ised that the _mozo_ to accompany him should be ready; but, of
course, neither breakfast nor _mozo_ was to be seen. So we again started
for the _secretario's_ house. The _secretario_ himself was lying drunk
in bed, and the _segundo_ was almost as bad. In vigorous words I made
known my dissatisfaction. The _segundo_, with his sword in one hand
and _tortillas_ in the other, almost too drunk to walk, led us to the
town-house and summoned the people before him. He thundered forth his
orders: "You dogs, children of a degraded race! Wretched brutes! What
do you mean? Why are you not bringing in breakfast for these gentlemen?
Eggs, _tortillas, frijoles_, chicken? Why are you not supplying them?
Obey his order. Fulfill your duty. You hear? If you do not fulfill your
duty, you shall be punished. Hear and obey at once." Under this impulse
the men started and breakfast was soon disposed of.

Work being slack, the boys went bird-hunting. Manuel fetched in a _rara
avis_, a little old man of 95 years, who had an extra thumb on his right
hand. Notwithstanding the small population of the town, there were three
cases of extra digits. In addition to this old man with his extra thumb,
two persons in the town each had an extra toe upon one foot. We have
already stated that the _presidente_ of the village was a fool. He had
plenty of companions. One of the men, who made himself quite useful to
us was an imbecile; he crossed himself, kissed our hands, nodded his
head, and told us the most surprising things in regard to the subjects
whom he brought before us. In connection with each case he cried and
carried on at a great rate, and finally insisted that he was going to
bring me a raw egg as an offering of friendship, which he did. One of
his subjects was his cousin, who was both idiotic and a deaf-mute. My
impression was that there were several cases of deaf-mutism in the
village. One man, whenever any of our party spoke to him, or in any way
turned our attention to him, piously and vigorously crossed himself,
grimaced and gesticulated as if in a fit. One man, who seemed
exceptionally intelligent, after he had seen us make a plaster bust of
one of his townfellows, stated with great delight, that it was an idol,
representing Jesus Christ, and that we were going to use it in the
church. Unlike any other indian town we have visited, there is not even
the pretence of an open school in this place. Nowhere else have women
and children showed so grea