ntures of the said Marcos, and will tell
the reader a story out of the book of his life. So it came to pass that
in one of his journeys the Senor de Obregon found himself on the back of
a mule, which, to use his own expression, had the devil in her body, a
regular jade, which would neither allow herself to be shod or saddled
without making all the resistance in her power--was in the habit of
flinging herself down whenever she came to a sandy place, and rolling
over with her heels in the air. An old muleteer, who observed her
performing this last prank, took pity on her rider, and said, "Gentleman
student, I wish to give you a piece of advice with respect to that
animal"--and then he gave Marcos the piece of advice, which Marcos
received with the respect due to a man of the muleteer's experience, and
proceeded on his way. Coming to a sandy place shortly after, he felt
that the mule was, as usual, about to give way to her _penchant_,
whereupon, without saying a word to any body, he followed the advice of
the muleteer and with a halter which he held in his hand struck with all
fury the jade between the two ears. Down fell the mule in the dust, and,
rolling on her side, turned up the whites of her eyes. 'And as I stood
by looking at her,' said Marcos, 'I was almost sorry that I had struck
her so hard, seeing how she turned up the whites of her eyes. At length,
however, I took a luncheon of bread, and steeping it in wine from my
bota, I thrust it between her jaws, and thus revived her; and I assure
you that from that moment she never played any tricks with me, but
behaved both formally and genteelly under all circumstances, but
especially when going over sandy ground. I am told, however, that as
soon as I parted with her she fell into her old pranks, refusing to be
shod or saddled--rushing up against walls and scarifying the leg of her
rider, and flinging herself down in all sandy places.' Now we say,
without the slightest regard to contradiction, knowing that no one save a
Spaniard will contradict us, that Spain has invariably proved herself
just such a jade as the mule of the cavalier De Obregon: with a kind and
merciful rider what will she not do? Look at her, how she refuses to be
bridled or shod--how she scarifies the poor man's leg against rude walls,
how ill she behaves in sandy places, and how occasionally diving her head
between her fore-legs and kicking up behind she causes him to perform a
somersault in the