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+The Project Gutenberg EBook of Tales of Aztlan, by George Hartmann
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: Tales of Aztlan
+
+Author: George Hartmann
+
+Posting Date: July 9, 2009 [EBook #4294]
+Release Date: July, 2003
+First Posted: December 31, 2001
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ASCII
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK TALES OF AZTLAN ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Dianne Bean
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+Tales of Aztlan,
+
+The Romance of a Hero of our Late Spanish-American War, Incidents of
+Interest from the Life of a western Pioneer and Other Tales.
+
+
+by
+
+George Hartmann
+
+
+
+A note about this book: A Maid of Yavapai, the final entry in this
+book, is dedicated to SMH. This refers to Sharlot M. Hall, a famous
+Arizona settler. The copy of the book that was used to make this etext
+is dedicated: With my compliments and a Happy Easter, Apr 5th 1942, To
+Miss Sharlot M. Hall, from The daughter of the Author, Carrie S.
+Allison, Presented March 31st, 1942, Prescott, Arizona.
+
+
+1908 Revised edition
+
+Memorial
+
+That this volume may serve to keep forever fresh the memory of a hero,
+Captain William Owen O'Neill, U. S. V., is the fervent wish of The
+Author.
+
+
+
+
+CONTENTS
+
+      I.  A FRAIL BARK, TOSSED ON LIFE'S TEMPESTUOUS SEAS
+     II.  PERILOUS JOURNEY
+    III.  THE MYSTERY OF THE SMOKING RUIN. STALKING A WARRIOR.
+          THE AMBUSH
+     IV.  A STRANGE LAND AND STRANGER PEOPLE
+      V.  ON THE RIO GRANDE. AN ABSTRACT OF THE AUTHOR'S GENEALOGY
+          OF MATERNAL LINEAGE
+     VI.  INDIAN LORE. THE WILY NAVAJO
+    VII.  THE FIGHT IN THE SAND HILLS. THE PHANTOM DOG
+   VIII.  WITH THE NAVAJO TRIBE
+     IX.  IN ARIZONA
+      X.  AT THE SHRINE OF A "SPHINX OF AZTLAN"
+          AN UNCANNY STONE.
+          L'ENVOY.
+          THE BIRTH OF ARIZONA. (AN ALLEGORICAL TALE.)
+          A ROYAL FIASCO.
+          A MAID OF YAVAPAI.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER I.
+
+A FRAIL BARK, TOSSED ON LIFE'S TEMPESTUOUS SEAS
+
+
+A native of Germany, I came to the United States soon after the Civil
+War, a healthy, strong boy of fifteen years. My destination was a
+village on the Rio Grande, in New Mexico, where I had relatives. I was
+expected to arrive at Junction City, in the State of Kansas, on a day
+of June, 1867, and proceed on my journey with a train of freight wagons
+over the famous old Santa Fe trail.
+
+Junction City was then the terminal point of a railway system which
+extended its track westward across the great American plains, over the
+virgin prairie, the native haunt of the buffalo and fleet-footed
+antelope, the iron horse trespassing on the hunting ground of the
+Arapahoe and Comanche Indian tribes. As a mercantile supply depot for
+New Mexico and Colorado, Junction City was the port from whence a
+numerous fleet of prairie schooners sailed, laden with the necessities
+and luxuries of an advancing civilization. But not every sailor reached
+his destined port, for many were they who were sent by the pirates of
+the plains over unknown trails, to the shores of the great Beyond,
+their scalpless bodies left on the prairie, a prey to vultures and
+coyotes.
+
+If the plans of my relatives had developed according to program, this
+story would probably not have been told. Indians on the warpath
+attacked the wagon train which I was presumed to have joined, a short
+distance out from Junction City. They killed and scalped several
+teamsters and also a young German traveler; stampeded and drove off a
+number of mules and burned up several wagons. This was done while
+fording the Arkansas River, near Fort Dodge. I was delayed near Kansas
+City under circumstances which preclude the supposition of chance and
+indicate a subtle and Inexorably fatal power at work for the
+preservation of my life--a force which with the giant tread of the
+earthquake devastates countries and lays cities in ruins; that awful
+power which on wings of the cyclone slays the innocent babe in its
+cradle and harms not the villain, or vice versa; that inscrutable
+spirit which creates and lovingly shelters the sparrow over night and
+then at dawn hands it to the owl to serve him for his breakfast. Safe I
+was under the guidance of the same loving, paternal Providence which in
+death delivereth the innocent babe from evil and temptation, shields
+the little sparrow from all harm forever, and incidentally provides
+thereby for the hungry owl.
