ollected. These
threats had the desired effect. The _secretario_, who had been the only
member of the town government displaying energy in our behalf, promised
by all that was sacred that our goods should be delivered promptly at
San Bartolo; that if they were not already there on our arrival,
we might safely arrange for further transportation from that town,
convinced that the goods would come before we left.

That we might not be too much delayed by this palaver regarding
carriers, I had started the balance of the party ahead, and rode on
alone after them. They had left at 10:15, and we all had a hot, dry,
dusty, thirsty mountain ride until five o'clock in the afternoon, when
we reached the ranch, Las Vacas. It consisted of a dozen houses. We
rode to the last one in the place, which consisted of brush and leafy
branches, and had an enclosed _corral_ adjoining it, where we asked
for lodging. The owner was a young Zapotec, who, with his wife, was
strikingly neat and clean. A little girl of seven was the only other
member of the family. The house had but a single room, but there was a
_coro_, or cane platform, and loft. Having fed our horses and eaten our
own supper, I mounted to the loft, despite the advice of all the members
of the party, who predicted smoke, heat, mosquitoes, fleas and other
trials. They stayed below. There is no question that they fared worse
from all the sources mentioned than myself. The woman worked until
midnight, making _tortillas_ and cooking chicken for us to carry as
luncheon on the road. We had started by four in the morning, and
pushed along over a mountain road. The first portion of the road was
well-watered, but afterward it became hot, dry, and stony. Having gained
the pass looking down upon the valley, we could see, at its further
side, lying on a terrace, the pueblo of San Bartolo, stretching out in
a long line near the front of a mighty mountain, upon which plainly our
way would pass. It was almost noon when we reached the municipal-house,
and found that our carriers had already arrived, and left the luggage.
Here things were really quite as bad as at Tequixistlan, but here
fortunately we had no work to do. The town was Zapotec. One might
suppose, from its being upon the main high-road, that they would be
accustomed to see strangers. We have hardly found a population at once
so stupid and timid. It was with great difficulty that we found food
to eat. Here we had to pay for beds (made