Sometimes they have no soap. In place of this, they use the seed or
roots of the soapberry tree.

The soap-seed tree bears several months in the year. The seed is
inclosed in a yellow skin, and is black, and about the size of a marble.
The leaf of a vine, called the soap vine is also used for the purpose of
washing clothes.

The clothes are first soaked in the stream or pond, and then spread
upon a broad, smooth stone; after which they are pounded with clubs or
stones. When they are clean, they are spread out upon the bushes to dry
and bleach.

[Illustration: COOKING THE EVENING MEAL.]

Then the tired women rest under the trees, and chat, and perhaps smoke
until evening. When the hot sun has gone down in the west, they make
their damp and dry clothes up into huge bundles, lift them to their
heads, and plod homeward.

Let us follow them to their homes up on the mountain side. Some of the
huts are built closely together. Others are scattered about on lonely
ledges. Shall we go inside one of these huts? The woman who has just
returned has thrown her burden into a corner.

The fire has been carefully smoldered, and this she now blows into a
flame and then proceeds to prepare the evening meal.

About the other cottages are women squatting on their heels, gossiping
with one another. In the ditch near by little children paddle about.