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Updated: May 2, 2025
From the flashes of childish humor which he would display on such occasions, my friend sometimes gave him the nickname of "Sun-beam." Next to the child came l'Encuerado, an Indian of the Mistec race a strange mixture of delicacy, simplicity, kindness, candor, and obstinacy.
Waving his hat in the air, he threw upon the ground some dark object, which fell heavily on the turf, and then he began dancing. We roared with laughter at his grotesque steps, and Lucien ran towards the Mistec, who, after his dance, was acting the acrobat on the turf. "A turkey!" he cried; and an enormous bird, with bronzed plumage, was passed from hand to hand. "Ah!
Then, turning towards the left, I soon encountered the Mistec, who had already begun to collect his burden. "Nothing broken?" I asked. "No, Tatita; all the bottles are safe." "It's your limbs that I mean, my poor fellow!"
The latter conversed with the Indian in the Mistec tongue, an idiom which Lucien alone could understand, he having been taught it by l'Encuerado. From the way in which the old man scanned us, I imagined that l'Encuerado had represented us to him as white sorcerers of no ordinary skill. Coyotepec or "Stone Wolf" might have been about seventy years of age.
Lucien, although very exhausted, endured his sufferings with such courage as made me proud of him. Uncomplaining, he soon went off to sleep; but to myself and companions such a luxury was refused. At length, almost desperate, I woke up the Indian. Our faces had continued to swell, but the Mistec, regarding me with a stupefied look, simply grunted, and turned round to sleep again.
"It's all for your good," said the Indian to the dog. "Can't you understand that the evil spirit which you have in your body will be certain to make you commit some folly?" Lucien rushed to the assistance of his faithful friend, and at last induced the Mistec to let him go.
Of course, l'Encuerado, always the most extravagant in its use, was perfectly delighted to see our stock of ammunition trebled. We had scarcely finished our dinner, when we heard the sound of a guitar: the Mistec, after having preached, had succeeded in convincing his congregation that a dance was the proper method of winding up the day.
We should have been somewhat consoled by meeting with a palm-tree; but in the mean time, the Mistec, like all his countrymen, knew well how to meet such an emergency. So we covered our heads with the leaves of the water-lily, often used by the Indian women for a parasol. We knew by experience the rapidity with which these mountain torrents will overflow.
The brave Mistec, who had been but little injured by his terrible descent, could not help weeping at this proof of Lucien's attachment. "It was nothing but a joke," he said. "You'll see me perform many a feat like that." "Your face is all over with blood!" "That's a mere joke, too. Would you like me to do it again?" "No, no!" cried the child, catching the Indian by the jacket.
At a turn of the road he had caught a sight of the horseman, with the dog on one side and the Indian on the other, who, in spite of his load, kept up without difficulty. This feat on the part of my servant did not much surprise me, for I do not think that in the whole world there are any more indefatigable runners than the Mistec Indians.
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