er great
improvements and inventions of the age, yet there are thousands of men
living in the great interior of the North American continent who
have only vague ideas of these things; and many there are, who cannot
realize them, but believe that they are fabulous stories, and will
meet the narrator of them with equal wonders, which they manufacture
to suit the occasion. To give a specimen: we remember one night to
have tried to explain these advancements to an old Mexican of some
eighty winters, while we were the guest of his house. He listened
attentively, but evidently could comprehend but little that we said.
We changed the subject, and began to describe to him the great beasts
of the forest, such as the lion, the tiger, and the elephant, and soon
found that we had struck the theme which pleased him. In reply, he
told us that in his younger days he himself was a famous hunter; and
that, on one occasion, while on the chase, he met _Adam_, who, he
informed us, was the greatest hunter of his age. We were somewhat
surprised to hear this old man thus annihilate time and space, but
not more so than when we heard him relate the conversation that passed
between himself and Adam. It was both short and sweet. The Mexican
demanded of Adam what was the particular game he was seeking in these
parts, and the reply was deer. He said that he wished to kill a few
choice bucks, in order to get their skins to clothe _Eve_ with, and
hence he had come to the Rocky Mountains. The flavor of this yarn
was so good, I attempted to try the old man on another adventure, by
asking him if he ever, by chance, in his travels, met the _Evil One_.
Immediately, he informed me that at one time, that gentleman lived in
a salt marsh, which is to be found in the valley of _San Louis_. The
object of his staying there was to watch a very fine band of horses
which he was raising near by. The Indians and Mexicans one day
determined to deprive Satan of his stock, and arranged things
accordingly; but, on coming upon the horses, they were surprised
to find that they could not overtake them, and that the horses ran
directly into the swamp and vanished by easily sinking out of sight.
While looking for a path that led into this marsh, they were all
at once scared nearly out of their senses by seeing the devil raise
himself up in the midst of the bog. The sequel was, that the Mexicans
and their Indian friends retreated as fast as possible, and never
stopped until th