Page:Pictures of life in Mexico Vol 1.djvu/40

16 characteristically Mexican title overhead: "surely this must possess appliances and means of comfort better than ordinary: it would be sacrilege, indeed, to bestow such a name upon the accustomed filthy huts of mud and adobé. "Ease the ponies," I exclaimed; "call the host, and inquire what entertainment he can muster on so short a notice."

The door of the court-yard for some time only echoed to our knocks and vociferations for "Don Concho"; till at length a withered hand bearing a light, with a shrivelled fore head, sunken eyes, and nose and chin to match, emerged from an upper window: and the voice belonging to the nose and chin was heard to mutter its belief that "we must be either ladrones or sneaking zopilotes," and that we had, most likely, a design upon him.

As there are not many inns for travellers in Mexico (I do not include gaming-houses in the number, for their name is Legion), the landlord is well aware that a stranger cannot be very fastidious in his selection. Presuming upon this, he is generally a petty tyrant, and treats a casual guest exactly as he would a dependant on his bounty; indeed, such he considers him for the time being. "Don Concho"