"It was four years ago.

Ah! Don Ricardo did not remember the country then--it was when the first Americans came--now it is different.

Then there were no coaches--in truth one travelled very little, and always on horseback, only to see one's neighbors.

And suddenly, as if in one day, it was changed; there were strange men on the roads, and one was frightened, and one shut the gates of the pateo and drove the horses into the corral.

One did not know much of the Americans then--for why?
They were always going, going--never stopping, hurrying on to the gold mines, hurrying away from the gold mines, hurrying to look for other gold mines: but always going on foot, on horseback, in queer wagons--hurrying, pushing everywhere.