Across the Mexican Mountains 141 



that he would have to bear all risks, and he cheer- 

 fully said he would ; and so he did, for when the 

 owner came forward, with his brand in hand — the 

 voucher, in this country, of ownership — he was 

 told very politely that the trade had been made for 

 a pair of pistols (a pair that had been stolen four 

 days previously) , and he could not return the mule 

 unless the pistols were forthcoming. There was 

 a good deal of "Carambo,"^ etc., but the train 

 moved on through half the rabble of Ures, some 

 of whom laughed, some swore. 



August joth. Leaving Ures the country is more 

 level ; to the southeast is a large plain covered with 

 musquit of a different species from that on the 

 eastern side, and not quite so thorny; the large 

 cactus of the mountains is not found here, two 

 smaller species taking its place. 



I did not leave Ures until five p. m., when the 

 train was five or six miles ahead of me. I rode 

 slowly along the swampy lane leading north from 

 the town, bordered with heavy hedges of reeds 

 and chaparral, with, from time to time, a cactus, 

 a palm, or a cabbage tree breaking the line of the 

 horizon. One tall palm, stiff and formal, was 

 standing out very distinctly in the soft light 

 between moonrise and sunset. Large flocks of the 

 yellow troupial in noisy bustle settling themselves 

 in the rushes and willows bordering the little 



^ Caramba is the commonest of Spanish interjections. 



