62 INCIDENTS OF TRAVEL. 



While listening to this account we heard a noise in 

 the street, and looking out of the window, saw a man on 

 the ground, and another striking at him with a white 

 club, which by the moonlight looked like the blade of 

 a broadsword or machete. A crowd gathered, mostly 

 of women, who endeavoured to keep him off; but he 

 struck among them with blows that would have killed 

 the man if they had hit him. He was one of the lias- 

 con gang, a native of the town, and known from boy- 

 hood as a bad fellow. All called him by name, and, 

 more by entreaties than force, made him desist. As he 

 walked off with several of his companions, he said that 

 the man was a spy of Morazan, and the next time he 

 met him he would kill him. The poor fellow was 

 senseless ; and as the women raised up his head, we 

 saw with horror hairs white as snow, and the face of a 

 man of seventy. He was all in rags, and they told us 

 that he was a beggar and crazy ; that he had given no 

 provocation whatever ; but the young scoundrel, in pass- 

 ing, happened to fix his eyes upon him, and calling 

 him a spy of Morazan, knocked him down with his club. 

 Very soon the crowd dispersed, and the women re- 

 mained to take care of the old man. These were 

 times which required the natural charity of woman to 

 be aided by supernatural strength. Every woman 

 dreaded that her husband, son, or brother should cross 

 the street at night, for fear of quarrels and worse weap- 

 ons than clubs ; and we saw five women, one with a 

 candle, without a single man or boy to help them, sup- 

 port the old man across the street, and set him up with 

 his back against the side of the house. Afterward a 

 woman came to the door and called to the woman 

 in our house, that if the young man passed again he 

 would kill him ; and they went out again with a can- 



