before which we stood.  Heartily invited to enter the tienda, we did so and stated the object of our quest.  The shopkeeper at once said that we must have a lantern, as the road was dark, and ordered his clerk to accompany us with one, for which we were truly thankful.  We came, finally, to the house where Don Gregorio, the leader of the dancers, lived.  Fernandez was friendly and voluble, greeting every company of girls and women that we met, or who were at the house, as “lindas,” and passing compliments.  He was, however, uneasy, continually glancing around and asking repeatedly when Don Gregorio would appear.  The dancers were still absent, but expected every moment; in fact, we could hear their music in the distance.  When, finally, they did appear, their leader, who was very drunk, insisted that he could not treat in the matter until after the next day, which would be the culmination of the carnival, and their chief day for dancing.  The instant that we received this answer, Fernandez seized the lantern, which the clerk had left, and, grasping me by the arm, we started off at breakneck pace.  As we almost rushed down the stony road, he looked furtively to right and left, and told me that there were, no doubt, persons in the neighborhood who had recognized him, and said that, more than once, in this very neighborhood, he had been stoned when selling bibles, and that any moment we ran our chances of a night attack.  Apparently, however, people were too much excited over carnival to waste their time in baiting Protestants, and we heard no whizzing missiles, and soon, reaching the corner shop, left the lantern, and went home.  There had been doubt as to whether trains would run the following day, Tuesday, on account of carnival.  I found, however, that the train on which I had counted, leaving at seven in the morning, went as usual, though it was the only train of the day for Progreso.  My companions were delighted to see me, and I found our sick man sure that death was imminent; to tell the truth, he was constantly spitting black blood, which oozed from his gums, and which gave me more concern than any of his previous symptoms.  We found the carnival at Progreso more natural and unpretentious, but also far more lively and amusing, than anything in Merida.  To be sure, some of the performances bordered on the indecent, but on the whole, it was jolly, and scarcely gave cause for Manuel’s pious ejaculation that there were many abusos.  Groups of men and boys went through the streets decked with ribbons and flowers, and with their faces painted or daubed; many carried handfuls of flour, or of blue paint, which they dashed into the faces or over the clean clothes of those they met; bands of maskers danced through the streets; companies of almost naked boys, daubed with colors, played toro with one who was inside a frame of wood.  One man, completely naked, painted grotesquely, pranced through the streets on all fours; young fellows, dressed in women’s