KEEPING ONESELF DRY. 219 



I had never been there before, but knew 

 two or three of the inhabitants, and had a 

 small parcel to deliver to the Padre of the 

 town. It turned out that my fat friend had 

 also a parcel to deliver to the same person, 

 and so we made our way to the " Plaza," or 

 square, in which the Padre's house was situ- 

 ated. In passing through the straggling 

 streets there was great merriment occasioned 

 by our two fellow-travellers : the loud re- 

 marks of the inhabitants standing at the 

 doors were very amusing, especially those of 

 the women. One woman asked how many 

 yards of calico it took to make the fat man a 

 shirt, and how many for the "hombrecito," for 

 she thought the difference would make one 

 for her husband. Another remarked that one 

 looked like a javalino and the other like a sick 

 savalino, alluding to the two sorts of wild 

 pigs, — one very large, the other small ; but 

 all these remarks made no more impression 

 on our friends than the heavy rain seemed to 

 do, and at last we reached the " Plaza," and 

 drew up before the priest's archway-like door. 

 The old man came out to welcome us, but no 

 sooner did he see my two fellow-travellers 

 than, crying out, "Women, escape! — women, 

 hide yourselves ! " he began to reprimand 



