156 



PASSAGE ACROSS 



mencement of the pass, he stopped, evidently un- 

 willing to proceed, and of course all the rest stop- 

 ped also. 



He was the finest mule we had, and on that ac- 

 count had twice as much to carry as any of the 

 others ; his load had never been reHeved, and it con- 

 sisted of four portmanteaus, two of which belonged 

 to me, and which contained not only a very heavy 

 bag of dollars, but also papers which were of such 

 consequence that I could hardly have continued 

 my journey without them. The peons now re- 

 doubled their cries, and leaning over the sides of 

 their mules, and picking up stones, they threw them 

 at the leading mule, who now commenced his jour- 

 ney over the path. With his nose to the ground, 

 literally smelling his way, he walked gently on, 

 often changing the position of his feet, if he found 

 the ground would not bear, until he came to the 

 bad part of the pass, where he again stopped, and 

 I then certainly began to look with great anxiety 

 at my portmanteaus ; but the peons again threw 

 stones at him, and he continued his path, and 

 reached me in safety ; several others followed. At 

 last a young mule, carrying a portmanteau, with 



