t. Joseph.

At last I told him to resume his natural position, and to keep quiet.

"Do you really think that I have done it enough?" he asked, addressing
me with imperturbable gravity.

"Yes," I replied; "from the way in which you have shaken him, I should
say he must have come out either through your mouth or ears."

"Then it's your turn now, Chanito!"

Lucien, delighted at having to execute this feat of skill, tried several
times to keep his balance while standing on his head; but overcome by
laughter, he was not able, so he fell, to rear himself up again. The
more l'Encuerado cried out to him, urging him to persevere, the louder
the boy laughed. The brave Indian, who was under the full belief that
an evil spirit must necessarily abandon a body placed upside down,
seized the legs of his young master and shook him violently as if he was
emptying a sack. Sumichrast at last put an end to this scene by
declaring that he was sure the spirit must have taken flight.
L'Encuerado then came up to my friend and proposed to assist him into
the same position as he had helped Lucien.

[Illustration: "L'Encuerado . . . set to work to plait us hats."]

"That's enough of it," I cried as soon as laughing allowed me to speak;
"M. Sumichrast and I have other means of expelling evil spirits."

L'Encuerado looked at me with wonder, more convinced than ever that my
power far exceeded that of the sorcerers of his own country.

We were now close to our fire. Lucien was gravely repeating the words
which l'Encuerado had addressed to the demon, when Gringalet commenced
howling. L'Encuerado had seized the poor animal by his hind legs, and
was violently shaking him, head downward.

"It's all for your good," said the Indian to the dog. "Can't you
understand that the evil spirit which you have in your body will be
certain to make you commit some folly?"

Lucien rushed to the assistance of his faithful friend, and at last
induced the Mistec to let him go. Not the least convinced of
l'Encuerado's kind intentions towards him, Gringalet seemed to bear
malice towards the Indian, and for three days was very shy of coming
near him.

After this scene the preparations for dinner occupied our attention. If
our guns had been more successful, we should have had fat to fry our
fish in. While we were deploring our ill-luck, I noticed a flock of
birds like ducks flying high up in the air; they made a wide circle and
settled down on the top of a tree.