94 IN THE WILDS OF SOUTH AMERICA 



While we were at La Danta a half-dozen priests came to 

 Guadaloupe and urged the paisanos to take advantage of 

 this opportunity to become united in wedlock according to 

 the ritual of the church. The people listened to the exhor- 

 tations, promised to heed the admonitions, and failed to 

 show up at the proper time. Then the padres lost patience 

 and talked the matter over with the jefe. The latter sent 

 out soldiers to scour the country and bring in all the offend- 

 ers living together within a radius of many miles; the pairs 

 were frequently brought in handcuffed together, all objec- 

 tions and excuses being promptly overruled or ignored by 

 the officiating clergy. Then they were lined up and mar- 

 ried. 



Several weeks later I was the guest of a very high gov- 

 ernment official in another state. In the course of dinner 

 conversation the senora asked me in the most casual way: 

 "Tell me ! In your country, do people get married, or asi, 

 no mas like here?" The last phrase was accompanied by 

 a dainty snap of the fingers. I am afraid I said: "Asi, no 

 nfol" 



From peons working on the new road we learned that 

 their operations had extended to a point near the top of 

 the range, and that a tambo, or rest-shack, had been built 

 there to shelter the laborers. We immediately started for 

 the place and by dint of hard travel reached it in one day's 

 time. The shack bore the name Andalucia and was seven 

 thousand nine hundred feet up. The peons gladly shared 

 their quarters with us, and we divided our rations with 

 them, which must have been a welcome change from their 

 everlasting boiled corn and panela. 



The weather at Andalucia was most severe; fog, strong 

 wind, almost continuous rain, and a freezing temperature 

 reminded us of conditions on a paramo at the worst season 

 of the year. Also, the forest was dense, and the vast num- 

 ber of fallen trunks and branches rendered the greater part 

 of it impenetrable. Birds were scarce and hard to find, 

 but small mammals were plentiful. 



