entered the
circus tent the sisters were perplexed and thought it must be a new sort
of church. But words would fail to express their amazement when they saw
the clown and bespangled horseman enter the ring and the performance
begin. They were in a new and hitherto undreamed-of world, and gazed in
childlike wonderment on the scene, and, like children, only saw the
glitter of the spangles and thought both men and women performers were
angels of beauty. Even after the thing was over the magic and witchery
of it all rested on them. Their hearts were deeply stirred and their
thoughts were with the performers. To please them we sat until the
audience had dispersed, and, when going out, one of them, speaking of
the performers, told my wife they must be "very near to God."

Then we went to the hotel. I dispersed my cortege and ordered a room for
ourselves and one for the sisters, and we all took a nap until evening.
Then we had some negro singing and dancing for our amusement in the
courtyard of the hotel, and at 9 o'clock we went out for a moonlight
walk under the tropical sky. About 10 we found we had had enough of it
and were glad to betake ourselves to bed.

We all breakfasted together in the courtyard the next morning and soon
after went aboard. At noon up came the anchor and we were off for
Havana, our next stopping place, twenty-four hours' sail away. The
steamer after one day's detention to take in cargo would continue her
voyage to Vera Cruz. It was my intention to go on to that port, and from
there across the country to the capital, the City of Mexico. There was
no cable to Mexico in 1873, and things there were in rather a primitive
condition. Of course, I never anticipated pursuit beyond New York, and
took it for granted that my friends at Police Headquarters would squelch
it there. But once in Mexico there would have been no danger for me. To
be in Mexico was like being in the centre of darkest Africa. There was
no extradition treaty, no railroads and no telegraph; above all, I had
plenty of cash.

I intended to buy an estate near the capital, and settle down for two
or three years, and by a liberal expenditure of money secure the
friendship of the government officials and the chief people of the
country. Official and social morals being not of the best, if my history
transpired I would probably become the lion of society, as they would
all esteem it a creditable thing to any man to secure a few millions
from th