The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1858-11-20
Tho peautinui Decoy.


system Oi highway robbery exists Doe every
sectlon Of that misrraby governed country
/ and that through o want of interference ofihe
authorities this has grown up into such d
regular and Formidable shape, that every tra,
Weller must be prepared % put his life ~ hug-
ard nt every stage, or be- provided Vith o
suitable contribution fnr las caiaNTros d,iD0.
miHo che knights Of the roadJ who, iu the
ieNrnt oi hHdlNg ynu prepared 4Nd NlllHgt
viii make their levy with politpueEs ouly
cqunled hy the smiling landlord when hC re-
ooiycs your oyerchutged fare for last uights
entertainment Why such systematic bold
ness Of robbery Is Hllowed--if not with the
conni,uucc, NJ least with rarely any intrrior-
cnce Of the government or state authorities
lis one Of those mystical matters which
among many others go puzzles and prfpirNrs
the intelligent Foreigners, but thnt such is
the disagrrrnhe truth every traveller through
that wrctchcd country con btar ample tcst-
mony.
Some years ago, having business which
first called 90 the Capital Of MrNico, and
thence through the interior Of th- country
TO the northwnrd, ! met with several thrilling
adventures, which ! have rechucd for the
benefit Of whOmsorycr may take an interest
lthsErR, aullttlnR unly the daieA, they Atlng
non-csseutih to the Interest Of the nmraIous
themselves.
The first Of the series occurred ON the route
between Vera Cfuz md the City of Mexico,
In the regular diligcncia running between the
places ust mentioned, | had taken passage,
and had passed through the beautiful cily
Jalnpa. aud entered the gloomy town ofPcro-
&C., without meeting with uyannusuHl incident
though being continually warned tu hr on my
guard agunst the dangers of the road, A.
Pcrotc, where Wo halted Tor relay aud re-
ircshmculs, all my feiloW-passengcrs took
/ IA. .I IA flttt
IL assailcd by the iddioRes, oi robbers q
would hr much better lpr me 90 take wuticr,
lquicily, and suffer myself tp hr general, plum
|dcred, than 10 ruU the risk ni having my
throat cut Tor resistance, a. / had somewhat
boldly proclaimed IL was o., intention at do
ing. thanked them for their advice, md rr-
Piled that would take the matter into grgi'
Gus consideration,
At Pero,c, | repeat, all Who had been my
companions from Nrrn Cru1 took leave ofmc
THE being the end OF their Journey iu thlt VI.
rcction, but there was one ucW passenger to
I 90 forward. whom 10 my agreeable surprise,
| found to hr "a beautiful Young lady, somu
/ twenty years OF Ggc.L
Scuorn Paula, as / subsequently ascertain.
ed her u,uIc tu bc, was indeed one ut those
rare hroutirs seldom met with except lu works
ut hicuuu-rtllL graceful, with a prausiou d
luug black hNr--sDfi, clear, melting duh
Cy,v--icu'Urry ~ Trrtrrt ryrr rTrrIr from
the hand, "l the sculptor uud HlhBU eninU-
ton the most fascinating, Nnirs iu cNprr,-
sion slth every changing mood OF tlr int, lior-
tual posscs,cr. \ glance at her brvuchlug
dark eyes showed me- that she was one who
v.,, naturally of social dispositions aud as
We ratified avuy from thl gloomy town,
took the liberty Of opening o conversation.
They tell me-" SAID I, "that the route bee
, t''rei, hctc- a''d Ne,i,o il -Ve'y as"gcrou.
. oue to tu,,i
Their Is lt,lr TO fear" She replied, Nth
sweet smile ard iu mclodj"os t"oa, ".Ncrpt
from the professional robbers, uud they srl
dom harm ANY Icvh0 makes 40 rr.i,ttucr.
"lt seems strange 20 me, ! rcjuiucd, "lnnt
,-s....- -AlAAi.-l-E- -AA-ulL ill-r allh hings as q
matter OF course, and deem resistance u very
impolitc way Of treating the knight, OF the
road, instead of boldly asserting Your rights
and abating the evil hy a manly Spirit of re-
sstrucc. For mvscl! ! must consider it the
most coVurdiy o' proceedings, for amy rrspcc
table party To- SIT ont prepared To quietly
CRAFTY the cJpiGty OF the iuyrUieg, aud uu-
prepared TO treat them to their just deserts"
"Ev,rl traveller, Scuor,' She replied, "shuull
before setting out. count the cost ol hi, inur-
ucy. and as Of course il is natural hc should
value his lll" highly, IL seems TO me natural
that hc should pay a certain sum Tor positive
safety rather th1u put that liir in jeopardy
For instance, iu travelling from Vera Cruz io
Mexico, if be- viii FIRST reckon that 80 much
l., the frrr by the diIigcnca and that 'oinuch
viii -he rcqulrcd iur entertainment ou the WAY,
AI4L saHtli tot the contingency ,u,i speri,
Of. he Will then have the exact cost between
two points, and il he will look at the whole
~ the sum total OF his. journey he will not
seem to be- ruhhcd by any one patty more
thrti. trnuthrr.'
''ihaJ' / r5pticd maybe, -hg,ievo is, the
MrNicau mode oi doing bussine>s, nut does
not tally with the preconcciycd IDEAS of us
foreigners
"}ut every one" replied the fair speaker
"Should conform TO the customs Of the coun-
TRY he visits,
"Aud do you then 20 prepared Cor this
highway robbery and have YOU no fear in
thus iuurneling by yourSef5"
"Nell, Senor, what can do ? ! am as you
perceive an unprotected ladyi who, for cei-
tain reasons, am required TO make the Jour
ncy between Pcroto and the Capital some
twice or thrice wear, and you certainly could
not expect me TO 20 prepared to resist an
armed band AS to fear, | will not deny
have my share Of that's but, so far, have
never met with any rough treatment, and Of
cnur,e | trust the saints that my fortune
will ever be- as propitious.'
"And have YOU really been robbed on your
Journey back and forth ?' | inquired.
IL think have paid'my share to the la-
droHcS for my transit through their country"
she laughed.
"And you expect to continue repetition
Of the sami for the rest OF your life ?"
"Who knows P' she replied. "At least
hope to be always prepared"
"And your fellow travellers !" said "ho,e
YOU never seen any disposed to resist these
unlawful acts ?"
"Once, Senor. an American and an English
man, who were in the same diligencia with
me, fired upon the robbers, killing one and
wounding two"
And did the robbers fire back ?"
"Ycs, but fed Immediately, and fortunately
injured none of our party
'As | should have expected" returned /. .
"You were not robbed on that occasion, | sup
Posu I'.