+
+I should have changed cars at Kansas City, but being asleep at the
+critical time and overlooked by the conductor, I passed on to a station
+beyond the Missouri River. There the conductor aroused me and put me
+off the train without ceremony. I was forced to return, and reached the
+river without any mishap, as it was a beautiful moonlight night. I
+crossed the long bridge with anxiety, for it was a primitive-looking
+structure, built on piles, and I had to step from tie to tie, looking
+continually down at the swirling waters of the great, muddy river. As I
+realized the possibility of meeting a train, I crossed over it,
+running. At last I reached the opposite shore. It was nearly dawn now,
+and I walked to the only house in sight, a long, low building of logs
+and, being very tired, I sat down on the veranda and soon fell asleep.
+It was not long after sunrise that a sinister, evil-looking person,
+smelling vilely of rum, woke me up roughly and asked me what I did
+there. When he learned that I was traveling to New Mexico and had lost
+my way, he grew very polite and invited me into the house.
+
+We entered a spacious hall, which served as a dining-room, where eight
+young ladies were busily engaged arranging tables and furniture. The
+man intimated that he kept a hotel and begged the young ladies to see
+to my comfort and bade me consider myself as being at home. The girls
+were surprised and delighted to meet me and overwhelmed me with
+questions. They expressed the greatest concern and interest when they
+learned that I was about to cross the plains.
+
+"Poor little Dutchy," said one, "how could your mother send you out all
+alone into the cruel, wide world!" "Mercy, and among the Indians, too,"
+said another. When I replied that my dear mother had sent me away
+because she loved me truly, as she knew that I had a better chance to
+prosper in the United States than in the Fatherland, they called me a
+cute little chap and smothered me with their kisses.
+
+The tallest and sweetest of these girls (her name was Rose) pulled my
+ears teasingly and asked if her big, little man was not afraid of the
+Indians. "Not I, madame," I replied; "for my father charged me to be
+honest and loyal, brave and true, and fear not and prove myself a
+worthy scion of the noble House of Von Siebeneich." "Oh, my! Oh, my!"
+cried the young ladies, and "Did you ever!" and "No, I never!" and "Who
+would have thought it!" Regarding me wide-eyed with astonishment, they
+listened with bated breath as I explained that I was a lineal
+descendant of the Knight Hartmann von Siebeneich, who achieved
+everlasting fame through impersonating the Emperor Frederick
+(Barbarossa) of Germany, in order to prevent his capture by the enemy.
+I told how the commander of the Italian army, inspired with admiration
+by the desperate valor of the loyal knight, released him and did honor
+him greatly. And how this noble knight, my father's ancestor, followed
+the Emperor Frederick to the Holy Land and fought the Saracens. "And,"
+added I, "my father's great book of heraldry contains the legend of the
+curse which fell on our house through the villainy of the Imperial
+Grand Chancellor of Blazonry, who was commanded to devise and procure a
+brand new heraldic escutcheon for our family.
+
+"He blazoned our shield with the ominous motto, 'in der fix, Haben
+nix,' over gules d'or on a stony field, which was sown to a harvest of
+tares and oats, and embossed with a whirlwind rampant. As they were in
+knightly honor bound to live up to the motto on their shield, my
+ancestor were doomed to remain poor forever. At last they took service
+with the free city of Hamburg, where they settled finally and became
+honored citizens."
+
+Happening to remember my mother's admonishment not to annoy people with
+too much talk, I apologized to the young ladies. Smilingly, they begged
+me to continue, for they seemed to enjoy my boyish prattle.
+
+"Listen, now, girls," said Rose laughingly to her companions, "now, I
+shall make him open his mother's closet and show us her choicest family
+skeleton." "Oh, no, Miss Rose," I protested, "my mother has indeed a
+great closet, but it is full of good things to eat and contains no
+skeletons."  "You little goosie-gander; you don't understand," replied
+Miss Rose; "I was only joking. Of course your mother kept the door
+carefully locked to keep you boys from foraging?" "No madame," said I,
+"it was not necessary to lock the door." "Did she keep a guard, then?"
