cruiser hove in sight. The captain of the vessel said that the great diplomatist "could stand as much like a cook, hold his flesh-fork as much like a cook, and look as much like a cook, every way, as if he had been born and raised in a caboose." With such an example, could we fail to represent the frijoles pains?

The count commenced in the right-hand room, and presently we heard the heavy doors grating upon their hinges, with the shaking of the keys, which told us, so far, "all's well." The next moment they were in the centre room; the turnkey with his huge bunch, the counting sergeant, and the officer of the guard, with the quickly-repeated order "Formarse, formarse" (to form). The count was made, and two were missing, when our lamented friend, "Tecolote," sung out, with an admirable mixture of confidence and sympathy, pointing, at the same time, to Ogden and myself upon the floor, "Here is two muy malo." "Bueno" (very good) was the quick reply of the officer, and the next moment they passed out, pulling the door after them with a heavy crash. The like operation of shutting the door in the left-hand room told us that [316] thus far we had succeeded to our most sanguine expectations.

We had now to divert the attention of the sentinel at the door, as he could, by standing tiptoe upon the sill, look in through the grates at our operations. This we managed to great perfection.

We first made the fellow good-natured by giving him vino mascal through the grates in an eggshell: nothing larger could be passed through. Next, some of our men, who were not engaged in getting out, spread a blanket down nearest to the door, on which was placed two candles, and four or five engaged in a game at monte.8 We had provided the players with a hatful of "clacos,"9 square pieces of soap about one and a half inches each, with the stamp of the state, or person issuing them, upon the sides, and worth one and a half cents each. Here was a brisk game kept up, to the greatest possible interest of the sentinel, and, to enlist him still more, the players were ordered to give him some "clacos" to bet. He would pass his soap through the grates, and direct upon which card they should be bet. Of all nations under the sun, the Mexicans are the most inveterate gamblers; and though the monte bank was well calculated to divert him, yet the necessary noise we had to make in passing through so difficult a hole in the opposite end of the room required other precautions.

Next to the monte bank, some eight or ten were engaged in a "bull-dance," being the only one we [317] could perform in our "jewelry;" the twenty pound festoons which coupled the partners not being well adapted to the "chassé" and "balancé," they had to go it ""dos-a-dos." They danced to poor "Tecolote's" music, who, at the conclusion of every set, would either give his inimitable owl-whoop, or "flap his wings" and crow, very like the gamest cock that ever graced a pit. When the dancers would tire, there were others ready to join in a chorus which drowned all our noise. Between our breach and the door blankets were also hung up, which more effectually hid our operations.