"What do they relate, then, that is so extraordinary?"
"Oh, frightful things, mi amo, and things which I, a poor Indian, should never dare to repeat."
It was in vain I pressed my guide to explain himself; I could only draw from him ejaculations of fright, accompanied by innumerable signs of the cross. Wearied of doing so, I gave up asking any farther about a subject which appeared to displease him so much.
"In what time will we arrive at the fazenda?" I asked.
"Do you think that don Zeno will already have arrived, and that we shall meet him?"
"Who knows, mi amo? If the señor don Zeno wishes to have arrived there, he will be there."
Beaten on this point as on the first, I finally gave up asking my guide questions, to which, according to his pleasure, he made such ridiculous answers, and I confined myself to giving him the order to proceed.
By degrees, as we ascended the valley, the landscape changed, and assumed aspects of a striking character. I thus traversed, without perceiving it, the pretty considerable space which separated me from the fazenda.
At the moment when we began to ascend a rather wide and well-kept path that conducted to the first buildings, I perceived a horseman who was galloping towards me at full speed.
My guide touched me lightly on the arm with a quiver of fear.
"Do you not recognise him? It is the seigneur don Zeno Cabral."
"Nothing is impossible to señor Zeno," murmured he, in an undertone.
I looked more attentively; I recognised, indeed, don Zeno Cabral, my old companion of the pampa. He wore the same costume as at our first meeting.
"Welcome to the fazenda do Rio d'Ouro," said he to me joyfully, holding out his right hand, which I grasped cordially; "have you had a good journey?"
"Excellent, I thank you, although very fatiguing. But," added I, noticing a slight smile on his lips, "although I do not yet rank myself with a traveller of your calibre, I begin to be perfectly accustomed to it; moreover, the aspect of your beautiful country has completely made me forget my fatigue."
"Is it not beautiful?" said he with pride; "And does it not merit to be seen and appreciated?"
"You have been satisfied with this bribón, I suppose," said he, turning towards the guide, who kept himself modestly and timidly in the background.