196 



CUAUTLA AMILPAS. 



alcalde. To the alcalde, then, we insisted upon going f 

 to ascertain if such an order existed, and if so, to procure 

 a dispensation ; as, unless our preparations of departure 

 were completed now, we should be liable to detention 

 on the morrow, when we ought to be travelling. This 

 could not be refused, the door was opened, and three of 

 us sallied forth, under the threat that we should sleep in 

 the streets, for that none of us should re-enter. Accord- 

 ingly the door was slammed at our backs, and locked, 

 amid a volley of abuse and ribaldry from the house- 

 hold. 



I must say, that we felt justly irritated ; as, far from 

 provoking this treatment, we had borne the previous 

 churlishness with equanimity, both of temper and man- 

 ner ; and had given good words in exchange for bad. 



We soon found the house of the alcalde. After much 

 knocking, the door was opened, and we demanded to 

 see his honour. After five minutes' delay, we were 

 cautiously admitted into a small apartment. Five min- 

 utes again elapsed ; when the magistrate, a sleepy, 

 heavily built, good-natured man, made his appearance, 

 half dressed, having already been in bed. We told our 

 case, and satisfied him as to our being honest and re- 

 sponsible personages. He immediately denied that he 

 had given the order complained of ; but said that the 

 number of banditti in the country had given rise to one, 

 according to which, no armed parties should be let into 

 the town after nine o'clock, without an order from him, 

 but which, of course, was in nowise applicable to us. 

 He offered to send a verbal message to Don Juan, our 

 ungracious host, to desire that he would put no impedi- 

 ments in our way, but let us have free ingress and egress 

 night and day : but this would not serve our purpose ; 

 and, in fine, after much talk, we persuaded him to give 

 us a written document to the same purport. He was 

 extremely civil, and at parting complained grievously of 

 the responsibilities and toils of his post. 



Thus furnished, we returned to the posada. The 

 door was of course fast ; and upon knocking, we were 

 challenged by Don Juan : " Who we were ?" " What 

 we were making a noise at the door for ?" " Did we not 



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