It was a cattle and
horse-breeding establishment, but the beasts were of less account to
the owner than his peacocks, a fowl for which he had so great a
predilection that he could not have too many of them; he was always
buying more peacocks to send out to the estate, and they multiplied
until the whole place swarmed with them. And he wanted them all for
himself, so that it was forbidden to sell or give even an egg away.
The place was in the charge of a major-domo, a good-natured fellow,
and when he discovered that we liked peacocks' feathers for decorative
purposes in the house, he made it a custom to send us each year at the
moulting-time large bundles, whole armfuls, of feathers.
Another curious thing in the estancia was a large room set apart for
the display of trophies sent from Buenos Ayres by the Minister's
eldest son. I have already given an account of a favourite pastime of
the young gentlemen of the capital--that of giving battle to the
night-watchmen and wresting their staffs and lanterns from them. Our
Minister's heir was a leader in this sport, and from time to time sent
consignments of his trophies to the country place, where the walls of
the room were covered with staffs and festoons of lanterns.
Once or twice as a small boy I had the privilege of meeting this young
gentleman and looked at him with an intense curiosity which has served
to keep his image in my mind till now.
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