TEMBLADOR 119 



ends, indispensable on a long journey, were properly 

 covered with oil-cloths in case it should rain, we ascended 

 the hill where the houses are situated. There was a 

 sound of revelry in Monteverde's compound, which ceased 

 for a moment as Longacre, Jacobson, and myself entered. 

 After I had gone through the bear-like ceremony of back- 

 patting which is the mark of affection bestowed upon 

 an old friend, I introduced my friends in the impressive 

 phraseology so dear to the descendants of the old Spanish 

 hidalgos. The people of the house insisted on our taking 

 possession of the few seats which was all the furniture 

 they could boast of, and coffee was handed round. 



The Joropo ^ interrupted by our arrival was started 

 afresh, and as there was only one girl to dance with, 

 the men stood around the room and danced by turns with 

 this sole available female performer, who seemed inde- 

 fatigable. I chatted with Monteverde about the events 

 which had taken place since my departure in 1898, 

 but he had little to tell. One of his men had died ; 

 Roseliano had lost an eye while cutting down a tree ; 

 the tonca-bean crop had been fairly good, therefore there 

 would be no yield to speak of in the coming season ; they 

 had all suffered from fever, but that was no news ; and 

 so he rattled on about the few occurrences which had lent 

 some variety to his monotonous life in this secluded 

 settlement. We did not remain very long at this ball, 

 where one girl did the dancing around mud walls adorned 

 with male wallflowers. Our hammocks had been slung 

 in a long open shed adjoining the ball-room. To the 

 thrumming of the cuatro ^ and the angry drone of a cloud 

 of deluded mosquitos beating against my hammock-net 

 I fell asleep. 



' Joropo, see note page 71. ■ Cuatro = a stringed instrument. 



