ntimes during that six days, I ate
and relished such food in places where, under ordinary circumstances, I
would not have tasted a mouthful of the most tempting delicacies.

About dark one of the men came with three of the mules, but the other
man had lost himself in trying to find us, and not until several hours
later did he succeed in his quest.

Meanwhile I was secretly tormented by the painful anxiety to know where
I was to sleep. One dark, ill-smelling room was all the house contained,
except a shed used as a kitchen, and I could not see how the most
ingenious hostess could make two guests of different sexes comfortable,
however much she might incommode the family.

To my utter horror I learned that, with no conception of any possible
scruples on my part, she had arranged for me to have one of the four
beds, the women of the house the remaining three, while the master and
Vincent were to occupy hammocks in the same room.

With stoical disregard of masculine observance, these native families
disrobed themselves, skilfully it is true, though the process of
necessity was a short one, and then, in company with their male
companion, deliberately set themselves to watch my preparations for the
night.

These last, you may be sure, were of the simplest kind. I took off my
shoes and let down my hair, and then in my still wet dress, which was
fortunately a flannel one, I crept into the bed the servant had made up
with the clothes we carried with us.

Vincent's night toilet was still less elaborate.

He unbuckled the leather belt upon which hung his revolver, and brought
it over to me with a brief injunction that I was to use it if need be. A
startling suggestion truly, but the weapon gave me a sense of security,
though it was such an enormous one that I knew with both hands on the
trigger, both eyes tight shut, and mouth firmly set in the usual
feminine way, I could never make the thing go off, in time to render me
more than a _post-mortem_ defence.

As the burning pine sticks which had furnished light for us, slowly
crumbled into ashes, I heard a wonder-struck voice ask if all the
American ladies went to bed with their clothes on, to which Vincent,
sharing my desire to do or say nothing that could hurt their feelings,
gravely replied that it was the national custom.

Of course I did not sleep, tired as I was--I was more than half afraid
to close my eyes, and when I finally did summon up sufficient courage to
do s