+said Rose. "Oh, yes," I replied, "and it was very hard to pass in
+without being knocked down." "Was it a man?" she asked mischievously.
+"Why, yes; mamma kept a strong, old Limburger right behind the door," I
+said.
+
+When the girls had ceased laughing, Rose said, "What did your mother
+tell you when you left for America?" "My mother," I answered, "implored
+me with tearful eyes to ever remember how my father's
+great-great-grandmother Brunhilde (who was exceedingly beautiful) was
+enticed into the depths of a dark forest by a wily, old German King.
+Indiscreetly and unsuspectingly she followed him. There clandestinely
+did he favor her graciously by adding a bar sinister to our knightly
+escutcheon and a strain of the blood royal to our family. This happened
+long, long ago in the dark ages or some other dark place--it may have
+been the Schwarzwald--and it was the curse of the stony field that did
+it.
+
+"'Oh, my son,' mother urged me, 'we count on you to restore the
+unaccountably long-lost prestige of our ancient family. In America,
+behind the counters of your uncle's counting-rooms, you shall acquire
+great wealth, and his Majesty the Kaiser will be pleased to re-invest
+you with the coronet of a count. Then, as a noble count will you be of
+some account in the exclusive circle of the four hundred of the great
+city of New York. Beautiful heiresses will crave the favor of your
+acquaintance, and if wise, you will lead the most desirable one on the
+market, the lovely Miss Billiona Roque-a-Fellaire to the altar. His
+Majesty the Kaiser will then graciously change the "no-account" words
+on our family's escutcheon to the joyful motto, "Mit Geld," and lift
+the blighting curse from our noble house.'"
+
+Next I related how surprised I was when I saw the great city of New
+York. However, I expected to see a large city of many houses, ever so
+high and some higher yet, and therefore I was not so very much
+surprised, after all. But in Illinois I first saw the wonderful forest.
+Oh, the virgin forest! Never had I seen such grand, beautiful trees,
+oak and hickory, ash and sycamore, maple, elm, and many more giant
+trees, unknown to me, and peopled by a multitude of wild birds of the
+brightest plumage. There were birds and squirrels everywhere! I
+actually saw a sky-blue bird with a topknot, and another of a bright
+scarlet color, and gorgeous woodpeckers who were too busy hammering to
+look at me even. Oh, but they did not sing like the birds in Germany!
+All were very grave and sad. They seemed to know, as everybody else
+did, that I was a stranger in their land, for they gave me all sorts of
+useful Information and advice, with many nods of their little heads.
+
+"Peep, peep!" counseled the bluebird. "Thank you," I replied, "seeing
+is believing." "Whip-poor-will, whip-poor-will," cried a large, spotted
+bird. "That," thought I, "is a prize fighter." "Cheat, cheat!" urged a
+pious-looking cardinal, who evidently mistook me for a gambler.
+"Don't," roared a bullfrog, who was seated on a log and winked his eye
+at me. "There is an honest man," I thought. "Shake, good sir." In
+consternation and surprise, I instantly released his hand. "HOW is it
+possible to be both honest and slippery at the same time! This must be
+a Yankee-man," thought I. I saw real moss, green and velvety as the
+richest carpet, and I drank of singing, bubbling waters. Many kinds of
+berries and nuts, hard to crack, grew in the wild glens of the forest.
+I gathered flowers, larger and more beautiful than any I had ever seen,
+but they lacked the perfume of German flowers; only the roses were the
+same.
+
+Many children did I see, but they had not the rosy cheeks of German
+children. And I met the strongest of all beasts on earth and tracked
+him to his native lair; and there, in the sacred groves of the Illini,
+I worried him sorely, and as David did unto Goliath, so did I unto him;
+and sundown come, I slew him. And for three-score days and ten the
+smoke of battle scented the balmy air.
+
+The young ladles laughed heartily and said that never before had they
+been so delightfully entertained, and they gave me sweets and nice
+things to eat, and said they hoped I might stay with them forever and a
+day. We exchanged confidences, and they warned me to beware of the
+landlord, who had been known to rob people. They advised me to secrete
+my money, if perchance I had any. I thanked them kindly, replying that
+I had only one dollar in my purse. This was true, but I did not tell
+them that I had sewed a large sum in banknotes and some German silver
+into my kite's tail when I set out on my journey to the West.
