The Englishman in the West 169 



his wits: he wore a ragged, grey flannel shirt, a 

 pair of tattered pantaloons, and huge Bliicher boots. 

 Father X , of the Mission, who was rather par- 

 ticular, and with whom El Fraile loved to walk, 

 gave the poor fellow a long, white dust coat ; but 

 the friar, finding it inconveniently long, trimmed 

 off the skirts with a blunt clasp-knife, and when 

 he came to the pockets cut around them, doubtless 

 considering that they were too useful to be sacrificed 

 to mere symmetry. Wearing this mutilated gar- 

 ment, he used to take the air in the padre's com- 

 pany. Finally, he informed his friends that a 

 vision had been vouchsafed him : the Blessed Vir- 

 gin had personally assured him that he was ap- 

 pointed by Heaven to fill the pontifical throne, and 

 must accordingly betake himself to Eome. He 

 dared not disobey, he said ; so El Fraile, without 

 purse or scrip, drifted away from the ranges and 

 out of our lives. 



Requiescat in pace. 



Eeligion, however, offers its sublime consolation 

 to few. As a rule, Johnnie steeps his past in drink. 

 When he audits his accounts with fate and finds 

 that the assets are nil and the liabilities past com- 

 puting, he throws down his tools and hies him 

 to the demijohn. Some whisky kills quick; but 

 there are Englishmen proof against sheep-herder's 

 delight. One fellow has been drinking it steadily 

 for thirty years. During all this weary time he 

 has received each week from his mother the " Lon- 

 don Graphic;" and each week when it comes he 

 staggers to the nearest bar, and exchanges it for 

 one drink ! 



