Page:Travels in Mexico and life among the Mexicans.djvu/372

364 meson, or hostelry, where it was possible, our Jehu said, we might find some horses; but some of the engineers who were sent into the stable-yard to ascertain returned with the discouraging information that there was not one. This set us all down in the mouth, but by diligent search we at last unearthed the keeper of the meson and worried him until he admitted that he had one horse; but to every question regarding further supply, he returned the invariable Mexican answer, "No hay,"—"There are none." Enclosing him in a double ring, the dozen of us elected a spokesman and questioned him regarding the resources of the place.

"Will you give us a horse?" "No hay caballo, señor." "We want two mozos, also." "No hay" (pronounced no eye). "A muchacho, then, to guide us." "No hay, señor!" "Something to eat?" "No hay." "Some pulque to drink?" "No hay." "A house for shelter?" "No hay." "Tell us the road to the convent." "No hay." "Confound your picture, can you let us have any mules?" "No hay, señor!" "A jackass, then,—give us donkeys." "Si, señor, hay burros"—" Yes, sir, I have jackasses." "Good for the Mexican!" shouted an engineer, "he has no hay for horses, but has an eye for jackasses. Vamanos!" "Trot out your donkeys, old man," said our leader; and he trotted them out, forthwith.

Our exultation was of short duration, for there was not a beast in that collection of a score or more that had a whole hide on his back. The poor burros had been all the week employed in freighting on the road, and this was their Sunday