. We had now been in the saddle
for ten hours. The ponies stumbled frequently, for they were almost
spent. The moon rose, and the hoary mountain loomed up just ahead of
us. "We seem to be lost," said the padre; "that is a strange peak to
me." But nevertheless we kept on toward the east. Soon we had passed
beyond the forest, which appeared behind us a great dusky belt. The
numerous rocks and crags made progress difficult, almost impossible.

"Look!" said the padre, "do you see that light?" We tethered the
ponies at a distance, crept up stealthily behind the rocks, and
reconnoitered. And what we looked on was the strangest sight that ever
mortal eyes beheld. It was like living again in the Dark Ages--in the
days before the sages and the sun-myth. It was like turning back the
leaves of history--back to the legendary, prehistoric times.

A lofty grove encircled a chaotic mass of rock. The clearing
was illuminated by the flaring torches carried by a dusky band of
men. Weird shadows leaped and played in the dense foliage, where, high
above the ground, rude shelters had been made in the thick branches
of the trees. The form of a woman, flashing with silver trinkets when
the rays of light fell on her, was descending from a tree by means of
a long parasitic vine. Around the palm-leaf huts that occupied the
center of the amphitheater, an altar of bamboo had been erected. We
could see, in the dim light, rude images of idols standing in front
of every hut and near the altar.

As our eyes became accustomed to the gloom, we could make out the
forms of men and women, dressed in brilliant colors and with silver
bracelets on their arms. In silence we crept closer. The crowd
was visibly excited. It was evident that something of a solemn
and extraordinary nature was about to be performed. There were the
chief assassins, so the padre whispered to me, who were decorated
savagely, according to the number of victims each had slain. The
ordinary men wore open vests or jackets and loose pantaloons. The
women, evidently decked out with a complement of finery in honor of
the celebration, wore short aprons reaching to the knee. Some wore
gold collars around their necks and silver-embroidered slippers on
their feet. Their bare arms sparkled with the coils of silver bands
and bracelets that encircled them, while silver anklets jingled with
the movement of their feet. They had red tassels in their hair, and
earrings made of pieces of carved bone.