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"By Saint Jago!" cries Gaspar, first to comprehend what it means, "the brute's caught in our ponchos! He's bagged smothered up! Fire into him! Aim where you hear the noise. Tira!"
The day had been hard for many of the wealthy Limanians; some among them, exhausted with the fatigues of the preceding night, were reposing on the ground, wrapped in their ponchos. At this moment, the parties of the monte were animated; a mestizo was pursuing the unfavorable chance with feverish ardor. "Two thousand piasters!" exclaimed he.
The Indians apparently finding themselves in tolerably comfortable quarters, wrapped their ponchos round them, and lay down on the ground round the fire, to follow my example. I was, however, too much excited to sleep, and had lost myself in forgetfulness but a very short time when daylight appeared, and the whole party sprung to their feet.
Before we came here, we were strongly advised, in case we should happen to go on a rough expedition up country, not to be tempted to take with us any good ponchos, as the Gauchos, or half-bred Indians of the Pampas, who are great connoisseurs of these articles, and can distinguish their quality at a glance, would not hesitate to cut our throats in order to obtain possession of them.
The inhabitants however manufacture ponchos, stockings, carpets, blankets, skin-coats, saddles, hats, and other small articles, chiefly for the use of the poorer people, as those used by the middle and higher ranks are from the manufactures of Europe. These enumerated articles, with the sale of hides and leather, grain and wine, form the whole internal commerce of Chili.
There was but little clothing to be obtained in Chattanooga, and my command received only a few overcoats and a small supply of India-rubber ponchos. We could get no shoes, although we stood in great need of them, for the extra pair with which each man had started out from Murfreesboro' was now much the worse for wear.
The people wear all sorts of curious dresses, but what I remember best were their cloaks, called ponchos, which are square pieces of coloured cloth, with a round hole in the middle for the head to go through; and their leggings and their high straw hats. They are Roman Catholics; that is, they call the Pope of Rome the head of their Church.
After drying themselves, each in his own fashion, and hanging their ponchos on the tree, where they were swung to and fro in the breeze, they breakfasted, carefully however rationing out the provisions, for the morrow had to be thought of; the immense basin might not empty so soon as Glenarvan expected, and, anyway, the supply was very limited.
They were dressed in broad-brimmed hats, loose trousers, and ponchos over their shoulders; but the rest of their bodies, legs and feet, were bare. The sergeant had on a very unmilitary-looking hat of large dimensions, with wide leggings, and huge spurs. "Faith, I wonder the fellows don't turn round and shoot him," observed Mr Laffan.
When their outer clothing had been removed, and they stood revealed in light-weight undergarments a well set-up powerful pair of men, about the height of Jack and Bob although neither was so sturdy as the latter Bob halted them. "That's enough," he said. "Here put these around you." And he tossed them rubber ponchos which they threw around their shoulders.
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