Immediately afterward an express wagon loaded down with a swarming family of Spanish-Mexicans, gorgeous in red and yellow colours, followed.

Billy, the stableman, and his assistant took charge of the teams, unchecking the horses and hitching them to a fence back of the barn.

Then Caraher, the saloon-keeper, in "derby" hat, "Prince Albert" coat, pointed yellow shoes and inevitable red necktie, drove into the yard on his buckboard, the delayed box of lemons under the seat.

It looked as if the whole array of invited guests was to arrive in one unbroken procession, but for a long half-hour nobody else appeared.
Annixter and Caraher withdrew to the harness room and promptly involved themselves in a wrangle as to the make-up of the famous punch.

From time to time their voices could be heard uplifted in clamorous argument.
"Two quarts and a half and a cupful of chartreuse." "Rot, rot, I know better.