A MEXICAN BAILE. 149 



er exainiiiing some of the most favourable passes whicli 

 id from the lieacls of the Huerfano to the soiu'ccs of the 

 JO Grande, they followed the latter stream for 200 miles 

 wn to Santa Fe. iSText day they started for Fort Craig, 

 nost the same distance farther south; so they had little 

 no to enjoy Santa Fe. Calhoun, howeYer, remained with 

 • He was the most dilapidated fellow I ever' met ; for, 

 l^'ing a six weeks' tour far away to the north of Garland, 

 had carried nothing hut his saddle-bags, had left his horse 

 the safe keeping of his friends, the Ute Indians, and had 

 jsf offered many privations qnd hardships. We were very glad 

 meet again, and, by way of seeing a little of Mexican life, 

 ;nt to the haile in the evening. 

 This was a strange sight. In a room about sixty feet long 



twenty "vvide, was collected at about nine o'clock a very 

 nsiderable proportion of the youth and beauty of the town, 

 ^jjihich, however, is not paying the fair sex present any par- 

 -nilar compliment. They wore rob oses, often gracefully 



t 



o^vn over their heads, irav colonred di' 



0}*^ pendant earrings, smoked sigarettas incessantly, and 

 lietly on forms placed around the room, waiting for any 



^fi- 



10 should choose to ask them to dance. The band occupied 



platform at one end of the room, and consisted of a clarionet, 



■-French horn, and three large brass instruments which groaned 



^;it the bass. At the other end of the room, slightly parti- 



'^^..ouodoff, stood the bar, and it was customary at the conclu- 



I 



)n of every dance to take your fair charmer to the counter 



, itl pay an exorbitant sum for sweetmeats, fruit, wine, or 



,,)cktails, as the case might be. In fact the luxury of each 



anco represented half a dollar, which, being interpreted, 



•^ leans " one-and-six ; " thus, although no admittance is paid 



t the door, a reckless votary to the giddy dance would find 



! J* 



