r hours, until the heat
of the sun, blazing almost vertically down, roused him. Then he got
on to his feet and looked round.

In front of him stretched a slightly undulating country. Patches of
maize, here and there, showed that it was cultivated; and in the
distance he saw a large village, with buildings of a size that
proved that the people had made some advance towards civilization.
Slowly and painfully, for he was greatly bruised by his fall, he
made his way to the nearest maize patch, and ate several heads of
green corn. Then he started for the village.

When within a few hundred yards of it, he came upon three women,
who were coming out with baskets on their heads. They paused as he
approached them, and then, with a cry of astonishment and fear,
turned and ran towards the village.

Their cries brought a number of people to the doors. Among these
were many men, who had caught up spears, and bows and arrows, at
the alarm. Seeing but one person approaching, in a garb altogether
strange to them, they stood in surprise. As he came up their wonder
heightened, at perceiving that his color was altogether different
from their own; and they dropped their threatening weapons, and
stood as if paralyzed by wonder.

Roger had not faltered in his step, as he saw them issue out. Death
had no terror for him, now his father and all his friends were
gone; and he was altogether reckless of what befell him. The
fearlessness of his demeanor added to the effect produced by his
appearance. His cap was gone, and the rays of the sun, falling upon
his fair hair, added to the effect produced by his white skin.

The natives, taking him for a supernatural being, bowed themselves
to the ground before him in an attitude of adoration. The cries and
uproar that but a minute before had sounded in the village suddenly
ceased, and were succeeded by the hush of deep awe.

Roger walked on between the prostrate natives, and seated himself
on a stone at the door of a hut. The natives gradually rose to
their feet and approached him timidly. He made signs that he wanted
to drink, for a raging thirst had been induced by the heat.

One of the natives ran into a hut and reappeared with a bowl,
filled with a liquid, which he humbly presented to Roger. The
latter patted his head in token of thanks, and then took a long
drink of the contents of the bowl. These were totally unlike
anything he had before tasted; being pulque, a slightly fermented
drink o