" Inez and Benito had ridden to
the pueblo for a confirmation of McTurpin's words. They hitched their
horses at the rack in Portsmouth Square and walked down toward the
landing place. A large ship lay in the offing. Between her and the shore
many small boats laden with passengers and varied cargoes plied to
and fro.
Inez, as they descended, noted many women clad in the exaggerated
hoopskirts, the curious, short, gathered bodices and the low hats of the
early forties. She thought this apparel oddly ugly, though the faces
were not unattractive. They stood in knots, these women, some of them
gazing rather helplessly about. The younger ones were surrounded by
groups of admirers with whom they were chatting animatedly. There were
also many children capering in the sand and pointing out to one another
the strange sights of this new place. The men--hundreds of them it
seemed to Inez--were busied with constructive tasks. Already there were
many temporary habitations, mostly tents of varied shapes and sizes.
Bonfires blazed here and there. Stands of arms in ordered, regular
stacks, gave the scene a martial air. Piles of bed-clothing, household
effects, agricultural implements, lay upon the sand.
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