Page:Pictures of life in Mexico Vol 2.djvu/96

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 Story of an old alcalde.—Life in an isolated hamlet.—Indian cattle-stealers.—The savages' revenge.—The padre and his household.—Terrible storm.—Hacienda set on fire by Indians.—Horrible slaughter.—Escape of prisoners.

prevailed upon an old gentleman with a benevolent countenance shining locks of white hair and a belief in predestination who resided at the same meson as myself, to favour me with the particulars of his past history; it was a sufficiently varied one, and may serve to illustrate a wild phase of Mexican life, such as residents in remote districts are to this day continually exposed to.

"I have no doubt, my child" (this was his favourite mode of address to all younger than himself), "that you have heard some mysterious reports about me," he said. "Perhaps you may have heard that the old alcalde is