After two weeks of skirmishing, the Tejada brothers appeared, two arrieros, or muleteers, who seemed willing to listen to our proposals.

The arrieros sent the cargo along too.

We hoped it would reach Vitor about the same time that we did, but that was expecting too much of arrieros on the first day of their journey.

We should have been compelled to camp in the open with the arrieros had not the parish priest invited us to rest in the cool shade of his vine-covered arbor.

Our arrieros were unwilling to cross it in the daytime.

Our conscientious and hard-working arrieros rose at two o'clock the next morning, for they knew their mules had a long, hard climb ahead of them, from an elevation of 1000 feet above sea level to 10,000 feet.

The arrieros began to complain loudly, but did what they could to relieve the mules by punching holes in their ears; the theory being that bloodletting is a good thing for soroche.

As soon as the timid arrieros reached a point where they could see down into the canyon, they spotted some patches of green pasture, cheered up a bit, and even smiled over the dismal ignorance of the "guide."

The arrieros denied the accuracy of his observations.

It may be imagined that the arrieros packed very slowly and grudgingly, although the loads were now considerably reduced.

We could easily walk faster than the loaded mules, and thought it best to avoid trouble by keeping far enough ahead so as not to hear the arrieros' constant complaints.

The altitude was now about 16,000 feet, but at the foot of a steep little rise the arrieros stopped again.

However, the arrieros, having made an advantageous bargain, did their best to carry it out.

Then the smiling arrieros, surprised and delighted at seeing us alive again after our adventure with Coropuna, arrived with our mules.

Our arrieros, the Tejadas, had never been to Parinacochas, but knew in a general way its location and were not afraid to try to get there.

When we stopped to make camp that night on the Pampa of Chumpillo, our arrieros used dried moss and dung for fuel for the camp fire.

Our two excellent arrieros, the Tejada brothers, declared they preferred to travel without any "brass buttons," so we had not asked the sub-prefect of Cotahuasi to send one of his small handful of gendarmes along with us.

Fortunately, our arrieros, respectable men of high grade, although strangers in Lampa, were able to allay his suspicions temporarily.

Our arrieros avoided the little towns, and selected a camp site on the roadside near the Finca Rodadero.

After all, when one has a comfortable tent, good food, and skillful arrieros it is far pleasanter to spend the night in the clean, open country, even at an elevation of 12,000 or 13,000 feet, than to be surrounded by the smells and noises of an Indian town.

The arrieros engaged at their own expense a pack train which consisted chiefly of Parinacochas burros.

He called some of his arrieros and loaded twenty mules with money, and went up into the Sierra Nevada, where his herdsmen tended his flocks; for, as I said, he had many thousand cattle.

His dignity did not rebel at the position of arriero or muleteer; any place would suit him, so that we would agree to take him finally to "El Norte,"for such is the universal designation of the United States among the people of Central America.

Con él pasaré mi vida en un continuo éxtasis, y cuando una misma losa cubra al cabo de muchos años nuestras cenizas, todavía inseparables, que vengan entonces a echarme en cara si lo que comí en vida fué potaje de lentejas, o si mi esposo tenía un miserable arriero por tatarabuelo.

*arrepentirse* repent *arriero* m. muleteer *arriesgar* risk *arrimar* draw near, draw up *arrodillarse* kneel *arrojar* throw *arrullar* rock to sleep *arte* m. and f. art *artesano* m. artisan *Ascalonita* m. native of Askelon (in Palestine)