From among these hillocks Tlaxiaco, a magnificent picture, burst into view.
It is compactly built; the flat-topped houses are white or blue-tinted; trees are sprinkled through the town; the old convent, with the two towers of its church, dominates the whole place; a pretty stream flows along its border; and a magnificent range of encircling mountains hems it in on all sides.

The descent was rapid, and we reached Tlaxiaco with the morning but half gone.
[Illustration: MIXTEC HOUSES WITH BEEHIVES; SAN BARTOLO] The _jefes_ of the districts of Mexico are frequently men of ability and force.

Rarely, however, have we encountered one so prompt and energetic as Javier Cordova, then _jefe_ of the district of Tlaxiaco.

When he took possession of this district, not long before, deeds of robbery along the high-road were common.

In many portions of the district, acts of violence were quite the rule.