. St. Nicholas [serial] . ile. Their squaws were out nutting, he said, andthey could not offer us any bread to-day; but wewere quite welcome to all there was, and theyscorned the idea of accepting money from a stran-ger-guest. We have fried squirrels, said he, nearlydone ; and, furthermore, we have eels,—fine eels,exquisite and fat. We told him that we should never be able toforgive ourselves if we should deprive him of hiseels, but that we should ask him to favor us witha squirrel apiece. The squirrels were skewered on long sticks androasting over a low wood-fire, and every now andthen one of
. St. Nicholas [serial] . ile. Their squaws were out nutting, he said, andthey could not offer us any bread to-day; but wewere quite welcome to all there was, and theyscorned the idea of accepting money from a stran-ger-guest. We have fried squirrels, said he, nearlydone ; and, furthermore, we have eels,—fine eels,exquisite and fat. We told him that we should never be able toforgive ourselves if we should deprive him of hiseels, but that we should ask him to favor us witha squirrel apiece. The squirrels were skewered on long sticks androasting over a low wood-fire, and every now andthen one of the Indians greased them with a spoon-ful of lard-oil, to keep them from frizzing awayaltogether. When we had finished our repast, theyoung Spaniard asked them for a few drops of thatoil, to rub his swollen face. Ovispas? (wasps or hornets) asked the Pasco. Yes, sir—ten or twelve of , what sort of snake-doctors are there inyour part of the country ? asked the Indian. None at all, asfar as I know, re-plied Don. A HOME IN A TREE. \ Jose. ? Oh,that ex-plains it, said theIndian. Poor man,no wonder ! WePascos have good snake-doctors, however. What are they good for? I inquired. They rub you with guaraca oil, said theIndian, that will keep flies and wasps away ; andif you pay them a big price, they rub you till youget snake-proof, too. Cant you buy a bottle of that stuff and put iton yourself? I asked. Yes, on your hands, said the Pasco, butonly the doctor knows how to oil your face ; other-wise the ointment would kill you. It is a strongpoison, and would make you sneeze till you medicine-man has a remedy for ghosts, too,he added, and told us a long story about the strangeapparitions that used to haunt the wigwam till theywere laid by the potent spells of the snake-doctor;but we did not regret the delay, for the Indianssold us a tame spider-monkey—a lank and funnyfellow, with arms as long as a full-grown mans. What kind of oil does he mean? I askedthe half-bree
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