Leaving the eloquent1 old horse-tamer's rancho early next morning, I continued my ride, jogging quietly along all day and, leaving the Florida department behind me, entered upon that of the Durazno. Here I broke my journey at an estancia where I had an excellent opportunity of studying the manners and customs of the Orientals, and where I also underwent experiences of a mixed character and greatly increased my knowledge of the insect world. This house, at which I arrived an hour before sunset to ask for shelter (“permission to unsaddle” is the expression the traveller uses), was a long, low structure, thatched with rushes, but the low, enormously thick walls were built of stone from the neighbouring sierras, in pieces of all shapes and sizes, and presenting, outwardly, the rough appearance of a stone fence. How these rudely piled-up stones, without cement to hold them together, had not fallen down was a mystery to me; and it was more difficult still to imagine why the rough interior, with its innumerable dusty holes and interstices, had never been plastered.
I was kindly2 received by a very numerous family, consisting of the owner, his hoary-headed old mother-in-law, his wife, three sons, and five daughters, all grown up. There were also several small children, belonging, I believe, to the daughters, notwithstanding the fact that they were unmarried. I was greatly amazed at hearing the name of one of these youngsters. Such Christian4 names as Trinity, Heart of Jesus, Nativity, John of God, Conception, Ascension, Incarnation, are common enough, but these had scarcely prepared me to meet with a fellow-creature named—well, Circumcision! Besides the people, there were dogs, cats, turkeys, ducks, geese, and fowls5 without number. Not content with all these domestic birds and beasts, they also kept a horrid6, shrieking7 paroquet, which the old woman was incessantly8 talking to, explaining to the others all the time, in little asides, what the bird said or wished to say, or, rather, what she imagined it wished to say. There were also several tame young ostriches9, always hanging about the big kitchen or living-room on the look-out for a brass10 thimble, or iron spoon, or other little metallic11 bonne bouche to be gobbled up when no one was looking. A pet armadillo kept trotting12 in and out, in and out, the whole evening, and a lame13 gull14 was always standing3 on the threshold in everybody's way, perpetually wailing15 for something to eat—the most persistent16 beggar I ever met in my life.
The people were very jovial17, and rather industrious18 for so indolent a country. The land was their own, the men tended the cattle, of which they appeared to have a large number, while the women made cheeses, rising before daylight to milk the cows.
During the evening two or three young men—neighbours, I imagine, who were paying their addresses to the young ladies of the establishment—dropped in; and after a plentiful19 supper, we had singing and dancing to the music of the guitar, on which every member of the family—excepting the babies—could strum a little.
About eleven o'clock I retired20 to rest, and, stretching myself on my rude bed of rugs, in a room adjoining the kitchen, I blessed these simple-minded, hospitable21 people. Good heavens, thought I to myself, what a glorious field is waiting here for some new Theocritus! How unutterably worn out, stilted22, and artificial seems all the so-called pastoral poetry ever written when one sits down to supper and joins in the graceful23 Cielo or Pericon in one of these remote, semi-barbarous South American estancias! I swear I will turn poet myself, and go back some day to astonish old blasé Europe with something so—so—What the deuce was that? My sleepy soliloquy was suddenly brought to a most lame and impotent conclusion, for I had heard a sound of terror—the unmistakable zz-zzing of an insect's wings. It was the hateful vinchuca. Here was an enemy against which British pluck and six-shooters are of no avail, and in whose presence one begins to experience sensations which are not usually supposed to enter into the brave man's breast. Naturalists24 tell us that it is the Connorhinus infectans, but, as that information leaves something to be desired, I will proceed in a few words to describe the beast. It inhabits the entire Chilian, Argentine, and Oriental countries, and to all the dwellers25 in this vast territory it is known as the vinchuca; for, like a few volcanoes, deadly vipers26, cataracts27, and other sublime28 natural objects, it has been permitted to keep the ancient name bestowed29 on it by the aborigines. It is all over of a blackish-brown colour, as broad as a man's thumb-nail, and flat as the blade of a table-knife—when fasting. By day it hides, bug-like, in holes and chinks, but no sooner are the candles put out, than forth30 it comes to seek whom it may devour31; for, like the pestilence32, it walks in darkness. It can fly, and in a dark room knows where you are and can find you. Having selected a nice tender part, it pierces the skin with its proboscis33 or rostrum, and sucks vigorously for two or three minutes, and, strange to say, you do not feel the operation, even when lying wide awake. By that time the creature, so attenuated34 before, has assumed the figure, size, and general appearance of a ripe gooseberry, so much blood has it drawn35 from your veins36. Immediately after it has left you the part begins to swell37 up and burn as if stung by nettles38. That the pain should come after and not during the operation is an arrangement very advantageous39 to the vinchuca, and I greatly doubt whether any other blood-sucking parasite40 has been equally favoured by nature in this respect.
