e prospect of parting.

Others, again, are bidding their _adios_ in retired corners, under the
shadow of the church walls, or in groups of four or five more openly in
the piazza itself. Early as is the hour, the people have all arisen;
and not a few of the brown, rebosa-clad, short-skirted wenches are
already on their way, _jarro_ on crown, to the fountain. There the
pitchers are filled, and lifted on their heads--perhaps for the last
time--by the rangers, who perform the office with all the rude grace in
their power. Then follows a profusion of smiles and bows, and a
dialogue, on the ranger's part extending to the whole of his Spanish,
which consists of the phrase--

"Mucho bueno, muchacha!"

The usual reply, accompanied with a display of pretty white teeth, is--

"Mucho bueno, cavallero! mucho bueno, Tejano!" given in like
ungrammatical phrase, in order that it may be intelligible to the person
to whom it is addressed.

I have often been surprised at the success of my great uncouth followers
with these _petite_ dark-eyed damsels of Anahuac; but, indeed, many of
the rangers are not bad-looking men. On the contrary, there are
handsome fellows among them, if they were only put into clean shirts,
and a little more closely shaven. But woman's eye is keen-sighted in
such matters: she easily penetrates through the disguise of dust, the
bronze of sun-tan, and the shaggy mask of an ill-kept beard; and no eye
is quicker in this respect than that of the fair Mexicana. In the big,
apparently rude, individual, called a "ranger," she beholds a type of
strength and courage, a heart that can cherish, and an arm that can
protect her. These are qualities that, from all time, have won the love
of woman.

It is evident they are not all friends whom we are leaving behind us.
Hostile faces may be observed, many of them peering from open doors or
windows. Here and there a sulky lepero swings about in his blanket, or
cowers by the corner of the street, scowling savagely from under his
broad-brimmed hat. Most of this class are absent--as long since
ascertained--with the guerrilla; but a few still remain to give shadow
to the picture. They regard the approaches towards their women with
ill-concealed anger; and would resent this politeness if they dared.
They confine the exhibition of their spite to the dastardly meanness of
ill-treating the women themselves, whenever they have an opportunity.
No later than the night before, on