rge _patio_ of his place. The room
was large and clean, and four good cots were soon in place. Having
ordered supper at a little eating-house, for four persons, to be ready
at seven o'clock, I spent a little time in looking at relics found
in the neighborhood. Pottery figures and heads are quite common and
frequently painted brilliantly; small heads and ornaments of green-stone
are not uncommon; curious clubs of stone for beating bark-paper are also
found; objects of gold and silver have been found in ancient graves,
near the foot of the mountains, on the outskirts of the village. These
were of curious forms and excellent workmanship, and included large
ornaments for the ears and pendants for the neck, made of thin sheets of
gold; turtles and human skulls cast in a single piece; and most curious
of all, odd pieces of filigree where the gold-wire was coiled into
strange human heads. One of these was made half of gold and half of
silver wire.

At seven, no sign of my companions had appeared. A policeman went to
tell the keeper of the eating-house that we would eat at eight, and,
putting my chair outside the open door, I sat in the cool air and
watched the people passing in the moonlight. Eight o'clock came, and no
companions. The supper hour was postponed to nine. Between nine and ten,
Don Pedro and I talked over various matters, and at last, yielding to
his solicitation, I went to supper, he promising to send my comrades in
case they should arrive during my absence. I had just finished supper,
at half-past ten, when my three hungry companions arrived, with big
appetites for their own meals, and it was after eleven before the party
was through its supper.

[Illustration]

They, themselves, had by no means spent a dull afternoon. The station
agent and his lady wife had indulged in a vigorous battle. Both were
drunk, shot revolvers recklessly, bit one another, tore hair, and
clubbed most vigorously. The man finally took $6,000 in money out of the
company's safe and left the station, vowing that he would never be seen
again. Though the authorities at San Antonio had received the order to
supply animals at six o'clock, it was after nine before they had the
beasts ready for the travellers.

After an excellent night's rest we started our pack-animals, and
were ourselves ready for the journey at nine, when we found that no
arrangements had been made for a foot _mozo_ to carry our instruments.
This again caused delay and tro