96 AN OBLIGING CLERK 
unfortunately I had laid out the last dollar of 
my available means. 
As I left the custom-house brooding over 
these perplexities, one of the principal clerks 
of the establishment slipped a piece of paper 
into my hand containing the following laconic 
mnt -—“ Aguirdeme afuera” (wait for me 
hout);—an injunction I cpiastely obeyed, 
wHhoaee Thad not the least idea of its pur- 
port. The clerk was soon with me, and re- 
marked, “ You are a stranger in the city, and 
ignorant of our severe revenue laws: meet 
me in an hour from this at my lodgings, and 
we will devise some remedy for your difficul- 
ties.” It may be well supposed that I did not 
fail to be punctual. I met the obliging officer 
in his room with a handful of blank custom- 
house pases. It should be understood that a 
pase only differs from a guia in requiring no 
endorser, but they can only be extended for 
amounts of goods not exceeding fifty dollars. 
Taking my bill, he very soon filled me up a 
pase for every package, directing each to a 
different point in the North. “ Now,” observ- 
ed my amiable friend, “if you are disposed to 
do a little smuggling, these will secure your 
safety, if you avoid the principal cities, till you 
reach the borders of Chihuahua: if not, you 
may have a friend on the way who will en- 
dorse your guia.” I preferred the latter alter- 
native. I had formed an acquaintance wi 
a worthy German merchant in Durango, wey 
I felt convinced, would generously lend 
signature to the required document. 
