jealous anger and rivalry other blood is shed than that of the innocent
bird!

The _riata_ at times serves the Mexican as a lethal weapon. Perhaps a
quarrel between two hot-blooded _vaqueros_ has taken place. One draws
his revolver--if his circumstances permit him the possession of so
expensive a weapon, and they are generally carried--whilst the other
lays hand to his _riata_. It might be supposed that the man with the
revolver would triumph, but woebetide him if he fails to bring down his
enemy--both are darting about on their agile horses--before the
chambers are exhausted, for the other, whirling the rope aloft, lassoes
him, and putting spurs to his own beast, drags the unfortunate man from
his horse and gallops away across the plain, dragging him mercilessly
to death among the rocks and thorns. For the Mexican when aroused to
anger--and his fiercest passions are generally the outcome of love
affairs or of drink--is mercilessly cruel and revengeful, and thinks
little of shedding the blood of a fellow-creature in the heat of a
personal encounter. Among the lower class the knife, or _punal_, is a
ready weapon, and a stab, whether in the dark or in the daylight, is a
common way of terminating a personal question. This is the shadow of
the Aztec war-god thus thrown across the ages! Again it may be said of
the Mexicans--love blood, wine, dust!

Among the upper class Mexicans such matters are, of course, unknown,
but the challenge and the duel is still a custom of the country, as it
is throughout Spanish-America generally. It fell to my lot in one
Spanish-American country to receive a challenge. The gentleman who
thought himself aggrieved formally sent two friends to wait upon me,
requesting that I would name my seconds and select weapons. There was
something operatic about the matter to my mind, although they appeared
to be in earnest, and I could not help reminding my two visitors of the
proposal of a famous American humourist regarding a choice of weapons
in such a case--"brick-bats at half-a-mile, or gatling-guns," or
something of that nature. However, they would not be turned from their
purpose even when I seriously asked if they really desired the shedding
of gore. I gravely replied that Englishmen did not enter into such
affairs and that I considered it uncivilised; and absolutely refused to
have anything to do with them. This they pretended to attribute to
cowardice, and said that in such a case I should be expos