ame running up with his tail between his legs,
and with a most doleful look; he was closely pursued by all the dogs of
the plateau, who, instead of barking, were making a kind of howling
noise, common to those that are but half domesticated.

On hearing all this uproar, two Indian women came running towards us,
but stopped, abashed at our appearance.

The youngest of them, rather a pretty girl, wore nothing but a short
linen chemise, and a piece of blue woollen stuff fastened round her hips
by a wide band, ornamented with red threads. Her hair, which was plaited
and brought over her forehead, formed a sort of coronet. Her companion,
who was dressed in a similar way, wore, in addition, a long scarf, which
was fixed to her head, and fell round her like a nun's cloak.

"God bless you, Maria!" I said to the eldest. "Can you take us in for
one night?"

[Illustration: "On hearing the uproar, two Indian women came running
towards us."]

"I have nothing to offer you to eat, I am afraid."

"Perhaps you can sell us a fowl and some eggs."

"Well, I must see if my husband objects to guests."

"Surely your husband will not refuse the shelter of his roof to weary
travellers?"

She reflected for a moment, and then answered,

"No, he is a Christian! Come in and rest yourselves."

The Indian woman called to her children, who one after the other showed
their wild-looking heads peeping out from some hiding-place, and ordered
them to drive away the dogs.

It was not without some degree of pleasure we got rid of our travelling
gear, as we felt no ordinary amount of weariness, which was easily
accounted for by the exertion of our recent ascent. L'Encuerado, always
brisk, began to assist the housewife; he stirred up the fire, arranged
the plates, and looked to their being clean. The Indian woman then asked
him to go and draw some water from a spring about a hundred yards from
the hut; and off he went, led by the children of our hostess. His young
guides, completely naked, and their heads shaved, rode on bamboo-canes
as make-believe horses, and pranced along in front of him.

Except on the side we had just ascended, the plateau was entirely
surrounded by high mountains. The hut, which was built of planks and
covered with thatch, appeared very cleanly kept. Behind it extended a
small kitchen garden, in which fennel, the indispensable condiment in
Aztec cookery, grew in great abundance; in front, there was a large
tobacco plantat