For some time they kept on the road, but soon the jolting told me that they had left it and we began to go down a hill; in a little while great was my joy to see a light and to find ourselves soon in the hospitable shelter of a Mexican sheep-herder's hut.

The Mexican unhitched the team and put them in a warm shed.

For myself, he soon had hot coffee and tortillas on the table.

I never felt so thankful in my life for such accommodation and such humble fare.

The horses had never been in that part of the country before, that I knew; it was pitch dark, and yet they must have known in some mysterious way that in that direction was shelter and safety, as when I threw the lines down they even then continued to face the storm.
It may be noted here that buffaloes always face the storm and travel against it; cattle and horses never.
Before entirely leaving the cattle business a few more notes may be of interest.
Plagues of grasshoppers and locusts sometimes did awful damage to the range.
When visiting at a neighbour's one must not dismount till invited to do so; also in saluting anyone the gloves must be removed before shaking hands.