Finally, laying the last aside, he shook his head.  He could see nothing, nothing whatever, that interested the gentleman, unless indeed sickness; this he pointed out in one of the little balls; redness, fever.  Being urged to try again, after an interval he got down to real business; he took the aguardiente, dipped the crystals into the liquor, repeating formulas as he did so, and again made the test, but with no better result.  He could see nothing, absolutely nothing, of stolen property; there was nothing in the crystal of interest to the gentleman, except fever; that there was, he was certain.  This practice of divining by means of crystals is a survival from the old pagan days.  It is probable that there is no indian town of any size in Yucatan where some h’men does not make use of it.

We had now finished our work with Maya Indians, except the measurement of a few women and the making of a single bust.  Upon rather strong representation to the jefe, a desperate effort was made by the policemen and the women were secured.  Among the village police-force, one man had attracted our particular attention, as representing a type of face, quite common among the Mayas, which we have called the serpent-face.  It is round and broad, with retreating chin and receding forehead, and with curious, widely-separated, expressionless eyes.  We had already measured and photographed the subject, but, because he was a policeman and had been useful, we thought we would not subject him to the operation of bust-making.  Seeing, however, that no other equally good subject had presented itself, we decided to make his bust, and told him so.  To our surprise he refused.  The jefe, for once, acted promptly and without hesitation issued an absolute order that the man’s bust should be made.  The order had no effect.  The officials scolded, threatened, but Modesto Kan was immovable.  The jefe ordered that he should be thrown into jail, which order was promptly obeyed, but all to no purpose.  Our subject said we might whip him, fine him, keep him in jail, or kill him, but he would not have his bust made.  Hours passed, and neither remonstrance nor threats on the part of the jefe or ourselves were of the least avail.  On my last interview with him, I found him lying on a mat with so high a fever that I dared not urge the matter further, and we desisted from our efforts to secure him.  It was the only subject among 3,000 Indians, with whom we failed to carry out our work.

A story which the old judge had told us had its influence in my permitting this subject to escape.  These Mayas often die for spite, or because they have made up their mind to do so.  Don Manuel at one time was summoned by a rich indian with whom he was well acquainted.  The man was not old, and had land, good houses, many head of cattle, much maize, and many fowls.  He had three children, and owned the houses near his own in which they lived.  Everything