108 NEW TRACKS IN NORTH AMERICA. 
with loopholes, formed the defences. A large gateway opened — 
through the house into the yard, leading to the stables, sheds, — 
and pigsties, all of which were enclosed in the wall. On _ 
entering the gateway, a door led to the right and left into two — 
large rooms; one was the storehouse and barn, the other the — 
general sleeping apartment, common to all the inmates. Of © 
course, no beds, or other luxuries which ordinarily denote a 
bed-room, were visible, but an old-fashioned oaken press and 
a well-swept floor sufficiently suggested the fact to any one 
accustomed to rustic Mexican life. Cooking and household — 
duties generally were carried on in the outhouses, which were ~ 
built against the high wall all around the yard. : 
After walking the mules through the house to their sheds, — 
and giving them plenty of corn (maize) and corn-stalks, we 
watched with pleasure the decapitation of a fowl and other | 
preparations made by our good hostess for the coming meal. — 
How good was that fowl, and the poached eggs which followed 
it! When bedtime arrived our little party had increased to 
a tolerably good roomful, considering that we had all to take 
possession of different parts of the floor. There were of the 
household the mother, the aunt, the father, three little boys, 
and the baby, two farm-servants, and the maid-of-all-work. 
We all packed into the room, Mexican fashion; and, laying 
down my buffalo robe as close to the doorway as possible, 
with my head on my saddle, and my fire-arms by my side, I 
was soon oblivious. 
When the lords of creation had made themselves com- 
fortable, in crept the feathered fowl. A fine old cock and his 
wives perched on the shelf just over my head, and a lot of 
little chickens secreted themselves behind the press before 
_ ™entioned. These were soon asleep. At midnight, however, 
_ the enemy came. I was suddenly aroused from my sweetest 
