s he had come. But though
he had got as much silver as would have supplied him with food and
clothing for many years, he wanted more. He contrived, therefore, as he
thought unperceived, to break the string of his rosary, and as he
returned he dropped one bead, then another, hoping thus to trace his way
by means of them back to the mine. At last he reached home,
congratulating himself on his cleverness. Of what use, he thought, is
all that silver to the Indians? They are not the better for it, but I
shall know how to spend it. He was eager to set out the next morning,
when just as he was leaving his house, the Indian stepped in at his
door.

"`Ah, Senor Padre, I am come to see how you are after your long walk,'
said the Indian, smiling.

"`Very well, my son--very well, thank the saints,' answered the padre.
`I am just going out to take another.'

"`I hope it may be a pleasant one, Senor Padre,' observed the Indian.
`But I forgot--I came to return you your rosary, which you dropped last
night.'

"And to the dismay of the padre, the Indian gave him all the beads which
he had carefully collected. The padre had nothing to say for himself;
but the Indian did not utter any other rebuke, though he never again
offered to bring him any more silver ore."

"I think the Indian behaved very well; but I can find no excuse for the
padre," I remarked.

With similar stories, which he told with far more spirit than I have at
this distance of time been able to give to them, Pedro endeavoured to
divert my mind from dwelling on the thoughts which he saw oppressed it.
He certainly succeeded better than I could have expected.

Our road led us over a lofty height, at the summit of which we halted to
rest ourselves and our mules. As we were sitting on the ground, and
employed in eating our dinner, we observed a large condor high above us
in the air. He approached us with outstretched wings, and at first I
thought that he had been attracted by the provisions we carried, and
that he was about to attack us. I cocked a gun Manco had given me, and
prepared to shoot him should he come near us; but he passed beyond us,
and presently he pounced down on the ground at some distance off.
Instead, however, of his rising again with his prey in his talons as we
expected, we saw him violently flapping his wings; and, to our great
surprise, directly afterwards he was surrounded by a number of Indians,
who began to strike him about the head wi