Part 12 (2/2)
”Oh! of course,” answered I, smiling, and somewhat puzzled in turn.
”And how long have you been in the army, Senor Capitan?”
”But a short time.”
”How do you like Mexico, Senor?”
”I have seen but little of it as yet.”
”Why, how long have you been in the country, then?”
”Three days,” answered I; ”we landed on the 9th.”
”_Por Dios_! three days, and in our army already!” muttered the Spaniard, throwing up his eyes in unaffected surprise.
I began to think I was interrogated by a lunatic.
”May I ask what countryman you are?” continued the old gentleman.
”What countryman? An American, of course!”
”An American?”
”_Un Americano_,” repeated I, for we were conversing in Spanish.
”_Y son esos Americanos_?” (And are these Americans?) quickly demanded my new acquaintance.
”_Si, Senor_,” replied I.
”_Carrambo_!” shouted the Spaniard, with a sudden leap, his eyes almost starting from their sockets.
”I should say, not exactly Americans,” I added. ”Many of them are Irish, and French, and Germans, and Swedes, and Swiss; yet they are all Americans now.”
But the Mexican did not stay to hear my explanation. After recovering from the first shock of surprise, he had bounded through the grove; and with a wave of his hand, and the e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.i.o.n ”_Esperate_!” (wait!) disappeared among the plantains. The men, who had gathered around the lower end of the basin, burst out into a roar of laughter, which I did not attempt to repress. The look of terrified astonishment of the old Don had been too much for my own gravity, and I could not help being amused at the conversation that ensued among the soldiers. They were at some distance, yet I could overhear their remarks.
”That Mexikin's an unhospitable cuss!” muttered Lincoln, with an expression of contempt.
”He might av axed the captain to dhrink, after savin' such a pair of illigant craythers,” said Chane.
”Sorra dhrap's in the house, Murt; the place looks dry,” remarked another son of the Green Isle.
”Och! an' it's a beautiful cage, anyhow,” returned Chane; ”and beautiful birds in it, too. It puts me in mind of ould Dimmerary; but there we had the liquor, the raal rum--os.h.i.+ns of it, alanna!”
”That 'ere chap's a greelye, I strongly 'spect,” whispered one, a regular down-east Yankee.
”A what?” asked his companion.
”Why, a greelye--one o' them 'ere Mexikin robbers.”
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