"Here," said a tall, thin man, whose face was striped in different colours, and who was dressed like a woman.
"Let the wise matchi approach and accomplish the rites."
"A matchitun is necessary," the sorcerer said, in a solemn voice.
The usual preparations for this conjuration were immediately made. Two lances were planted, one on the right, one on the left of the sacred tree; on the left hand one were hung a drum, and a vessel filled with fermented liquor; twelve other vessels, containing the same liquor, were ranged in a circle from one lance to the other. A sheep and a colt were brought in, and deposited near the vessels, and two old squaws placed themselves by the side of the drum. The preparations terminated, the matchi turned to Nocobotha.
"Why does the Ulmen of the Aucas ask for the matchitun?" he asked.
Metipan stepped out of the circle.
"An hereditary hatred has for a long time separated the Aucas and the Pehuenches," he said; "the interest of all the great nations desires the end of this hatred. Kelzulepan, my ancestor, Ulmen of the Pehuenches, carried off a white slave belonging to Medzeliputzi, Toqui of the Aucas, and great grandfather of Nocobotha."
"Before the assembled chiefs, in the face of heaven, I have come to tell Nocobotha, the descendant of Yupanqui, the son of the sun, that my ancestor behaved badly to his, and I am ready, in order to extinguish all discord, past, present, and future, to give him here a white, young, lovely, and virgin slave."
"I give up, before Gualichu," Nocobotha answered, "the hatred which my nation and I had sworn against you and yours."
"Does Gualichu approve our conduct?" Metipan asked.