+
+I complimented these charming girls on their good fortune to be in the
+service of so generous a gentleman as their landlord seemed to be; for
+I saw that they wore very fine dresses and had many jewels. "Why, you
+little greenie," said Miss Rose, "he does not pay us high wages." "Oh,
+I see, how romantic! how nice!" exclaimed I. "You do as the ladies in
+the good old time of chivalry, when knights donned their colors and
+sallied forth to battle with lions and tigers. You crave largesse, and
+the gentlemen favor you with money and jewels." Then the youngest girl
+laughed and said, "Oh, you pore, innicent bairn, and how do yez ken all
+this? and how did yez know that Misther Payterson kapes a tiger at all,
+at all, begorra!" Another young lady said, "Dutchy, I reckon yore daddy
+is a right smart cunning old fox!" "Madame," replied I, indignantly,
+"my father is no fox, but a minister of the Gospel." "Oh, this bye is
+the son of a praste," screamed the loveliest girl in all Missouri.
+"Indade, I misthrusted the little scamp. Och! oh and where is me
+brooch? I thought all the time the little divvil was afther something.
+Thieves! Murther!" Confusion in pandemonium now reigned supreme. For
+one precious moment the air seemed full of long-legged stockings and
+delicate hands and purses. Luckily, the brooch was found and peace
+restored at once. And Rose said, "Oh, girls, how could you!" and she
+begged my pardon and said they did not mean it. And then I made myself
+very useful and agreeable to these lovely maids, lacing their shoes and
+dusting their chamber, and right gallantly did I serve them until
+evening.
+
+After supper reappeared my evil genius in the person of the landlord,
+who took me out to the woodshed. "Dutchy, I have decided to adopt you
+as my only son; have you ever bucked a wood saw?" said he, and a
+sardonic leer distorted his evil features. After I recovered
+sufficiently from the shock, I answered indignantly, "Sir, know ye not
+that I have pledged my service to the vestal virgins of yon temple?"
+"Ha! Ha!" laughed the villain, "get busy now, son, and if by morning
+this wood has not been cut, you will go minus your breakfast."
+Thereupon he locked me in.
+
+Caught as a rat in a trap, I had no alternative but to comply with this
+man's outrageous demands. Despairingly I plied that abominable
+instrument of torture, the national bucksaw of America. This is the
+only American institution I could never accustom myself to. I have
+endured bucking bronchos in New Mexico, I have bucked the tiger in
+Arizona, but to buck a wood-saw--perish the thought! Sore and weary, I
+lay down in a corner of the shed on some hay and fell asleep. I dreamed
+that I heard screams of women, mingled with song and laughter, and
+through it all the noise of music and dancing. Then the dream changed
+into a horrible nightmare in the shape of a big sawhorse which kicked
+at me and threatened me with hard labor.
+
+Toward morning, when the door was opened and a drunken ruffian entered,
+I awoke from my troubled slumbers. "Hi, Dutchy, and have yez any tin?"
+he threatened. "Kind sir," I replied, "when I departed for the West I
+left all my wealth behind me." Verily, now I was proving myself the
+worthy scion of valiant men, who had laid aside hauberk, sword, and
+lance, taken up the Bible and stole, and thenceforth fought only with
+the weapon of Samson, the strong!
+
+"And so yez are, by special appointment, chamberlain to the gurruls by
+day, and ivver sawing wood at nighttime! Bedad! I'll shpile the thrick
+for Misther Payterson, the thaving baste, and take this little
+greenhorn out of his clutches and sind him about his business." With
+these words, he opened the door for me and I escaped.
+
+Farewell, lovely maids of Kansas and Missouri! If mayhap this writing
+comes to you, oh, let us meet again; my heart yearns to greet you and
+your granddaughters. For surely, though it seems to me as yesterday,
+the blossoms of forty summers have fallen in our path and whitened our
+hair.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER II.
+
+PERILOUS JOURNEY
+
+
+After several days I arrived at the end of my railway journey, Junction
+City, without delay or accident. The trip was not lacking in
+interesting details. The monotony of the never ending prairie was at
+times enlivened by herds of buffalo and antelope. On one occasion they
+delayed our train for several hours. An enormous herd of thousands upon
+thousands of buffalo crossed the railroad track in front of our train.
