s
out some animal of the kind, takes care of it, and pays respect to it,
as the negroes of Africa do to their _fetish_."

"It is to be presumed, then, that the Indian father will make choice
only of such animals as may be gifted with longevity?"

The captain made no reply to my suggestion, farther than to say that the
Zapoteque Indians were a brave race, easily disciplined, and out of whom
excellent soldiers had been made during the war of the Revolution.

After a hasty _desayuno_ at the venta, my travelling companion and I
resumed our journey; and, crossing the second great chain of the Mexican
Andes, at the end of six days of fatiguing travel we reached the ancient
town of Tepic.

Here it was necessary for me to remain some time, awaiting the arrival
of important letters which I expected to receive from the capital of
Mexico.

During the first week of my stay at Tepic, I saw but very little of my
fellow-voyager--who was all the time busy with his own affairs, and most
part of it absent from the little _fonda_ where we had taken up our
abode. What these affairs might be, God only knows; but I could not
help thinking that the worthy ex-captain of guerilleros carried on his
commercial transactions, as in past times he had his military ones--a
little after the partisan fashion, and not altogether in accordance with
legal rules.

After all, it was no affair of mine. What most concerned me, was that
with all his running about he had not yet been able to meet with his
friend, Don Cornelio Lantejas--whom no one in Tepic seemed to know
anything of--and I was beginning to suspect that the existence of this
individual was as problematical as the business of the captain himself,
when a lucky chance led to the discovery of the ex-aide-de-camp of
Morelos.

"Don Ruperto appears to have gone crazy," said Dona Faustina, our
hostess of the fonda, one morning as I seated myself to breakfast.

"Why, Dona Faustina?" I inquired.

"Because, Cavallero," replied she, evidently piqued at the captain's
disregard of her hospitable board, "he is hardly ever here at meal
times, and when he does show himself, it is so late that the _tortillas
enchiladas_ are quite cold, and scarce fit to eat."

"Ah, senora!" replied I, by way of excusing the irregularity of the
captain's habits, "that is not astonishing. An old soldier of the
Revolution is not likely to be very punctual about his time of eating."

"That is no reason at all," rejoi