A WALL STREET FINANCIER FLEECED. 
147 
among the hats' inside, but broke our axle. Our driver hacked 
down a sapling with his matchet, and soon had a new one, and 
was again under way. 
Our driver was a decided genius in his way, and with a suit¬ 
able pair of pantaloons, and a clean shirt, would have done 
honor to Wall-street. He would hide his oxen every opportu¬ 
nity, and then throw a native boy in our way, who would offer 
to find them for $5. I need not add that the reward was divid¬ 
ed between them. One transaction of this kind we thought 
quite sufficient; and in his subsequent financial transactions he 
was not so successful, as the sequel will show. His entire ward¬ 
robe was a shirt, which he carried in his hat. Our muchacho , 
who attended to the wheels, was much less encumbered. We 
gave him a shirt, which he very judiciously rolled up and tied 
around his neck ; I say judiciously, for when he arrived at Chi- 
nandega he had a clean shirt to put on. 
The country from Realejo to Chinandega, is a continuous mud- 
hole, and, together with the intense heat and our wretched con¬ 
veyance, made our sufferings intolerable. The distance was but 
seven miles, still as night overtook us, and our team gave out, 
we were obliged to encamp before reaching the town. In the 
morning, our driver went out in search of the team, but soon 
returned, pronouncing them unfindable. This was most vexa¬ 
tious. We were almost in sight of Chinandega, but with the 
prospect of being detained for hours. Our driver was accom¬ 
panied by a worthy, of about his own age and personal appear¬ 
ance. We sent our driver out again in search, but his companion 
remained. After loitering for half an hour, he proposed going 
out in search of the team, thought he could find them for five 
dollars; we, as if wishing to drive the best bargain we could, 
asked him if he could not find them for less; he came down to 
four, three, two, and one dollar, and finally to twenty-five cents. 
We took him, tied his hands behind him, then tied him to a tree; 
we then cut a half-dozen good sized saplings, designing to “put 
him through a course of sprouts.” He was almost frantic, and 
seemed to look upon this as a crisis in his affairs.- We asked him 
where the oxen were, he said, “just over the hillwe asked 
him if our driver knew it. he said, “Si, Senor.” We told him 
to call him, and in a moment he was at hand. He looked with 
