286 A CALIFORNIA TRAMP. 



able croak fly lazily away. They are the scavengers of the 

 town, and, as their throats are used for sewers, are protected 

 from harm. 



Crossing over to the fort I passed an open hut containing 

 a stand on which was seated an old, old man with his hands 

 clasped in front of his shins, like those of a Peruvian mummy. 

 His knees were drawn up against his breast, and around 

 him was wrapped an old blanket, above which projected his 

 parchment-colored face. He looked so like exhumed death 

 that I was startled when he feebly nodded to me, and could 

 imagine the dried muscle crackling in the exertion. In fact, 

 taking him for all in all, his cadaverous appearance and 

 sepulchral voice, one might have thought he was inaugurating 

 the resurrection. 



The Castillo, or fort, which was situated on a broad knoll 

 commanding the harbor, as well as the town, was quadrangular 

 and surrounded by a walled moat, across which was one of the 

 old-fashioned drawbridges we read about, and which mailed 

 knights clattered merrily over when the besieged did not get 

 it pulled up in season. In these modern times a well-directed 

 cannon shot would have loosened the fastening and sent the 

 fly-trap thundering down. The fort was mounted by some 

 hundred rusty cannon, and garrisoned by a company of what 

 would have been cut-throat soldiers did they not lack energy 

 to do violent deeds. They were uniformed in white panta- 

 loons, ragged shirt and straw hat, and looked as if they would 

 run at the first appearance of an enemy. What I have seen 

 of Spanish-American soldiers makes me think how little we 

 should boast of our victories over the Mexican troops during 

 our disgraceful war with their country, particularly^ when we 

 take into consideration the factional wars then waging in 

 Mexico. These soldiers were armed with flintlocks, and had 

 plugs in the muzzles to keep out dampness and save cleaning. 

 They were also uniformed with bare feet, which enabled them. 