Imagine then my sensations when I heard the sound of not one, but two or three pairs of wings! I tried to forget the sound and go to sleep. I tried to forget about those rough old walls full of interstices—a hundred years old they were, my host had informed me. Most interesting old house, thought I; and then very suddenly a fiery41 itching42 took possession of my great toe. There it is! said I; heated blood, late supper, dancing, and all that. I can almost imagine that something has actually bitten me, when of course nothing of that kind has happened. Then, while I was furiously rubbing and scratching it, feeling a badger-like disposition43 to gnaw44 it off, my left arm was pierced with red-hot needles. My attentions were quickly transferred to that part; but soon my busy hands were called elsewhere, like a couple of hard-worked doctors in a town afflicted45 with an epidemic46; and so all night long, with only occasional snatches of miserable47 sleep, the contest went on.
I rose early, and, going to a wide stream, a quarter of a mile from the house, took a plunge48 which greatly refreshed me and gave me strength to go in quest of my horse. Poor brute49! I had intended giving him a day's rest, so pleasant and hospitable had the people shown themselves; but now I shuddered50 at the thought of spending another night in such a purgatory51. I found him so lame that he could scarcely walk, and so returned to the house on foot and very much cast down. My host consoled me by assuring me that I would sleep the siesta52 all the better for having been molested53 by those “little things that go about,” for in this very mild language he described the affliction. After breakfast, at noon, acting54 on his hint, I took a rug to the shade of a tree and, lying down, quickly fell into a profound sleep, which lasted till late in the afternoon.
That evening visitors came again, and we had a repetition of the singing, dancing, and other pastoral amusements, till near midnight; then, thinking to cheat my bedfellows of the night before, I made my simple bed in the kitchen. But here also the vile55 vinchucas found me, and there were, moreover, dozens of fleas56 that waged a sort of guerilla warfare57 all night, and in this way exhausted58 my strength and distracted my attention, while the more formidable adversary59 took up his position. My sufferings were so great that before daybreak I picked up my rugs and went out a distance from the house to lie down on the open plain, but I carried with me a smarting body and got but little rest. When morning came I found that my horse had not yet recovered from his lameness60.
“Do not be in a hurry to leave us,” said my host, when I spoke61 of it. “I perceive that the little animals have again fought with and defeated you. Do not mind it; in time you will grow accustomed to them.”
How they contrived62 to endure it, or even to exist, was a puzzle to me; but possibly the vinchucas respected them, and only dined when, like the giant in the nursery rhyme, they “smelt the blood of an Englishman.”
I again enjoyed a long siesta, and when night came resolved to place myself beyond the reach of the vampires63, and so, after supper, went out to sleep on the plain. About midnight, however, a sudden storm of wind and rain drove me back to the shelter of the house, and the next morning I rose in such a deplorable state that I deliberately64 caught and saddled my horse, though the poor beast could scarcely put one foot on the ground. My friends laughed good-humouredly when they saw me making these resolute65 preparations for departure. After partaking of bitter maté, I rose and thanked them for their hospitality.
“You surely do not intend leaving us on that animal!” said my host. “He is unfit to carry you.”
“I have no other,” I replied, “and am anxious to reach my destination.”
“Had I known this I would have offered you a horse before,” he returned, and then he sent one of his sons to drive the horses of the estancia into the corral.
Selecting a good-looking animal from the herd66, he presented it to me, and as I did not have money enough to buy a fresh horse whenever I wanted one, I accepted the gift very gladly. The saddle was quickly transferred to my new acquisition, and, once more thanking these good people and bidding adieu, I resumed my journey.
When I gave my hand before leaving to the youngest, and also, to my mind, the prettiest of the five daughters of the house, instead of smiling pleasantly and wishing me a prosperous journey, like the others, she was silent, and darted67 a look at me, which seemed to say, “Go, sir; you have treated me badly, and you insult me by offering your hand; if I take it, it is not because I feel disposed to forgive you, but only to save appearances.”
At the same moment, when she bestowed that glance on me which said so much, a look of intelligence passed over the faces of the other people in the room. All this revealed to me that I had just missed a very pretty little idyllic68 flirtation69, conducted in very novel circumstances. Love cometh up as a flower, and men and charming women naturally flirt70 when brought together. Yet it was hard to imagine how I could have started a flirtation and carried it on to its culminatory point in that great public room, with all those eyes on me; dogs, babes, and cats tumbling about my feet; ostriches staring covetously71 at my buttons with great vacant eyes; and that intolerable paroquet perpetually reciting “How the waters came down at Lodore,” in its own shrieky, beaky, birdy, hurdy-gurdy, parrot language. Tender glances, soft whispered words, hand-touchings, and a thousand little personal attentions, showing which way the emotions tend, would scarcely have been practicable in such a place and in such conditions, and new signs and symbols would have to be invented to express the feelings of the heart. And doubtless these Orientals, living all together in one great room, with their children and pets, like our very ancient ancestors, the pastoral Aryans, do possess such a language. And this pretty language I should have learnt from the most willing of teachers, if those venomous vinchucas had not dulled my brain with their persecutions and made me blind to a matter which had not escaped the observation of even unconcerned lookers-on. Riding away from the estancia, the feeling I experienced at having finally escaped from these execrable “little things that go about” was not one of unmixed satisfaction.
