68 THE DESERT AND THE ROSE 



of amiability. The retort courteous but unsatisfy- 

 ing. 



Now there was Ascencion, who wore somewhat 

 the air of a peacable Spanish hidalgo, and who was 

 "not used to being hurried." He was ornamental, 

 his manners were pleasing, his English fair to mid- 

 dling, and he was not unkind to animals, so long 

 as their demands upon him were not too exacting. 

 Sober and honest, he was therefore agreeable in 

 every capacity save that for which he was hired, i. e. 

 work. Had I been in a position to give wages in re- 

 turn for a few trifling chores our pleasant relations 

 might have longer endured; as it was we parted at 

 the end of six months, several weeks of which were 

 absorbed by the duties attendant on getting mar- 

 ried — >an affair which for the peon bridegroom 

 making an alliance somewhat above his station ap- 

 pears to be beset with difficulties. New relatives 

 had to be courteously entreated — chiefly fed, and 

 thirst assuaged — lavishly and numerously : wedding 

 garments had to be provided for bride as well as 

 groom by the groom, and my wagon and team were 

 in constant request on the strength of wages yet on 

 the dim horizon. For me also was the privilege of 

 presenting an adobe home to the newly weds. But 

 then I could subsist meanwhile on the cheap fare 

 of hope — which proved, as is not uncommon, a 

 delusion. Whether Ascencion found the effort of 

 living up to his bride too great an effort, or whether 

 I was merely reaping the everyday fruits of kind- 

 nesses bestowed, is uncertain, but it was certain 

 that the toil of my peon became more intermittent, 



