"Don Agostino, though a Creole, is a worse Ahuitzote than the Gachupins," murmured another Lepero. "The Creoles," screamed a Zambo, "are the _piques'_ eggs,[14] the Gachupins the _piques_ themselves. The Creoles are the sons of the Marquis, and of his conquistadores and camerados, who made the Tlascalans help them against Anahuac, and when they had won it, made slaves of their allies. _Larifari! Viva la libertad!_" "_Viva la libertad!_" cried another of the same negro-Indian race, who was standing with his arms a-kimbo, and looking down with sovereign contempt upon the mob of Leperos. "_Viva la libertad! Viva! Viva!_ See there, the house of Conde San Jago, the richest caballero in Mexico, who made netto six million dollars out of a single _bonanza_.[15] Netto, senores. _Viva la libertad!_ D'ye know, senores, what liberty is? _We_ have been where it flourished, in Guanaxato, where we brought the dollars out of the Alhondega by baskets-full. _Si, senorias_, the most beautiful, milkwhite, silver dollars, to be had for the taking; that is liberty." "_Viva la libertad!_" exclaimed the knot of Leperos. The cry was repeated by the next group, and by the next, till it was taken up by thousands of voices. "_Todos diablos!_" cried the Zambo, "a hurra for liberty, that Cassio may take what he likes, and where he likes. I will have the condesa Ruhl's donzella to pour out my pulque, and the condesa herself--by the virgin of Guadalupe, she shall be our _tortillera_!"[16] "_Santa Brigida, santa Agata, santa Marta, santa Ursula, con todas sus diez mil virgenes_, pray for the senses of the senor Chino!" cried the Leperos, beyond measure astonished and angry at the presumption of the Zambo. "Chino!" screamed the negro-Indian furiously, "do you take me for a Chino? _Es posible?_ Is it possible?" cried he, tearing open his jacket, and producing from a small silver case a dirty bit of paper, which he held up in triumph. "See, here, senorias, '_Que se tenga por blanco!_'"[17] "_Que se tenga por blanco!_" yelled a hundred, and soon a thousand, Leperos, roaring with laughter. And then dancing round him in a circle, they again vociferated, "_Que se tenga por blanco!_" The ragged Zambo, who, in his day-dream of ambition, had selected a countess for his cupbearer, did not seem disposed easily to give up his claims to a white skin. He gazed for a moment at the mad antics and grimaces of the filthy and ugly mob by which he was surrounded, and then again vociferated, "_Io soy blanco, y todo blanco es caballero!_" "A rascally thief from Vera Cruz, that is what you are," was the retort; "a sand-fly that would fain creep in and make its nest amongst us." "I will show you who has the most power, your Vicente Guerero, or Cassio Isidro," cried the Zambo. "I will let you know it," added he, his hands stuck in his sides as if in defiance, "and before ten months are past, I will have Vicente Guerero for my muleteer."