But as they came before Señor Fernandez and bowed humbly with their sombreros in their hands, the priest glanced at their ragged clothes and their thin faces and said something in a low tone to Señor Fernandez, and although Pancho and Pedro listened they couldn’t hear a word of it except “Christmas Day.”

Señor Fernandez gazed at them rather sternly for a moment without speaking and then he said: “Well, Pancho and Pedro, I suppose you’ve been out seeing the world, and would like to have your old jobs back [p 176] again, eh? You don’t deserve it, you rascals, but I think I can use the men who have taken your places elsewhere on the hacienda, so if you like you can take your boat again the first of the year, Pedro; and Pancho, you can begin your rounds next week. Now, go and enjoy yourselves with your families!”

And if you’ll believe me, he never even asked them where they had been! Pancho and Pedro went back to their wives, who were watching the interview anxiously from the other side of the patio, and the wives knew the moment they saw the men’s faces that everything was all right and they could be happy once more.

The rest of the people had already gone into the dining-room of the Big House and were eagerly watching a great earthenware boat that hung from the middle of the ceiling. They knew that the boat was full of good things to eat. Beside the boat stood pretty Carmen with a long stick in one hand and a white cloth in the other.

[p 177]

As Pancho and Pedro with their wives and Pedro’s baby came into the room, she was saying: “Now, I’ll blindfold each of you, one at a time, and you must whack the piñata[26] real hard or nothing at all will happen! I’ll begin!”

[p 178]
She tied the cloth about her own eyes, turned round three times, and then struck out with the stick. But she didn’t come anywhere near the piñata. Instead she nearly cracked José’s head!

Everybody laughed, and then it was Lupito’s turn. Lupito was a great man at roping bulls, or breaking wild horses, but he couldn’t hit the boat with his eyes covered any better than Carmen had.

Then José tried. He struck the piñata—but it was only a love-pat. The boat swung back and forth a little, but not a thing dropped overboard.