shape of a horse.  They danced in the full sunlight for hours; their movements were varied and pretty, quite different, too, from the figures in the danza de la Conquista.  Two outside characters played the clown.  One of these was a little lad dressed in a garment representing a tiger-skin, while over his face he wore a heavy, old wooden mask, imitating an animal’s head.  The other was older, dressed in a leather suit, with a wooden mask like a vacant-looking human face.  These two were very popular, and indulged in many acts that bordered on the obscene.  We got no satisfactory explanation of this whole performance.  The cura said that it represented the conflict between Christ and the Jews; this we greatly doubted.

Mixe roads avoid no mountains, and usually go straight up one slope and down the other.  The Mixe villages are set upon the very crests, or upon little terraces a few hundred feet below the crest, or the summit of some spur that juts out from the great mountain mass, of a long and narrow ridge.  The road from Juquila, by Ocotopec to Quezaltepec was beautiful and typical.  The ascent, just before Quezaltepec, was magnificent.  We had a letter of introduction from the cura at Juquila to the schoolteacher at Quezaltepec, and therefore rode directly to the school.  The four boys who were in attendance were promptly dismissed and the maestro was at our disposition.  He was a mestizo, and possessed the art of lying in a fine degree, like so many of his kind.  This man set us an excellent supper, having asked us beforehand what we would like.  We replied that we would be glad to have fresh meat, if there was any to be had.  He replied, “There is always fresh meat here; someone kills every day.”  It really appeared in the dinner, but, as we ate it, our host remarked—­“Gentlemen, it is indeed lucky that you arrived here just now, because to-night we have fresh meat, and like enough a month will pass before anyone in town kills again.”  Our teacher friend fully appreciated his opportunity, and we paid a large price for our meal, with its fresh meat, our beds on the school benches, and the fodder supplied our horses.  The next day being Saturday, the maestro offered to accompany us to Ixcuintepec, where his half-brother, the local teacher, would welcome our coming and arrange for our entertainment.

Passing Camotlan, we entered a magnificent gorge, along one side of which we climbed, passing in front of lovely cascades and having magnificent outlooks.  While we were on this trail, we encountered the maestro from Ixcuintepec, who was on his way to Quezaltepec to spend his holiday.  A whispered word with his half-brother, our companion, quickly changed his plan, and he accompanied us.  Upon this trail we found our first swinging foot-bridges made of lianas, or vines, hanging from trees.  These are, of course, only suitable for foot-travellers, but are a great convenience, where streams are likely to be swollen.