He left the Ballena rancher'a early and started for Elcuanam. This was
the farthest from headquarters of all his parishes. An outpost station
had been established there nine years before, under the name of Santa
Ysabel, but, with only yearly visits since then, it was in a moribund
condition and had not progressed beyond the architectural stage of a
ramada, or brush shelter. A message had been sent a few days before
(without Pio's knowledge, as it happened), telling the Indians to get
the ramada ready for use, and giving the time of the Padre's intended
arrival.

The little procession, Padre, six Indians, and two burros carrying the
necessaries for the observance of mass, wound its way slowly up from the
lower to the higher valley, and just before noon arrived at the top of
the last rise before the Elcuanam, or Santa Ysabel, village should be
reached. The Father was in the lead, our early acquaintance Jose close
behind. They halted for a moment to rest before going on to the village.
The Father noticed with gratification that the whole population was
stationed on a hillock just beyond the village, evidently in expectation
of his arrival; but he wondered why the foolish people waited there,
instead of hastening to meet him. They had caught sight of him, for he
saw them gesticulate, and it seemed to him that they pointed toward the
houses, as if to draw his attention to something. So he looked, and his
eyes caught the gleam of a large yellow object, set up as if it were a
shrine, in the center of the village. Very odd, he thought; what had the
silly Indians been up to now? They moved on toward the village, and as
they approached, the Elcuanams cautiously approached also. When the
Father arrived pretty near, he stopped, gazed hard, rubbed his eyes,
gazed again, and then said to Jose, "Jose, your eyes are better than
mine: what is that in the village?" Jose's eyes were already starting