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Updated: May 6, 2025
When I entered the court-yard, Lucien and his mother were sobbing in one another's arms; Emile, Hortense, and Amelie were grouped round the basket, on which Janet and Verdet were sitting. I noticed, standing in a corner, the cases which had been intrusted to Torribio. L'Encuerado came and leaned against the door of the room, twisting the broad brim of his hat quite out of shape.
Thanks to them, we had renewed our stock of salt, rice, coffee, sugar, and maize-cake. In default of black pepper, we took with us some red capsicums; but the most precious of our acquisitions was the powder and shot I had received in exchange for the telescope. On the next morning I learned that Torribio was already on his way towards Puebla.
He had evidently left off chanting, for his hearers were seated round him on the ground. Lucien took possession of the telescope, and I noticed that Torribio also seemed very anxious to try the instrument. I told the boy to lend it to him. Our guide, seeing trees brought so close to him, could not at first account for this optical effect.
"It is the Pyrrhula telasco," said my friend, "a species discovered by Lesson, the celebrated ornithologist, in his journey to Lima. Ah! if I wasn't so economical with the powder " "I have some powder," muttered Torribio. "You have some powder!" I cried; "will you sell us some?" "No," answered the Indian, dryly. "Why not?" was my rejoinder. "Are you also a sportsman?
"Why didn't Torribio say at once that he was willing to exchange his powder for the telescope?" asked Lucien. "The reason is, because an Indian always tries to conceal his wishes and passions." "But why didn't you offer him the instrument directly?" "If I had shown too much eagerness, very probably he would have refused to make an exchange, and the Indian seldom retracts what he has once said."
They had never before seen a white man, and although we were dreadfully bronzed, their surprise was very great. A young woman, whose clothing consisted of a piece of cloth folded round her hips, saluted us in broken Spanish, and bid us welcome. The old man introduced us to his eldest son, named Torribio, a man about forty years of age.
The European species is destroyed, because it twines round certain vegetables and chokes them. Here, however, the sacatlascale is allowed to grow, because some use has been found for it." "What could be made of these stalks, which are so delicate that they break if I merely touch them?" "They are first bruised, and then dried in the sun," replied Torribio.
"Come! now we've got to the point," murmured Sumichrast. "It is a bargain, if your powder is good," said I. "Will you really give the glass to me?" cried the Indian, his eyes lighting up with joy. "I am always a man of my word," I replied. Torribio hurried on so fast that Lucien was obliged to run in order to keep up with us.
L'Encuerado was sleeping so soundly, after his exploits of the night before, that we hesitated to disturb him. I intended to hunt for insects all day, so as to fill up the vacant spaces in the specimen-boxes that Torribio was to take to Puebla; so we bent our steps towards the bottom of the valley.
His clothing was not quite so primitive as that of his father, but consisted of slashed trowsers ornamented with silver buttons, a cotton shirt, and a felt hat covered with varnished leather. The little colony employed themselves in collecting cochineal, which Torribio carried to Puebla for sale, and this fact accounted for his more civilized costume.
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