AN ACCOMPLISHED VAGABOND. 371 



candle saw the bats flying along the roof, I felt gloomy, 

 and would have been glad to be at home. 



Still I could not bear the idea of losing all. I came for. 

 The land-route lay along the coast of the Pacific, and 

 for three days was the same as to the port. I deter- 

 mined to go by land, but, by the advice of Dr. Brayley, 

 to start in time for the vessel ; and in the hope that I 

 would not have another chill, I bought two of the best 

 mules in San Jose, one being that on which I had as- 

 cended the Volcano of Cartago, and the other a macho, 

 not more than half broke, but the finest animal I ever 

 mounted. 



To return to 'Hezoos. The morning after I gave him 

 the earrings he had not come, but sent word that he had 

 the fever and ague. The next day he had it much 

 worse, and satisfied that I must lose him, I sent him 

 word that if he would procure me a good substitute I 

 would release him. This raised him from bed, and 

 in the afternoon he came with his substitute, who had 

 very much the air of being the first man he had pick- 

 ed up in the street. His dress was a pair of cotton 

 trousers, with a shirt outside, and a high, bell-crowned, 

 narrow-brimmed black straw hat ; and all that he had 

 in the world was on his back. His hair was cut very 

 close except in front, where it hung in long locks over 

 his face ; in short, he was the beau ideal of a Cen- 

 tral American loafer. I did not like his looks, but I was 

 at the time under the influence of fever, and told him I 

 could give him no answer. He came again the next 

 day at a moment when I wanted some service ; and by 

 degrees, though I never hired him, he quietly engaged 

 me as his master. 



The morning before I left, Don Augustin Gutierres 

 called upon me, and ^seeing this man at the door, ex- 



