Beadle's Dime Novels No. 119: Blackeyes — page 33: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE DANCE-HOUSE. oD business but their own. I would not wish them to see you, as they might trouble themselves to inquire whe you are.” In a few moments they reached a large house, from which the light streamed through several loopholes and crevices. The sound of music within could be heard, mingled with laughter and the pattering of the dancers’ feet. The girl passed by this house, however, and entered, through a narrow door, a smaller building, in the chief apartment of | Which an old woman was seated, by the light of a dim taper. She ushered Royston into another room, where she showed him a pair.of wide Mexican trowsers and a’ gay-colored serape, Which she directed him to put on over his uniform. When the young-man had thus transformed himself into & Caballero, he came out, and Dolores completed the transfor- mation by covering his head with a wide-brimmed sombrero, and furnishing his belt with a pair of pistols and a kuite; She then led. him to the fonda, or dance-house, cautioning him that he must not attempt to speak, as she intended to represent him to be her dumb cousin from El Paso del Norte. | ) pth Li Royston assented, and promised obedience, although he could not see the necessity of adopting a disguise and a new character, if the New Mexicans were friendly to’ the Ameri- Cans, and if no harm was really intended to himself and his friends. Dolores had directed him, and her word liad already become a law to him, y PE The house was entered by means of a door, and Royston immediately found himself in a large room, hot, closé-smelling and poorly lighted, filled with Mexicans and Indians of both sexes. He was quick to preceive that he was the only American in the room, and he concluded that there was some - Yeason for the caution that Dolores had given him. At tables in the corners of the room, tawny Mexicans, and Pueblo In- dians with still darker skins, were engaged playing mont, while the rest of the floor was occupied by the dancers, who Moved to the music of a violin, a tamborine, and several pairs of castanets. The dance was a rather wild but pleasant mix-_ ture of waltz and quadrille, with such variations ag the indj- vidual performers chose to introduce. Pulque was freely cir- Culating among the players and the dancers, eit & oe CONMGCWOOKS.COlm 4 y.