164 



INCIDENTS OF TRAVEL. 



country in riding. My admiration was called forth by 

 the sister of Don Clementine and the happy young gal- 

 lant who escorted her. Both rode the same mule and 

 on the same saddle. She sat sidewise before him ; his 

 right arm encircled her waist ; at starting, the mule was 

 restifF, and he was obliged, from necessity, to support 

 her in her seat, to draw her close to himself; her ear 

 invited a whisper ; and when she turned her face to- 

 ward him her lips almost touched his. I would have 

 given all the honours of diplomacy for his place. 



Don Clementino was too much of a coxcomb to set 

 off in this way ; he had a fine mule gayly caparisoned, 

 swung a large basket-hilted sword through a strap in 

 the saddle, buckled on a pair of enormous spurs, and, 

 mounting, wound his poncha around his waist, so that 

 the hilt of the sword appeared about six inches above it ; 

 giving the animal a sharp thrust with his spurs, he drove 

 her up the steps, through the piazza, and down the other 

 side, and asked me if I wanted to buy her. I declined ; 

 and, to my great satisfaction, he started to overtake the 

 others, and left me alone with his mother, a respecta- 

 ble-looking, gray-haired old lady, who called together 

 all the servants and Indian children for vesper prayers. 

 T am sorry to say it, but for the first time I was remind- 

 ed that it was Sunday. I stood in the door, and it was 

 interesting to see them all kneeling before the figure of 

 the Virgin. An old gray-nosed mule walked up the 

 piazza, and, stopping by my side, put his head in the 

 door, when, more forward than I, he walked in, gazed 

 a moment at the figure of the Virgin, and, without dis- 

 turbing anybody, walked out again. 



Soon after I was called in to supper, which consisted 

 of fried beans, fried eggs, and tortillas. Th-e beans and 

 eggs were served on heavy silver dishes, and the tortil- 



