Ostriches swarmed everywhere, and it was good sport lassoing them.  I found one nest with fifty eggs, laid by different birds.  My cooking was rather a failure at first, the smoke was so thick we could not see each other.  I was told to cook maize for dinner.  I made a big fire, and cooked for three hours, and was then told I had the stallions’ maize.  Another time it was very dark; our candles, made of old clothes and grease, had run out.  I had made some good soup, and put the pot near the table, then, walking by, put my foot in it:  the hot grease made me hop, and took the skin off my foot.  Our table was an old greasy box; we had no plates, nor forks, just a big knife.  Sometimes, coming in very tired from a hard day, we had no strength to chop wood and make a fire; we just went to bed.  Many days we only had an asado and mate.  Mate I am very fond of—­it is so refreshing and sustaining.

My brother was only eight miles away:  his section was under alfalfa, and he had a comfortable house.  One dark night, going home from his place, I followed a fence until I came to a cross fence.  I was going slowly, when, all of a sudden, my horse stopped dead, and I shot over the fence, the bridle and halter came off, and away went my horse, leaving me to continue five miles on foot.

Bizcachas (like a big badger) were numerous.  One day we dug a two-metre hole, and next day found eight live ones.  They have teeth one and a-half inches long.

Our nearest village was eighteen miles away, where I met some English friends, and played tennis or had some other amusement.  I used to start back at 2.30 a.m. to be in time for work.  One night I had to cross a big field, without a path or fence for a guide.  It was dark, and lightning hard.  I made for a light, which I thought was the house.  Going for some time, I came to a fence—­I was lost.  I unsaddled and lay down to sleep, the rain was pouring hard, when I heard a donkey braying, so I shouted, and was answered by a man in a puesto (out-station).  The light I saw was a village twelve miles away.

My companion was very slack, and the patrons came up and sacked him.

Then I went to the estancia house for a month, breaking in colts for driving.  I felt rather sad at leaving my rough work.  It was hard work, but I never had better health.

My Boss then earned $15 per month, and his wife cooked for the men.  Now he is one of the richest men in the country.

There was no opening there, so the Boss sent me to a New Zealander who had half a league of camp, all fine stock, good alfalfa and splendid water.  He had a big house and I expected I would live well.  My first work was to dig up locusts’ eggs for a week under a hot sun, with the ground very hard.  The Boss was a man of forty-two, very red-faced and extremely rich, but as mean as possible.

Our meals took about six to eight minutes, fast eating; he would watch every mouthful.  At tea he would take a lot of milk and give me a little; he finished soon, while I burnt my throat.  He allowed me a slice of biscuit for each meal.  His cook only got $10 a month.