LIFE IN PATAGONIA 105 



the forest, where they would conceal themselves 

 with the children. Then for days the warriors 

 would give themselves up to the joys of intoxica- 

 tion; and at such times unhappy Damian would 

 come in for a large share of ridicule, blows, and 

 execrations; the Indians being full of boisterous 

 fun or else truculent in their cups, and loving 

 above all things to have a Koko-huinche, or 

 ''white fool" for a butt. 



At length, when he came to man's estate, was 

 fluent in their language, and outwardly in all 

 things like a savage, a wife was bestowed on him, 

 and she bore him several children. Those he had 

 first known as grown up or old men gradually died 

 off, were killed, or drifted away; children who 

 had always known Damian as one of the tribe 

 grew to manhood, and it was forgotten that he 

 had ever been a Christian and a captive. Yet 

 still, with his helpmate by his side, weaving rugs 

 and raiment for him or ministering to his wants 

 for the Indian wife is always industrious and the 

 patient, willing, affectionate slave of her lord 

 and with all his young barbarians at play on the 

 grass before his hut, he would sit in the waning 

 sunlight oppressed with sorrow, dreaming the old 

 dreams he could not banish from his heart. And 

 at last, when his wife began to grow wrinkled and 

 dark-skinned, as a middle-aged Indian mother in- 

 variably does, and when his children were becom- 

 ing men, the gnawing discontent at his breast 

 made him resolve to leave the tribe and the life he 



