ourn in the cold regions of the higher Andes had rendered him
sensitive to the oppressive heat of the town. Besides this, a clear
rivulet ran along one side of the square, near to which was the
governor's house. A line of trees threw a grateful shade over the
footpath here. On the opposite side stood the barracks, where a few
ill-clad unsoldierly men lounged about with muskets in their hands. All
the houses and church walls and spires, not only in the square, but in
the town, bore evidence, in the form of cracked walls and twisted
windows and doorways, of the prevalence of earthquakes; and there was a
general appearance of dilapidation and dirt around, which was anything
but agreeable to men who had just come from the free, grand,
sweet-scented scenery of the mountains.

"They seem to have had some severe shakings here," said Lawrence,
pointing with his stick to a crack in the side of one of the houses
which extended from the roof to the ground.

We may remark here that, on entering the town, our travellers had laid
aside their arms as being useless encumbrances, though Lawrence still
carried his oaken cudgel, not as a weapon but a walking-stick.

"Yes, massa," replied Quashy, "got lots ob eart' quaks in dem diggins.
Ebery day, more or less, dey hab a few. Jest afore you come down dis
mornin' I hab some conv'sashin' wid de landlord, an' he say he don' like
de look ob t'ings."

"Indeed, Quashy. Why not?"

"'Cause it's gittin' too hot, he say, for de time ob year--sulfry, he
called it."

"Sultry, you mean?"

"Well, I's not 'zactly sure what I means, but _he_ said sulfry. An'
dey've bin shook more dan ornar ob late. An' dere's a scienskrific
gen'leman in our inn what's bin a-profisyin' as there'll be a grand
bust-up afore long."

"I hope he'll turn out to be a false prophet," said Lawrence. "What is
his name?"

"Dun' know, massa. Look dar!" exclaimed Quashy, with a grin, pointing
to a fat priest with a broad-brimmed white hat on a sleek mule, "he do
look comf'rable."

"More comfortable than the poor beast behind him," returned Lawrence,
with a laugh, as he observed three little children cantering along on
one horse.

There was no lack of entertainment and variety in that town, for people
generally seemed to a great extent to have cast off the trammels of
social etiquette, both in habits and costume. Many of the horses that
passed were made to carry double. Here would ride past a man with a
woman