bundles of firewood upon their heads
and great _machetes_ hanging at their sides. In the morning, the same
group of youngsters came in loaded with bunches of green leaves and
holly to be used in decorating the church. At eight o'clock there was a
procession in the churchyard; the saint, dressed in flowing garments,
was carried about, accompanied by banners and a band of music. During
the festival, everyone drank; even the little boys of eight or nine
years, who brought in their loads of wood, received their spirits, which
they drank like old topers. There was no evidence of bad temper as a
result of this drinking, but an increasing stupidity. When, in the
morning, we found our breakfast to consist of nothing but coffee, we
realized our mistake of the night before, and promptly betook ourselves
to the house of the _secretario_, where we spent the following day. The
demands of the church during the day were so heavy that we did little
work. The day itself was dark and dismal. In the late morning the
boys brought in great loads of poinsettia, from which they fashioned
brilliant rosettes and garlands for the church. At night, a wooden
platform was brought in for a bed, upon which Louis, Manuel and I slept,
while the others made a bed of broad boards upon the floor. Being behind
with his developing, Louis set to work as soon as the lights were out,
and kept at it until half-past-one. Scarcely had he come to bed and
promptly fallen asleep, when there was a pounding at the door, which was
almost immediately after broken in. Rising, I called out to see what was
wanted, and four or five indians, all very drunk, came staggering in.
The oldest of the party carried a great _machete_, and one of them
closely hugged a bottle full of spirits. After begging pardon for
disturbing us, they built a smoky fire, near the drying negatives.
Fearing that their drunken movements and the smoke would work disaster,
I made them change their place of rest and fire, moving them to the
other end of the room. There they built another fire, and, before
morning, they had consumed three bottles of spirits. What with the
firelight and smoke, the noisy laughter, the loud talking and constant
movement, it was impossible for me to sleep. Only for a single hour,
when they fell back upon the floor in drunken slumber, and their fire
burned down, did I get a bit of rest. If seems that they were an
official guard put to watch the town store of grain which was kept