ded himself by the feet. But
it is doubtful whether a pagan Tarahumare ever killed himself.

As a rule, the Tarahumare is not a thief. Only when he thinks himself
entirely unobserved, he may appropriate some trifle that particularly
strikes his fancy, but the indications are that he learned the art
from the Mexicans. Once on our travels we passed a man who was weeding
his field. We tried to induce him to give us some information, but
he was too busy to talk, and we went on. Soon he noticed that we had
accidentally dropped our large axe, and immediately he interrupted
his pressing work and came running after us with it. I wanted to
compensate him for the trouble he had put himself to, but he would
not accept the money I offered, saying that he had not had to go far,
and, anyway, he did not bring the axe to get payment for it.

As long as he is in his native state, a Tarahumare never cheats
at bargains. He does not like to sell anything that is in any way
defective. He always draws attention to the flaw, and if a jar has
any imperfection, it requires much persuasion to make him part with
it. He shows honesty also in other ways. Often I trusted Indians with
a silver dollar or two for corn to be delivered a few days later, and
never was I disappointed by them. On the other hand, they are chary of
selling anything to a stranger. When a Mexican wants to buy a sheep,
or some corn, or a girdle, the Tarahumare will first deny that he has
anything to sell. What little he has he likes to keep for himself,
and he considers it a favour to part with any of his belongings for
money. A purchase, however, establishes a kind of brotherhood between
the two negotiants, who afterward call each other "naragua," and a
confidence is established between them almost of the same character
as that which exists between compadres among the Mexicans.

From outsiders they accept silver coins, but not paper money,
because they have been cheated with wrappers from cigarette boxes,
and besides, they have no means of keeping such money safe and sound
from mice, moisture, etc. Among themselves a little trading goes on,
the highlands obtaining from the barrancas in the west copal, chile,
ari, ear ornaments made from shells, and goats, in exchange for
corn and beans. The Indians from Nararachic go to Rio Concho for the
shells from which they make their ear pendants. The powder produced
in working the shells is saved and mixed with salt to be used as a
rem