CHICONTEPEC. 



51 



As to the mules, it was long before we saw them all ar- 

 rive, and became reassured that one or other, with his 

 precious load, had not capsized, or missed his way. Juli- 

 ano and the two mozos had been faithful to their trust ; 

 but as to Miguel, we could hear nothing of him ; and it 

 was not till a couple of hours had gone by, and long after 

 Espindola, finding there was no fodder here, had gone 

 forward with the mules, leaving Juliano to escort us, that 

 we heard from a passer-by, that he had been seen lying 

 by the roadside many miles back. " Un borrachio /" (a 

 drunkard !) said Juliano, with a significant shrug of his 

 shoulders; always willing to throw odium on his fellow, 

 and to contrast his own conduct, whenever it happened 

 to be more correct, with that of his less crafty chum. 



After a ride of many hours over difficult and steep 

 ridges, and through close but fertile valleys under partial 

 cultivation — often enveloped in mist, and continually a 

 prey to doubt as to our ever finding our arriero — we at 

 length stumbled upon him at the edge of dusk, tending 

 his mules at an humble rancho, in a pretty valley nestled 

 in the mountains. And here we brought our wet and 

 fatiguing day's journey to a close, by erecting our camp 

 beds under an open palmetto shed, drying our accoutre- 

 ments as well as might be, enjoying our frugal meal, and 

 betaking ourselves to repose. 



At bedtime there were no signs of our borrachio ; 

 but in the middle of the night we found he had returned 

 to his duty, as his churchyard cough was heard issuing 

 from a shed on the premises. 



The weather seemed now to have done its worst, and 

 a cloudless dawn heralded forth a bright sunny day ; 

 how bright — how sunny — and how beautiful — amid such 

 magnificent foliage and flowers, no pen can describe ! 

 In brief, you will hear no more of clouds for some days 

 to come. 



At noon, after traversing one considerable stream, we 

 at length reached the valley of the Rio de la Canada, a 

 clear river, occupying at this time of the year but a small 



