Page:Here and there in Yucatan - miscellanies (IA herethereinyucat00lepl 0).djvu/98

 thunder god; let them die for the injury they have done!"

The priests, instead of showing fear, knowing well the language of the natives, scolded them for their idolatry; made a long speech explaining the Christian doctrine, and showed them the crucifix, by which they gathered that they must worship the cross instead of the horse. They were so thoroughly mystified that they went quietly to their chief Canek. Seeing that he said very little, they too held their peace.

The fathers, however, could not induce anyone to become Christian; so they left the island in their canoe, taking with them handsome presents from the chiefs, who told them to return at some future time. The people pelted them with small stones after they were in the boat; then stood on the shore mimicing all they had done.

A few hours later a canoe suddenly came across that of the fathers. In it were several of the natives from Zac Peten. They had painted themselves black, were armed with bows and arrows, and had followed unseen, by another route, on purpose to kill the fathers, so that, as they said, no other white man would go to Peten to destroy things and bother them.