also that I should be glad to buy a little food of them before leaving
in the morning. They would accept no money for the meal, however, and I
forbore to press them. As I took my hat to go, my host asked, "Will you
not sit a while by the fire? It is yet early, and it is cold outside." I
gladly assented, and, offering him my pouch, a friendly smoke began.

The seats at the table were heavy benches, not easily moved, but in the
corner by the stove, where the sick man had sat, I saw a dark, box-like
object which would serve for a chair. I was about to seat myself on this
when my host (whose name, I learned, was Leandro Rojas) hastily
interfered. "Not on that, senor," he said: "it would be bad fortune,
very bad fortune," at the same time pulling one of the benches forward.
On this we both sat, and chatted, somewhat haltingly on my part, for my
Spanish was no more fluent than his English. I was curious about that
bad-omened seat in the corner, especially as I felt pretty, sure it was
on that that the invalid had been sitting: but, not wishing to violate
my friend's superstitions, I refrained from alluding to the matter. My
gaze, however, often reverted to the puzzling object, which in the dim
light appeared to be a small but solid chest of some dark wood, heavily
clamped with iron bands, and, I thought, having something carved on the
lid. I suppose senor Rojas noticed me looking at the chest with
interest, and when, in the course of conversation, I asked whether his
brother had long been ill, he replied, "Yes, senor, many years; but my
wife does not like it talked of: it is ill fortune to talk of bad luck,
she says. And the box is bad fortune, that is certain. I wish it were
not here. But I will tell you about it when we go out of the house."

I spent with them a pleasant hour, finding topics of mutual interest--
among them the perennial one of rattlesnakes, of which I had found the
region unduly prolific, and the need of schooling for the children, who,