THE IHRIGAIIOS AGE. 



355 



pard and the cockatoo lunching 

 upon herrings and cheese in the 

 jungles of Africa. I flatly refused 

 to enlighten her, and her dilemna 

 was comical to witness. My sole 

 desire had been to entertain, while 

 improving the occasion to observe 

 the engaging traits of the child's 

 nature as revealed through her 

 sympathies. 



Our little holliday drew to a 

 close. The sun was low in the 

 horizon, and, with something of 

 regret in her tone, Lupe called my 

 attention to the hour and rose to 

 gather her flock. "If you will 

 come to my house, Senor, you shall 

 have/r(/oZes and tortillas for sup- 

 per,'' she kindly said as we moved 

 towards the town. 



I did not quite accept the propo- 

 sal, my presence in camp being re- 

 quired at evening sick-call, but 

 agreed to accompany her home, 

 reluctant, in truth, to leave my 

 new companion, whose society was 

 a welcome relief af tor the severe 

 privations of army Mfe, the natu- 

 ral result of which is a tendency to 

 relapse into barbarism. Moreover, 

 she had enlisted my friendliness in 

 an unusual degree. Her whole- 

 some laughter was a tonic to lone- 

 ly thoughts, nor could memory of 

 solitude abide in her enchanting 

 presence. 



Sedately she moved beside me 

 now, however, and, though at times 

 she enlivened the way with quaint 

 reflections upon childish themes, 

 her manner was evidently modified 

 by the extreme probability, as she 

 confessed to me. of chastisement 

 upon reaching home, for she was 

 late in returning. Perceiving her 

 trepidation, I hastened to reassure 



her, pledging myself to intercede 

 in her behalf. Never had I found 

 her people other than courteous and 

 obliging, having tested their warm- 

 heartedness frequently during our 

 sojourn among them. 



At sunset we arrived at the spa- 

 cious corral, in which were hud- 

 dled half a dozen adobe huts, 

 Lupe's home being of the number. 

 My tardy protegee was greeted 

 with the musical imprecations 

 which form an important ingredi- 

 ent of Spanish conversation, and I 

 perceived a forbidding dame issue- 

 ing from her hovel armed with an 

 uncanny strap, intended for Lupe, 

 no doubt. The girl ran to me, and, 

 throwing her arms around my 

 waist, claimed my protection. Ad- 

 vancing toward the swarthy exe- 

 cutioner I explained her daughter's 

 delay, at the same time averting 

 her wrath by an off-hand contract 

 for eggs, poultry, and tortillas, to 

 be delivered in camp. I had never 

 offered these poor people money 

 outright, as I might have done 

 among more civilized nations. 

 Something in the stately resigna 

 tion, with which they bore their 

 lot, precluded ordinary alms, and 

 it seemed to me an iddignity to 

 suggest them. I knew, however, 

 that the terrified child was free 

 from punishment. 



At Lupe's urgent request I visit- 

 ed her aunt close by, a bed-ridden 

 woman of whom she spoke so 

 proudly and affectionately, that I 

 felt interested in the sufferer. I 

 found her lying in a wretched 

 adobe hut, the earthen floor of which 

 was littered with saddles, lassoes, 

 and kitchen furniture, the sur- 

 roundings indicating the mest 



