red-black
complexion of these men, indicated them to be Zambos. Their dress
consisted of sheepskins, fastened round their shoulders by thongs of hide,
and of some ragged under garments of a coarse black woollen stuff; their
heads were covered by the broad-brimmed straw hats universally worn by the
Indians and castes; machetes, or long knives, were stuck in their girdles,
and heavy clubs lay on the ground at their feet. To judge from their
countenances, neither of the men were in a particularly good humour.
Whilst one of them stood upright, and seemed to be acting as a vedette,
the other lay stretched upon the turf in a sort of sullen half slumber,
until his companion, weary of his watch, threw himself down in his turn;
whereupon the other arose, muttering and grumbling, to take his share of
duty. For some time not a word was exchanged between the two sentries.

"_Maldita cosa!_" at last exclaimed the Zambo who was on his legs. "By the
holy Virgin of Guadalupe, if this lasts another week, if we are to be thus
tracked and hunted like caguars, may the devil seize me but I"----

"I?"--interrogated his companion.

"Will say _adios_ to you; and Mexico's freedom may take care of itself."

"Wish you a pleasant journey, Senor," replied the other yawning. "Do you
see yonder birds? They are waiting for you."

And he pointed to a flight of zepilots, or Mexican ravens, with sharp
claws and hooked beaks, which had just then alighted on the cliffs above
their heads.

"_Caramba!_ Calleja would soon settle your business. A dangle at a rope's
end, with the hangman on your shoulders, and that before you could light a
cigar, or empty a glass of pulque."

"_Tonterias_, nonsense!" replied the grumbler. "My ahuitzote[34] is not
yet come."

"It may not be far off though. You might fall into the hands of Senor
Bustamente, from whom, if I remember right, you borrowed ten of his best
mules, and in your haste forgot to take off their burdens."

"_Basta_--enough!" retorted the other Zambo, who appeared to be tired of
the conversation; and taking a piece of dirty paper out of his girdle, he
placed upon it a minute quantity of chopped tobacco, and rolled it into
the form of a cigar. This he smeared over with saliva, and then laying it
upon a fragment of rock, drew his machete, laid that upon the cigar, and
walked off in the direction of an adjacent thicket.

The second Zambo had watched with envious eyes these preparations for the
enjoymen