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1
eloquent
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| adj.雄辩的，口才流利的；明白显示出的 | |
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kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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4
Christian
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| adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒 | |
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5
fowls
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| 鸟( fowl的名词复数 )； 禽肉； 既不是这； 非驴非马 | |
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6
horrid
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| adj.可怕的；令人惊恐的；恐怖的；极讨厌的 | |
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7
shrieking
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| v.尖叫( shriek的现在分词 ) | |
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8
incessantly
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| ad.不停地 | |
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9
ostriches
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| n.鸵鸟( ostrich的名词复数 )；逃避现实的人，不愿正视现实者 | |
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10
brass
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| n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器 | |
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11
metallic
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| adj.金属的；金属制的；含金属的；产金属的；像金属的 | |
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12
trotting
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| 小跑，急走( trot的现在分词 )； 匆匆忙忙地走 | |
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13
lame
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| adj.跛的，(辩解、论据等)无说服力的 | |
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14
gull
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| n.鸥；受骗的人；v.欺诈 | |
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15
wailing
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| v.哭叫，哀号( wail的现在分词 )；沱 | |
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16
persistent
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| adj.坚持不懈的，执意的；持续的 | |
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17
jovial
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| adj.快乐的，好交际的 | |
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18
industrious
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| adj.勤劳的，刻苦的，奋发的 | |
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19
plentiful
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| adj.富裕的，丰富的 | |
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20
retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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21
hospitable
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| adj.好客的；宽容的；有利的，适宜的 | |
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22
stilted
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| adj.虚饰的；夸张的 | |
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23
graceful
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| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
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24
naturalists
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| n.博物学家( naturalist的名词复数 )；（文学艺术的）自然主义者 | |
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25
dwellers
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| n.居民，居住者( dweller的名词复数 ) | |
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26
vipers
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| n.蝰蛇( viper的名词复数 )；毒蛇；阴险恶毒的人；奸诈者 | |
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27
cataracts
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| n.大瀑布( cataract的名词复数 )；白内障 | |
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28
sublime
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| adj.崇高的，伟大的；极度的，不顾后果的 | |
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29
bestowed
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| 赠给，授予( bestow的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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30
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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31
devour
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| v.吞没；贪婪地注视或谛听，贪读；使着迷 | |
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32
pestilence
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| n.瘟疫 | |
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33
proboscis
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| n.（象的）长鼻 | |
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34
attenuated
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| v.（使）变细( attenuate的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）变薄；（使）变小；减弱 | |
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35
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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36
veins
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| n.纹理；矿脉( vein的名词复数 )；静脉；叶脉；纹理 | |
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37
swell
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| vi.膨胀，肿胀；增长，增强 | |
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38
nettles
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| n.荨麻( nettle的名词复数 ) | |
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39
advantageous
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| adj.有利的；有帮助的 | |
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40
parasite
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| n.寄生虫；寄生菌；食客 | |
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41
fiery
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| adj.燃烧着的，火红的；暴躁的；激烈的 | |
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42
itching
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| adj.贪得的，痒的，渴望的v.发痒( itch的现在分词 ) | |
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43
disposition
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| n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署 | |
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44
gnaw
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| v.不断地啃、咬；使苦恼，折磨 | |
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45
afflicted
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| 使受痛苦，折磨( afflict的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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46
epidemic
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| n.流行病；盛行；adj.流行性的，流传极广的 | |
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47
miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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48
plunge
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| v.跳入，(使)投入，(使)陷入；猛冲 | |
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49
brute
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| n.野兽，兽性 | |
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50
shuddered
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| v.战栗( shudder的过去式和过去分词 )；发抖；（机器、车辆等）突然震动；颤动 | |
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51
purgatory
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| n.炼狱；苦难；adj.净化的，清洗的 | |
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52
siesta
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| n.午睡 | |
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53
molested
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| v.骚扰( molest的过去式和过去分词 )；干扰；调戏；猥亵 | |
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54
acting
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| n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的 | |
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55
vile
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| adj.卑鄙的，可耻的，邪恶的；坏透的 | |
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56
fleas
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| n.跳蚤( flea的名词复数 )；爱财如命；没好气地（拒绝某人的要求） | |
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57
warfare
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| n.战争(状态)；斗争；冲突 | |
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58
exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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59
adversary
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| adj.敌手，对手 | |
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60
lameness
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| n. 跛, 瘸, 残废 | |
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61
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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62
contrived
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| adj.不自然的，做作的；虚构的 | |
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63
vampires
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| n.吸血鬼( vampire的名词复数 )；吸血蝠；高利贷者；（舞台上的）活板门 | |
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64
deliberately
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| adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地 | |
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65
resolute
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| adj.坚决的，果敢的 | |
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66
herd
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| n.兽群，牧群；vt.使集中，把…赶在一起 | |
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67
darted
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| v.投掷，投射( dart的过去式和过去分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
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68
idyllic
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| adj.质朴宜人的，田园风光的 | |
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69
flirtation
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| n.调情，调戏，挑逗 | |
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70
flirt
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| v.调情，挑逗，调戏；n.调情者，卖俏者 | |
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71
covetously
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| adv.妄想地，贪心地 | |
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