Produced by Robert Prince, Juliet Sutherland, Charles
Franks and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team.
[Illustration: Pampas. THE FIGHT WITH THE PUMA]
ON THE PAMPAS OR THE YOUNG SETTLERS
BY
G. A. HENTY
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER I.
Mrs. Hardy's Resolution
CHAPTER II.
The Start
CHAPTER III.
A New Life
CHAPTER IV.
The Pampas
CHAPTER V.
The Settler's Home
CHAPTER VI.
A Tale of the Mexican War
CHAPTER VII.
Seth Continues His Narrative of the Mexican Adventure
CHAPTER VIII.
Farm Work and Amusements
CHAPTER IX.
Neighborly Visits and Advice
CHAPTER X.
The Lost Cattle
CHAPTER XI.
Quiet Times
CHAPTER XII.
A Steady Hand
CHAPTER XIII.
The Indian Attack
CHAPTER XIV.
Terrible News
CHAPTER XV.
The Pampas on Fire
CHAPTER XVI.
At the stake
CHAPTER XVII.
Rescued
CHAPTER XVIII.
And last
CHAPTER I.
MRS. HARDY'S RESOLUTION.
"What are you thinking of, Frank?" Mrs. Hardy asked her husband oneevening, after an unusually long silence on his part.
"Well, my dear, I was thinking of a good many things. In the firstplace, I think, I began with wondering what I should make of theboys; and that led to such a train of thoughts about ourselves andour circumstances that I hardly knew where I was when you spoke tome."
Mr. Hardy spoke cheerfully, but his wife saw at once that it waswith an effort that he did so. She put down the work upon which shewas engaged, and moved her chair nearer to his by the fire. "It isa serious question, Frank, about the boys. Charley is fifteen now,and Hubert fourteen. I wonder myself sometimes what we shall dowith them."
"There seems no opening here in England for young fellows. Theprofessions are crowded, even if they were not altogether beyondour means; and as to a clerkship, they had better have a trade, andstick to it: they would be far happier, and nearly as well paid.The fact is, Clara," and here Mr. Hardy paused a little, as if togain courage to say what he feared would be very disagreeable tohis wife—"the fact is, we are altogether too crowded here. Thebest thing for the children, by far, and I think the best thing forourselves, would be to emigrate."
Mrs. Hardy gave a little sigh, but said nothing, and sat lookingquietly into the fire, as her husband went on: "You see, my dear, Iam just, and only just, earning enough for us to live upon. Nor isthere any strong probability of an increase of business. The boys,as you say, are growing up, and I see no prospect of giving them afair start in life. Abroad it is altogether different: we can buyland and stock it for next to nothing. We should live roughly,certainly; but at least there is no fear for the future, and weshould start our boys i