it fly out again from mouth and nose in blue jets and clouds.
His face softened visibly, he became more and more genial and
loquacious, and asked me how I came to be in that solitary place.
I told him that I was staying with the Indian Runi, his
neighbour.

"But, senor," he said, "if it is not an impertinence, how is it
that a young man of so distinguished an appearance as yourself, a
Venezuelan, should be residing with these children of the devil?"

"You love not your neighbours, then?"

"I know them, sir--how should I love them?" He was rolling up
his second or third cigarette by this time, and I could not help
noticing that he took a great deal more tobacco than he required
in his fingers, and that the surplus on each occasion was
conveyed to some secret receptacle among his rags. "Love them,
sir! They are infidels, and therefore the good Christian must
only hate them. They are thieves--they will steal from you before
your very face, so devoid are they of all shame. And also
murderers; gladly would they burn this poor thatch above my head,
and kill me and my poor grandchild, who shares this solitary life
with me, if they had the courage. But they are all arrant
cowards, and fear to approach me--fear even to come into this
wood. You would laugh to hear what they are afraid of--a child
would laugh to hear it!"

"What do they fear?" I said, for his words had excited my
interest in a great degree.