became positive fear. He darted wild eyes about
him. He was completely hedged in. On his right
loomed a large horse; behind him stood a drowsing
team; on his left was a dirt-cart; while immediately
in front, such was his position now,
stood his mother. But, though gripped in fear,
he remained perfectly still until the locomotive,
puffing and wheezing along at the rear of the
train, having reached the crossing, sounded a
piercing shriek. This was more than he could
stand. Without a sound he dodged and whirled.
He plunged to the rear and rammed into the drowsing
team; darted to the right and into the teeth of
the single horse; whirled madly to the left, only
to carom off the hub of a wheel. But with all
this defeat he did not stop. He set up a wild
series of whirling plunges, and, completely crazed
now, darted under the single horse, under a Mexican
wagon, under a team of horses, and forth into
a little clearing. Here he came to a stop, trembling
in every part, gazing about in wildest terror.

Following its shrill blast, the engine puffed
across the crossing, the gates slowly lifted, and the
foremost vehicles began to move. Soon the whole
line was churning up clouds of dust and rattling
across the railroad tracks. Felipe was of this
company, cracking his whip and yelling lustily,
enjoying the congestion and this unexpected
opportunity to be seen by so many American eyes
at once in his gorgeous raiment. In the town
proper, and carefully avoiding the more rapidly
moving vehicles, he turned off the avenue into a

[[32]]

p031 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p032w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p033

v?