It  is  not  surprising  that  with  such  a  background  we
find  throughout  the  Southwest,  but  particularly  in  the
secluded  parts  of  New  Mexico,  religious  beliefs,  customs,
and  superstitions  which  have  either  never  existed  in  other
parts  of  the  country  or  have  been  outgrown  generations
ago.  Thus  we  read  in  the  "Land  of  Poco  Tiempo"  by
Charles  F.  Lummis  that  as  late  as  1887  a  local  witch  was
stoned  to  death  in  New  Mexico  for  the  crime  of  turning
a  perfectly  respectable  citizen  into  a  woman  for  the  space
of  three  months.  He  also  speaks  of  a  number  of  people
who  have  seen  and  held  converse  with  "his  Satanic
Majesty."  Possibly  the  most  extreme  manifestation  of
depraved  religious  practices  at  the  present  time  is  to  be
found  among  the  Penitentes  of  New  Mexico.
