“To make the bricks stick together better,” answered Massea.
While the children were mixing the tules into the adobe paste, the men were busy, carrying piles of wooden moulds out from the Father’s house.
When the adobe was smooth, Father Joseph said, “Now watch me make the first brick.” He filled a mould with the mixture of adobe, tule, and water. “Now help me carry the mould to a smooth piece of ground,” said Father Joseph to Docas.
And there was another brick.
The mould had a bottom that slid out. Father Pena pulled the bottom out from under it after they set it down. Then he raised the sides of the mould, and the brick was left flat on the ground.
“What a nice brick!” said Alachu. She ran forward, and before any one could stop her, she put her hand down and tried to lift the brick. It was still soft, and her fingers made marks on it.
Father Joseph said, “You will have to wait until it dries.”
Docas had watched very closely. He went back to the hole and filled a mould; then he and Heema brought it out to the smooth piece of ground. They put it down near the first brick, pulled out the bottom and raised the sides just as they had seen Father Joseph do. And there was another brick.
Soon a great many Indians were at work making the bricks, and after a little while there were rows and rows of bricks drying in the sun. They were left lying flat until they were about two-thirds dry; then Docas went around and turned them up on their edges.