The Happy Valley was so far untrue to its name as to be subject to earthquakes; but as none of a very terrific character had occurred for a quarter of a century he was beginning to hope that it would be spared any further visitations for the remainder of his lifetime.

A much more serious trouble were the occasional visits of bands of wild Indians--_Indios misterios_, he called them; what they called themselves he had no idea.

Neither had he any definite idea whence they came; from the other side of the Cordilleras, some people thought.

But they neither pillaged nor murdered--except when they were resisted or in drink, for which reason the father always kept his _aguardiente_ carefully hidden.
Their worst propensity was a passion for white girls.

There were two or three _mestizo_ families in the village, some of whom were whiter, or rather, less coppery than the others, and from these the _misterios_ would select and carry off the best-looking maidens; for what purpose Fray Ignacio could not tell, but, as he feared, to sacrifice to their gods.
When I heard that these troublesome visitors generally numbered fewer than a score, I asked why, seeing that the valley contained at least a hundred and fifty men capable of bearing arms, the raiders were not resisted.