A gaucho being flogged by the cowboys.

The pampas lie in the southern region of Brazil, extending through Uruguay and Argentina. Vastly flat area, perfect for cattle raising.

The men who care for the cattle and lead the animals through the pastures are called gauchos. They are rustic men, raw, accustomed to long periods away from home and cities. Without women, without the state or the church together, they have their ethics and justice. When some of them do something they consider to be a crime, justice is done with their own hands and on time.

The troop leader was reported as one of the youngest, handsome boys, stealing money from his colleague. They chatted and argued in a group, and the elders decided the boy was guilty. Although the accused claimed innocence, and no one found the money stolen, the group agreed that the boy should be flogged for several days until he admitted his crime and returned the stolen money.

So, over the next few weeks, everyone would gather to drink and talk as they watched the boy's hairy, vigorous body dance hanging on some tree branch while being whipped.