FONDNESS FOR SPIRITS. 215 



should enjoy something better such a cold 

 morning, they were answered from another 

 and opposite side of the quadrangle ; and it 

 then turned out that a muleteer, with two 

 mules laden with aguardiente, had passed the 

 night in the vicinity. I filled my three 

 bottles for the journey, and my two facetious 

 friends (for they were very droll, especially 

 the fat one) filled a bottle each, and were 

 soon seated before the fire again, where, after 

 eating a little dried venison, they resumed 

 their cigars. 



I was wandering about the strange old 

 ruins, and watching the weather, when, seeing 

 it partially clear up, I returned to the party 

 to say they had better get ready for a start, 

 and saw their two bottles lying on the sides 

 without corks, and concluded their contents 

 had followed those of the night before ; how- 

 ever, they were in no way affected by the 

 liquor, but saddled their horses and made 

 ready with wonderful agility, asked if we 

 were ready ; and having mounted, came and 

 asked for an " estrivera," or stirrup-cup, with- 

 out which they could have no luck on the 

 journey. They took a pull of almost a 

 quarter of a pint a-piece, and we proceeded 

 on our journey at about eleven o'clock, trust- 



