A CAPITALIST. 



45 



had been thrown twice ; once his mule rolled over 

 him, and nearly crushed him ; and now she was so 

 frightened that he could hardly urge her along. He 

 dismounted, and the trembling beast and his own ex- 

 hausted state confirmed all that he had said. He ask- 

 ed us for brandy, wine, or water, anything to revive 

 him ; but, unfortunately, our stores were ahead, and 

 for him to go back one step was out of the question. 

 Imagine our surprise, when, with his feet buried in the 

 mud, he told us that he had been two years in Guati- 

 mala "negotiating" for a bank charter. Fresh as I 

 was from the land of banks, I almost thought he intend- 

 ed a fling at me ; but he did not look like one in a hu- 

 mour for jesting ; and, for the benefit of those who will 

 regard it as an evidence of incipient improvement, I 

 am able to state that he had the charter secured when 

 he rolled over in the mud, and was then on his way to 

 England to sell the stock. He told us, too, what seem- 

 ed in better keeping with the scene, that Carrera had 

 marched toward St. Salvador, and a battle was daily 

 expected between him and Morazan. 



But neither of us had time to lose ; and parting, 

 though with some reluctance, almost as abruptly as we 

 had met, we continued our ascent. At one o'clock, to 

 our inexpressible satisfaction, we reached the top of the 

 mountain. Here we found a clearing of about two 

 hundred feet in diameter, made for the benefit of be- 

 nighted muleteers ; in difierent places were heaps of 

 ashes and burned stumps of wood, the remains of their 

 fires. It was the only place on the mountain which 

 the sun could reach, and here the ground was dry; but 

 the view was bounded by the clearing. 



We dismounted, and would have lunched, but had 

 no water to drink ; and, after a few minutes' rest, re- 



