ure them a good welcome, some special presents adapted
to his probable fancy were to be offered him.

The traders obeyed their instructions to the letter, and after offering
their gifts, which delighted the cacique, they opened their wares to the
public. Their Castilian merchandise added immensely to the attraction of
their market and drew a larger number, between buyers and curious people,
than usual. When the day's business was over, they called for some musical
instruments--the templanaste--and taking out their own castanets and
timbrels, they began to chant the couplets.

Such music had never before been heard in the Quiche land, but if the form
attracted their attention, the words of the verses made a still deeper
impression on the listeners, and most of all on the cacique himself. The
next day, when the fair was over, he asked the traders to sing again the
wonderful story and, as the news of the previous day's performance had
spread amongst the people, a still larger crowd had assembled to listen.
When the singing had finished, the cacique asked the traders for
explanations concerning the sense of their song but they, acting on Las
Casas's instructions, replied that they only knew what they sang and to
learn more he would have to send for certain friars who would be very glad
to come and tell him everything concerning the mysteries of the verses.
This gave the traders an opportunity to describe the friars who, they
said, wore white robes covered with black mantles and had their hair cut
in the form of a crown around the head; they told of the extreme frugality
of their lives, their severe penances, and that their only occupation was
to instruct people, for they despised gold and were indifferent to
personal possessions. The cacique marvelled not a little to hear of this
new variety of Spaniard, so contrary in habits and manners to the others,
of whom his knowledge had led him to form the poorest opinion. He
conceived an earnest wish to see these strangers and arranged with the
traders that his brother, a young man of twenty-two, should return with
them to Santiago and see for himself if what they said was true. He
charged his brother to observe carefully and secretly the ways of the
friars and to learn all he could about them and meanwhile, in return for
the gifts of Las Casas, he sent him a number of the most valuable things
his country produced.

The anxiety of the friars during all this time as to the resu