom,therewerewet,marshyspots,almostentirelyunderwater,wherethewillowsgrew,andaplantcalledtheGygneriumargenteum.Herethehorsesdranktheirfillgreedily,asifbentonquenchingtheirthirstforpast,presentandfuture.Thalcavewentfirsttobeatthebushesandfrightenawaythecholinas,amostdangerousspeciesofviper,thebiteofwhichkillsanoxinlessthananhour.

           Fortwodaystheyploddedsteadilyacrossthisaridanddesertedplain.Thedryheatbecamesevere.TherewerenotonlynoRIOS,buteventhepondsdugoutbytheIndiansweredriedup.Asthedroughtseemedtoincreasewitheverymile,PaganelaskedThalcavewhenheexpectedtocometowater.

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