第58部分(第4/7 頁)

east　the　impression　it　produced　upon　me。　In　a　long　low　room　a　fat　half…breed；　its　owner；　was　swinging　in　a　hammock；　or　rather　being　swung　by　Indian　girls。　Terrible　stories　were　told　of　such　men　and　their　poor　Indian　slaves　in　these　remote　places；　for　in　practice　slaves　they　still　remained；　especially　with　reference　to　young　women　who　grew　up　upon　their　estates。　Whether　things　have　bettered　since　that　day　I　do　not　know；　but；　if　certain　works　that　I　have　read　are　true；　I　gather　that　in　such　matters　they　remain　much　the　same　as　they　were　two　hundred　years　ago。

After　the　corduroy　road　plains　we　passed　into　the　mountains　where；　by　the　hollowing　action　of　water；　the　tracks　had　been　reduced　to　a　kind　of　ditch　floored　with　a　butter　of　red　clay。　Here　there　were　precipices；　along　the　edges　of　which　we　ambled。　One　spot　remains　firmly　fixed　upon　my　mind。　The　path　along　the　precipice　had　been　broken　away　and　a　new　one　made　a　little　further　up　the　hillside。　When　we　reached　the　place　I　tried　to　turn　my　mule　to　this　upper　path。　But　the　wooden…mouthed　brute　was　of　a　different　opinion。　Baggage　mules；　I　should　explain；　always　prefer　the　edge　of　a　precipice；　because　their　burdens　are　less　likely　to　be　knocked　by　projecting　rocks　or　other　mules。　Therefore；　this　beast　that　I　rode　insisted　upon　taking　the　lower　path。　The　natural　result　followed：　we　began　to　descend　the　red　butter　slide　with　great　rapidity。　There　was　neither　time　nor　room　to　dismount。　All　appeared　to　be　over；　since　a　few　yards　in　front；　the　path　having；　as　I　said；　been　washed　away；　was　empty　space。　However；　just　in　time；　the　mule　itself　awoke　to　the　situation。　I　presume　that　its　inherited　experience　told　it　that　to　be　dashed　to　pieces　is　not　agreeable。　At　any　rate　it　put　on　some　kind　of　vacuum　brake　of　its　own；　with　the