?"

"Leave them here."

"Ha! ha! that would be a green trick. No, no. Once bit, twice shy.
You don't catch this 'coon going into any fandango in Santa Fe without
his six-shooters. Come, keep on that shirt; let your leggings sweat
where they are, and buckle this about you. That's the _costume du bal_
in these parts."

"If you assure me that my dress will be _comme il faut_, I'm agreed."

"It won't be with the long-tailed blue, I promise you."

The long-tailed blue was restored forthwith to its nook in my
portmanteau.

Saint Vrain was right. On arriving at the room, a large sala in the
neighbourhood of the Plaza, we found it filled with hunters, trappers,
traders, and teamsters, all swaggering about in their usual mountain
rig. Mixed among them were some two or three score of the natives, with
an equal number of senoritas, all of whom, by their style of dress, I
recognise as poblanas, or persons of the lower class,--the only class,
in fact, to be met with in Santa Fe.

As we entered, most of the men had thrown aside their serapes for the
dance, and appeared in all the finery of embroidered velvet, stamped
leather, and shining "castletops." The women looked not less
picturesque in their bright naguas, snowy chemisettes, and small satin
slippers. Some of them flounced it in polka jackets; for even to that
remote region the famous dance had found its way.

"Have you heard of the electric telegraph?"

"No, senor."

"Can you tell me what a railroad is?"

"Quien sabe?"

"La polka?"

"Ah! senor, la polka, la polka! cosa buenita, tan graciosa! vaya!"

The ball-room was a long, oblong sala with a banquette running all round
it. Upon this the dancers seated themselves, drew out their husk
cigarettes, chatted, and smoked, during the intervals of the dance. In
one corner half a dozen sons of Orpheus twanged away upon harp, guitar,
and bandolin; occasionally helping out the music with a shrill
half-Indian chant. In another angle of the apartment, puros, and Taos
whisky were dealt out to the thirsty mountaineers, who made the sala
ring with their wild ejaculations. There were scenes like the
following:--

"Hyar, my little muchacha! vamos, vamos, ter dance! Mucho bueno! Mucho
bueno? Will ye?"

This is from a great rough fellow of six feet and over, addressed to a
trim little poblana.

"Mucho bueno, Senor Americano!" replies the lady.

"Hooraw for you! Come along! Let's licker fust! You're the g