"Gentlemen," he whispered, "I believe that we are in the house of an Indian.

Those young ladies--" "Bah, don't be so apprehensive! Santiago doesn't consider himself an Indian--and besides, he's not here.

And what if he were! These are the nonsensical ideas of the newcomers.

Let a few months pass and you will change your opinion, after you have attended a lot of fiestas and _bailuhan_, slept on cots, and eaten your fill of _tinola_." "Ah, is this thing that you call _tinola_ a variety of lotus which makes people--er--forgetful ?" "Nothing of the kind!" exclaimed Fray Damaso with a smile.

"You're getting absurd.