Out on the Pampas; Or, The Young SettlersHenty, G. A. (George Alfred)
General
Out on the Pampas; Or, The Young Settlers
Henty, G. A. (George Alfred)
Pampas (Argentina) -- Juvenile fiction
'Well, Charley, I should not be surprised if it does; but it won't spoil
your beauty long, your whiskers will cover it: besides, a scar won in
honourable conflict is always admired by ladies, you know. Now let us go
down-stairs; my arm, too, wants bandaging, for it is beginning to smart
amazingly; and I am sure we all must want something to eat.'
The supper was eaten hurriedly, and then all but Terence, who, as a
measure of precaution, was stationed as watchman on the tower, were glad
to lie down for a few hours' sleep. At daybreak they were up and moving.
Mr. Hardy requested that neither his wife or daughters should go outside
the house until the dead Indians were removed and buried, as the sight
could not but be a most shocking one. Two of the peons were ordered to
put in the oxen and bring up two carts, and the rest of the men set
about the unpleasant duty of examining and collecting the slain.
These were even more numerous than Mr. Hardy had anticipated, and showed
how thickly they must have been clustered round the door and windows.
The guns had been loaded with buck-shot; two bullets he dropped down
each barrel in addition; and the discharge of these had been most
destructive, more especially those fired through the loopholes at the
end of the house. There no less than sixteen bodies were found, while
around the door and windows were thirteen others. All these were dead.
The guns having been discharged through loopholes breast-high, had taken
effect upon the head and body.
At the fence were fourteen. Of these, twelve were dead, another still
breathed, but was evidently dying, while one had only a broken leg.
Unquestionably several others had been wounded, but had managed to make
off. The bullets of revolvers, unless striking a mortal point, disable
a wounded man much less than the balls of heavier calibre. It was
evidently useless to remove the Indian who was dying; all that could be
done for him was to give him a little water, and to place a bundle of
grass so as to raise his head. Half an hour later he was dead. The other
wounded man was carried carefully down to one of the sheds, where a bed
of hay was prepared for him. Two more wounded men were found down by the
cattle enclosures, and these also Mr. Hardy considered likely to
recover. They were taken up and laid by their comrade. Three dead bodies
were found here. These were all taken in the bullock-carts to a spot
distant nearly half a mile from the house.
Here, by the united labour of the peons, a large grave was dug, six feet
wide, as much deep, and twelve yards long. In this they were laid side
by side, two deep; the earth was filled in, and the turf replaced. At
Hubert's suggestion, two young palm trees were taken out of the garden
and placed one at each end, and a wire fence was erected all round, to
keep off the animals.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account