168 A LEGAL DIGNITARY. 



these Mexican men of colour lasso a pig on the plains for 

 my two-re volvered acquaintance, I ordered the purchase 

 to be immediately taken home, and drove back to the 

 Planter's House. Before I quitted the plains, however, 

 having heard that a "judge" I forget his name, had a mule 

 to sell, I went to his cabin, under a sort of impression that 

 I should see an august personage in a wig, or, at least, in 

 expectation of finding a lettered gentleman. Guess my 

 surprise, then, when I was introduced to a man of the class 

 of an English day-labourer, living in a cabin, as far as I 

 could see, with only one man to assist him, both "the 

 judge" and his companion suffering from the aguish fever 

 and the effects of tobacco, affording a fair sample of the 

 rest of the settlers with whom I was so soon to be more 

 widely acquainted. His mule was not at all the sort of 

 animal I required. 



On returning to mine inn, then, I found that Mr Can- 

 terall had at last sent me up one of the animals which no 

 doubt he and his compatriots had been keeping back, in 

 the shape of the finest mule of the whole lot. This 

 animal I at once secured to draw my dog-cart, at the 

 same sum which I had given for the first six ; and then, 

 my numbers being completed, to my infinite amusement, 

 mules and horses poured in, their owners but to receive 

 the civil assurance, instead of money, that they were all 

 a day too late for the fair. 



While at Kansas city I struck up an immense friend 

 ship with my blacksmith, who was from the very first as 

 civil, well-mannered, manly a man as any of his class in 

 England; indeed, I know not when I ever met one in 

 his calling who suited my fancy more. It seemed that 

 this good feeling was mutual, for I could trust him the 

 first working American I ever saw whom I could trust out 



