for investigation. Twice a week he had baptisms, on Thursday and Sunday;
these duties on Thursday took but a couple of hours, leaving the rest of
the day free; Sundays, of course, were lost, but not completely, for the
indians often then told him of new localities, where diggings might be
undertaken. Always when digging into ancient mounds and graves, he had
his horse near by ready for mounting, and his oil and other necessaries
at hand, in case he should be summoned to the bedside of the dying. As
the indians always knew where to look for him, no time was lost.
Not only was the padre an archaeologist: he also gathered plants, birds,
and insects. When he was leaving Germany, his nephew, the ten-year-old
child of his sister, wished to accompany him. The parents refused their
permission, but the uncle gave the boy some money, and they met each
other in Frankfort and started on their journey. They have been together
ever since. The padre depends completely on the younger man, whom he has
fashioned to his mind. The plants, birdskins, and insects have supplied
a steady income. The plants cost labor; insects were easier to get. All
the indian boys in the parish were supplied with poison-bottles and set
to work; a stock of prints of saints, beads, medals, and crucifixes was
doled out to the little collectors, according to the value of their
trophies. To allay the suspicions of his parishioners, the padre
announced that he used the insects in making medicines. One Sunday a
pious old indian woman brought to church a great beetle, which she had
caught in her corn field four days before; during that time it had been
tied by a string to her bed's leg; she received a medal. One day a man
brought a bag containing some five hundred living insects; on opening
it, they all escaped into the house, causing a lively time for their
recapture.
The nephew, Ernst, had made a collection of eleven hundred skins of
Guatemalan birds. The padre and he have supplied specimens to many of
the great museums of the world, but the choicest things have never been
permitted to leave their hands.
The padre is a great success at getting into trouble. He fled from
Ecuador on account of political difficulties; his stay in Guatemala is
the longest he has ever made in one place. During his eight years there
he was successful; but he finally antagonized the government, was
arrested, and thrown into jail. He succeeded in escaping, fled to
Salvador, and from
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