a long time we followed the almost
level summit; then a little climb and a slight descent brought us to
Huaclilla. At the _meson_ we found real rooms and true beds, and decided
to stay for the night. The supper was less attractive. A brief walk
about the village brought to light two cases of small-pox, and, on
returning to the _meson_, we were charmed to find a third one in the
building itself. Still, we slept well, and were up betimes next morning.
The country through which we were passing was Mariano's _pais_ (native
land). Assuming that his knowledge was adequate, we left our _meson_
early, with the intention of breakfasting at San Pedrito, where we were
assured that everything was lovely; we were also told that it was but
a short distance. The road thither was through a high open country,
planted to wheat and oats and with some _maguey_. The road was
discouragingly long, but after at least three hours of constant riding,
we reached precious San Pedrito, chiefly notable for the amount of
_pulque_ drunk there. It was with the greatest difficulty that we
succeeded in getting anything to eat; the breakfast was certainly worse
than the supper of the preceding night. With the prevalence of _maguey_
as a cultivated plant, the appearance of the houses and other
buildings changed, as all of them were thatched with the broad, long,
sharp-pointed leaves of the famous plant. Everyone in the district
carries _tinajas_, or little sacks woven from splints of palm. Here, for
the first time, we noticed that many of these had decorated patterns
worked in black splints on the lighter ground. The blackness of
these splints is given by exposure to the smoke of burning pine.
Carrying-straps, also made of palm, are used for adjusting these
_tinajas_ to the back.

From San Pedrito the road is over a soft rock, which produces, when
worn, a white glaring trail. The country through which we passed was
fertile. Everywhere were fields of grain, wheat, oats, and, as we were
descending into the lower land, corn. The little watch-houses for
guarding the newly-sown fields are a striking feature of the landscape.
In the higher districts they were small, conical or dome-shaped
structures, made of the leaves of the _maguey_, and hardly large enough
for a man to lie down in. Lower down, these were replaced by little
rectangular huts, only a few feet across, with thatched roofs, the whole
construction being raised on poles ten or twelve feet above the g