206 LIFE IN THE FAR WEST 



Gachupin, working himself into a perfect frenzy, " I 

 will slay these Norte Americanos, should they dare to 

 show their faces in my front. Adios, Don Augustin 

 Ignacio Sabanal-Morales-y Fuentes," he cried, doffing 

 his hat with an earth-sweeping bow ; " I go to grind my 

 sword. Till then, adieu." 



u A countryman of mine ! " said the frayle, admir- 

 ingly, to the administrador. " With him by our side 

 we need not to fear : neither Norte Americanos, nor the 

 devil himself, can harm us when he is by." 



Whilst the Trueba sharpens his Tizona, and the 

 priest puffs volumes of smoke from his nose and mouth, 

 let us introduce to the reader one of the muchachitas, 

 who knelt grinding corn on the metate, to make tor- 

 tillas for the evening meal. Juanita was a stout wench 

 from Sonora, of Mexican blood, hardly as dark as the 

 other women who surrounded her, and with a drop or 

 two of the Old Spanish blood struggling with the darker 

 Indian tint to colour her plump cheeks. An enagua 

 (a short petticoat) of red serge was confined round her 

 waist by a gay band ornamented with beads, and a 

 chemisette covered the upper part of the body, per- 

 mitting, however, a prodigal display of her charms. 

 Whilst pounding sturdily at the corn, she laughed and 

 joked with her fellow-labourers upon the anticipated 

 American attack, which appeared to have but few 

 terrors for her. " Que vengan," she exclaimed " let 

 them come ; they are only men, and will not molest us 

 women. Besides, I have seen these white men before 

 in my own country, and they are fine fellows, very 



