A FATAL ACCIDENT. 



359 



the room stood a table, on which lay the body of the 

 child. It had on the same clothes which it wore 

 when the accident happened, torn and stained with 

 blood. At one side of the face the skin was scratch- 

 ed off from being dragged on the ground ; the skull 

 was cracked ; and there was a deep gash under the 

 ear, from which the blood was still oozing. On 

 each side of the head was a hghted candle. It was 

 a white child, three years old, and that morning had 

 been playing about the house. The mother, a wom- 

 an of uncommonly tall and muscular frame, was ap- 

 plying rags to stanch the flow of blood. She had 

 set out that morning with all her family for Cam- 

 peachy, with the intention of removing to that 

 place. An Indian woman went before on horse- 

 back, carrying this child and another. In the sub- 

 m*bs of the village the horse took fright and ran 

 away, throwing them all off; the servant and one 

 child escaped unhurt; but this one was dragged 

 some distance, and in two hours died of its wounds. 

 The women were quiet and grave, but outside there 

 was a continual laughing, jesting, and uproar, which, 

 with the dead child before our eyes, seemed rude 

 and heartless. While this was going on, we heard 

 the gay voice of the padrecito, just arrived, contrib- 

 uting largely to the jest, and presently he came in, 

 went up to the child, and, addressing himself to us, 

 lifted up the head, showed us the wounds, told what 

 he had done for it, and said that if the doctor had 

 been there it might have been saved, or if it had 



