342 INCIDENTS OF TRAVEL 



darkness and the ruggedness of the road would per- 

 mit. This road required care on horseback and by 

 daylight ; but as the Indians were now sober, and I 

 had great confidence in their sureness of foot, I had 

 no apprehensions, when all at once I felt the coche 

 going over, and, pinned in as I was, unable to help 

 myself, with a frightful crash it came down on its side. 

 My fear was that it would go over a precipice ; 

 but the Indians on the upper side held on, and I got 

 out with considerable celerity. The rain was pour- 

 ing, and it was so dark that I could see nothing. My 

 shoulder and side were bruised, but, fortunately, none 

 of the Indians were missing, and they all gathered 

 round, apparently more frightened than I was hurt. 

 If the accident had been worse, I could not have 

 blamed them ; for in such darkness, and on such a 

 road, it was a wonder how they could get along at 

 all. We righted the coche, arranged things as well 

 as we could, and in due season I was set down at 

 the door of the convent. I stumbled up the steps 

 and knocked at the door, but the good cura was not 

 there to welcome me. Perhaps we had arrived too 

 late, and all was over. At the extreme end of the 

 long corridor I saw a ray of light, and, groping my 

 way toward it, entered a cloister, in which a num- 

 ber of Indians were busily employed making fire- 

 works. The cura had been taken to the house of 

 his sister-in-law, and we sent one of them over to 

 give notice of our arrival. Very soon we saw a 

 lantern crossing the plaza, and recognised the long 



