44 A SPRIGHTLY LAD. 
ceinte ; and that she would be more unhappy 
by returning to her father under these circum- 
stances than by remaining where she was. 
My attention was next attracted by a 
sprightly lad, ten or twelve years old, whose 
nationality could scarcely be detected under 
his Indian guise. But, though quite ‘ Indian- 
ized, he was exceedingly polite. I inquired 
of him in Spanish, “ Are you not a Mexican?” 
“Yes, sir—I once was.” “What is your 
— ame?” “Bernardino Saenz, sir, at your 
rvice.” “When and where were you tak- 
en ? en?” “ About four years ago, at the Hacienda 
de las Animas, near Parral.” “ Shan’t we buy 
you and take you to your people ?—we are 
going thither.” At this he hesitated a little, 
and then answered in an affecting tone, “No, 
senor ; ya ae a sing: para vwir entre 
los Cristianos” (O, ; 1 am now too 
much of a eas to lets cone Christians) ; 
adding that his owner was not there, and that 
he knew the Indian in whose charge he came 
would not sell him. 
The Hacienda de las Animas is in the de- 
partment of Chihuahua, some fifteen miles 
from the city of Parral, a much larger place 
than Santa Fé. Notwithstanding this, about 
three hundred Comanches made a bold in — 
road into the very heart of the settlements— — 
laid waste the unfortunate hacienda, killing 
and capturing a considerable number—and re- 
mained several days in the noighhorlems 
committing all sorts of outrages, T 
red in 1835. I happened to be in Chihuahua : 
