are men. She was sent
for, and while we waited, we were told that, if we desired to see
the lanterns that were used in the last _costumbre_, they were still
preserved in the _santocalli. Santocalli_ is a mongrel word--from
Spanish _santo_, saint, and the Aztec _calli_, house. It was a little
structure of adobe and canes, close to the schoolhouse, and fronting
with it upon the little _plaza_ of the village. It had a two-pitched
thatched roof and a single door in the front. After some demur, it was
opened, and we entered. It consisted of a single plain room with two
benches made of beams along the wall. At the back was a terrible Christ
and Virgin, and, to the right and behind, another Virgin. These Virgin
figures were both small and unattractive, and both wore _quichiquemils_.
In front of the Christ and larger Virgin was a simple altar built
against the wall. In the floor, directly in front of it, were four small
hollows. To the right of the altar, a flat stone was set into the floor.
In front of the altar stood a small table on which were censers and
candle-sticks. Underneath this table, the space between the four
legs was occupied by a heap of ashes; in front and behind this were
ill-defined basin hollows. To beams in front of these were hung the
almost globular paper lanterns already mentioned. When we had seen these
lanterns, and were about to leave, the old _bruja_ appeared, with her
female acolyte. She was furious over the desecration of strangers
entering the _santocalli_, without her presence. She was a striking
figure; very small, with a wrinkled, shrewd and serious, but not unkind,
face; her white hair was almost concealed by her _rebozo_, which was
folded square and laid upon her head with a portion flowing behind.
The most striking thing was her great devotion, and complete unconcern
regarding all around her. Entering, she hastened to the altar,
knelt,--touched her forehead to the edge--and in a clear but not loud
voice crooned an impassioned cry to Christ, to San Jose and to the
Virgin. Imperiously turning to her acolyte, she seized the censer filled
with copal, and, having lighted it, incensed the figures. Turning to the
_presidente_, she asked whether he were going to placate the saint for
invasion by giving _aguardiente_ and candles, both of which appeared, as
if by magic, when she was given money. Pouring _aguardiente_ from the
bottle into a glass, she poured into the four basins in the ground
before the