in doubt what was best to do, especially as the police had told us that the padre had permitted no fumigation of his premises after his comrade’s death, simply sprinkling holy water about the place.  That night the young man in the next room suffered greatly, and I could not help but wonder what ailed him.  However, I decided that what danger there might be from the disease we had already risked, and as we expected to remain but one or two more days, it seemed hardly worth while to make a change.  Monday we planned a visit to San Juan and Xaya.  The horses had been ordered for five o’clock, but mass had been said, chocolate taken, and all was ready, long before they appeared.  Six, seven, eight all passed, and at last, at nine, only three animals appeared.  This decided us to leave Ramon behind to pack the busts which we had made, while the others of the party, with the padre, mounted on his own horse, should make the journey.  A foot mozo carried the camera.  The road was of the usual kind, and was marked at every quarter league with a little cross of wood set into a pile of stones and bearing the words, De Tekax——­L.  As we passed La Trinidad we noticed great tanks of water for irrigation before the house, and tall trees with their bare, gray roots running over and enveloping the piles of stones on which they had been planted.  There were no other plantations or villages until just before the ninth cross—­two and a quarter leagues—­we came to the hennequin plantation of San Juan.  The mayor domo was delighted to see the padre and greeted us warmly, taking us at once to the great house.  We rode between long lines of orange trees, loaded with sweet and juicy fruits, and were soon sitting in the cool and delightful hallway.  It is impossible to say how many dozens of those oranges four of us ate, but we were urged to make away with all we could, as the daily gathering is something more than five thousand.  Soon an elaborate breakfast was ready for us, but before we ate we took a drink of fresh milk from cocoanuts cut expressly for us.  We had salmon, eggs, meat-stew, beans, tortillas, and wine.  But the mayor domo expressed his regret that he did not know we were coming, as he would gladly have killed a little pig for us.  As dessert a great dish of fresh papaya cut up into squares and soaking in its own juice, was served.  Sitting in the cool corridor, after a good breakfast, and looking out over a beautiful country, with promises that all the subjects necessary for measurement should be supplied, the idea of riding on to Xaya lost attractiveness, and we sent a foot-messenger with an order to the town authorities to send the h’men with his sastuns without delay to see us.

[Illustration:  MAYA DANCE; SAN JUAN]

[Illustration:  THE H’MEN WITH HIS SASTUN; SAN JUAN]