me.

"Master," said he to me, putting one knee to the ground, "I will be
an honest man; take me under your protection!"

I asked him his name; if he had been marked out by the high court of
justice, I would answer him severely:

"Withdraw, and never present yourself again before me; I cannot
forgive you, and if I meet you again, I must do my duty."

If he was unknown to me, I would kindly say to him:

"Follow me."

I would take him home, and then tell him to lay down his arms; and
after having preached to him, and exhorted him to persist in his
resolution, I would point out to him the spot in the village where
he might build his cabin, and, in order to encourage him, I would
advance him some money to support himself until he became transformed
from a bandit into an agriculturist. I congratulated myself each
day on having left an open door to repentance, since by my cares I
restored to an honest and laborious life, people who had gone astray
and been perverted. I endeavoured also to persuade the Indians to
abandon their vicious wild customs, without being too severe towards
them; to obtain much from them I knew it was necessary to give way a
little. The Indians are passionately fond of cards and cock-fighting,
as I have said before; therefore, in order not to debar them entirely
from these pleasures, I allowed them to play at cards three times a
year--the day of the village festival, upon my wife's birthday, and
upon my own. Woe to the one who was caught playing out of the times
prescribed above; he was severely punished. As to the cock-fights,
I allowed them on Sundays and holidays, after Divine service. For
this purpose I had public arenas built. In these arenas, in presence
of two judges, whose decrees were without appeal, the spectators
laid heavy wagers. There is nothing more curious than to witness a
cock-fight. The two proud animals, purposely chosen and trained for
the day of the contest, come upon the battle-field armed with long,
sharp, steel spurs. They bear themselves erect; their deportment
is bold and warlike; they raise their heads, and beat their sides
with their wings, the feathers of which spread in the form of
the proud peacock's fan. They pace the arena haughtily, raising
their armed legs cautiously, and darting angry looks at each other,
like two old warriors in armour ready to fight before the eyes of an
assembled court. Their impatience is violent, their courage impetuous;
shortly the two a