"No matter who I am," the stranger answered sharply; "are you a landlord—yes or no?"
"I have that honour, caballero," the host remarked, with a deeper bow than the first.
"If you are so, scoundrel," the stranger exclaimed angrily, "by what right do you, whose duty it is to be at the orders of the public, dare to keep me waiting thus at your door?"
The landlord had a strong inclination to get into a passion, but the resolute tone of the man who addressed him, and, above all, the pistol he still held in his hand, urged him to prudence and moderation; hence he answered with profound humility—
"Believe me, señor, that if I had known what a distinguished caballero did me the honour of stopping before my humble dwelling, I should have hastened to open."
"A truce to such impertinent remarks, and open the door."
The landlord bowed without replying this time, and whistled a lad, who came to help him in holding the travellers' horses; the latter dismounted, and entered the inn, while their tired steeds were led to the corral by the boy.
The room into which the travellers were introduced was low, black, and furnished with tables and benches in a filthy state, and mostly broken, while the floor of stamped earth was greasy and uneven. Above the bar was a statuette of the Virgin de la Soledad, before which burned a greasy candle. In short, this inn had nothing attractive or comfortable about it, and seemed to be a velorio of the lowest class, apparently used by the most wretched and least honourable ranks of Mexican society.
A glance was sufficient for the travellers to understand the place to which accident had led them, still they did not display any of the disgust which the sight of this cut-throat den inspired them with. They seated themselves as comfortably as they could at a table, and the one who had hitherto addressed mine host went on, while his silent companion leaned against the wall, and drew the folds of his cloak still higher up his face.
"Look here," he said, "we are literally dying of hunger, patron; could you not serve us up a morsel of something? I don't care what it is in the shape of food."