een him and the Mexican members of our party, there arose
hostility and an exchange of angry words. To us, personally, he was
maudlinly affectionate and respectful. Finally, shaking him off, after
climbing a considerable height, we stopped at Belen for a noonday rest
and lunch. Dinner having been ordered, we seated ourselves in the shade,
when our drunken friend again appeared upon the scene, and in great
excitement, begged me to move, as it was certain death for a heated and
perspiring person to sit in the shadow of a Peru tree. So persistent was
he, that Quehcol and Manuel lost all patience, and ordered the local
officials to arrest him.

About the middle of the afternoon we were again upon the road; having
passed the bare, fortress-like church of San Mateo, and descended a long
hill, toward evening we crossed a fine bridge over a gorge of black
basaltic rock, and shortly reached Santa Maria Atlihuitzia, where we
planned to spend the night. Here is a fine old church, with a facade
absolutely covered with elaborate carving; a square tower rises at one
corner. The great altar is a magnificent piece of carving and gold
work; the windows are set with thin slabs of onyx. Within, near the
church-door, are two paintings representing the scene of mayrtrdom for
which the town is famous. These pictures are ancient, and represent some
interesting details of indian life at the time of the Conquest. The
head-dress and mantle of feathers worn by the old chieftain, the dress
and hair-dressing of his wife, war weapons and buildings are all shown.
Here, in 1527, the boy Cristoval, child of the great chief Acxotecatl
and his wife Apalxitzin, was killed by his father because he would not
renounce Christianity. The little lad was only thirteen years of age,
and had been trained by Spanish priests. He was the proto-martyr of
the new world, and the story of his martyrdom and the early church in
Tlaxcala, have been charmingly narrated by Mendieta. Close by the church
stand the ruined walls of the monastery, impressive for their massive
construction and the enormous space which was enclosed. It was dark
before we finished the examination of these quaint and interesting
old buildings, and we were glad enough to go to the house of the
_secretario_, where we found good beds and elaborate furniture. In the
room where we were to sleep there was a _nacimiento_, made in connection
with the Christmas season. The table was covered with little landscap