as long after eight
before they appeared, and then it was only our own animals that were
ready. We were forced to leave the packing to be done by the man himself
without direction; we ourselves hurried along the trail, hardly stopping
at San Bartolo on the way, arriving at Tenango at 4:15. Our animals
were fagged, and we were soaked to the skin, having travelled through
_nublina_ most of the afternoon. Don Pablo received us with his usual
courtesy, and had arranged for us to sleep at the same house, where we
had been before. At bed-time, our man with the mules had not appeared,
and we had received most contradictory and discouraging statements
regarding him. He had started at nine with two mules and left half our
stuff for another day; he had been seen at the river near San Bartolo
with two mules heavily loaded, unable to proceed; he had concluded to
stop at San Bartolo for the night, to push on to Tenango the next day,
and reach Las Tortugas on the third. Dissatisfied and uncertain, we went
to bed; still, we determined to leave at five, and so gave orders to
our _mozo_. We rose at 4:15 and the horses were ready before five.
Contradictory stories were again told us regarding our animals. Some
said the man had passed with them at five o'clock; others that he had
not yet come; others that he had spent the night at Santa Maria. Our
foot _mozo_ did not come, and sending the rest ahead, I waited for him.
Hardly had they started, when Ramon galloped back to announce that the
man was in town, that he had three animals and was nearly ready to
leave. As he, himself, had told us that he must leave Tenango at three
in order to reach Las Tortugas in time for the train, this was not
reassuring. Ramon hastened on with the party. At six the _mozo_ appeared
and started at once. In a few minutes we passed our _arriero_ who was
packing, but not ready to start. I urged him to hasten, but did not
wait. Mist had settled during the night, but it was now rising, and we
could see the scenery, which, in wildness and beauty, was almost the
equal of anything in Mexico, though with a character quite its own. Our
trail ran along the side of a precipice; to our left rose great cliffs
presenting almost vertical faces of smooth rock; the summits were
jagged, and suggested that the mass consisted of stratified rocks tilted
up on end. Just as we left town, two narrow and lofty parallel rocks
suggested a gate-way. Further down, a mass was worn out into a s