+Bellowing, crowding, and pushing, they were not unlike the billows of
+an angry sea as it crashes and foams over the submerged rocks of a
+dangerous coast. Their rear guard was made up of wolves, large and
+small. They followed the herd stealthily, taking advantage of every
+hillock and tuft of buffalo grass to hide themselves. The gray wolf or
+lobo, larger and heavier than any dog, and adorned with a bushy tall
+was a fierce-looking animal, to be sure. The smaller ones were called
+coyotes or prairie wolves, and are larger than foxes and of a
+gray-brown color. These are the scavengers of the plains, and divide
+their prey with the vultures of the air.
+
+At times we passed through villages of the prairie dog, consisting of
+numberless little mounds, with their owners sitting erect on top. When
+alarmed, they would yelp and dive into their lairs in the earth. These
+little rodents share their habitations with a funny-looking little owl
+and the rattlesnake. I believe, however, that the snake is not there as
+a welcome visitor, but comes in the role of a self-appointed assessor
+and tax gatherer. I picked up and adopted a little bulldog which had
+been either abandoned on the cars or lost by its owner, not then
+thinking that this little Cerberus, as I called it, should later prove,
+on one occasion, to be my true and only friend when I was in dire
+distress and in the extremity of peril.
+
+The town of Junction City, which numbered less than a score of
+buildings and tents, was in a turmoil of excitement, resembling a nest
+of disturbed hornets. Several hundred angry-looking men crowded the
+only street, every one armed to the teeth. The great majority were
+dark-skinned Mexicans, but here and there I noticed the American
+frontiersman, the professional buffalo hunter and scout. These were men
+of proved courage, and I observed that the Mexicans avoided looking
+them squarely In the face; and when meeting on the public thoroughfare,
+they invariably gave them precedence of passage.
+
+I found opportunity to hire out to a pleasant-looking young Mexican as
+driver of a little two-mule provision wagon. In this manner I earned my
+passage across the plains. Don Jose Lopez, that was his name, said that
+I need not do much actual work, as he would have his peons attend to
+the care of the mules and have them harness up as well. He also told me
+that we would have to delay our departure until every team present in
+the town had its cumulation of cargo. They dared not travel singly, he
+said, for the Indians were very hostile. In consequence whereof our
+departure was delayed for six weeks. I camped with the Mexicans and
+accustomed myself very soon to their mode of living. The fact that I
+understood their language and spoke it quite well was a never-ending
+surprise and mystery to them. I took dally walks over the prairie to
+the junction of two creeks, a short distance from the town, bathed and
+whiled away the time with target practice, and soon became very
+proficient in the use of firearms.
+
+The banks of these little streams would have made a delightful picnic
+ground, covered as they were by a luxuriant growth of grasses and
+bushes and some large trees also, mostly of the cottonwood variety. But
+there were no families of ladies and children here to enjoy the lovely
+spot. A feeling of intense uneasiness seemed to pervade the very air
+and a weird presentiment of impending horror covered the prairie as
+with a ghostly shroud. The specter of a wronged, persecuted race ever
+haunted the white man's conscience. In vain did the red man breast the
+rising tide of civilization. In their sacred tepees, their medicine men
+invoked the aid of their great Spirit and they were answered.
+
+The Spirit sent them for an ally, an army of grasshoppers, which
+darkened the sun by its countless numbers. It impeded the progress of
+the iron horse, but not for long. Then he sent them continued drouth,
+but the pale face heeded not. "Onward, westward ever, the star of
+empire took its course."
+
+We camped out on the prairie within a short distance and in full sight
+of the town. I made the acquaintance of a merchant, Mr. Samuel
+Dreifuss, who kept a little store of general merchandise. This
+gentleman liked to converse with me in the German tongue and was very
+kind to me, even offering to employ me at a liberal salary, which I, of
+course, thankfully declined. One morning after breakfast I went to this
+store to purchase an article of apparel. The door was unlocked and I
+entered, but found no one present. I waited a while, and as Mr.
+Dreifuss did not appear, I knocked at the bedroom door, which was
+connected with the store. Receiving no response to my knocks, I opened
+the door and entered. There was poor Mr. Dreifuss lying stone dead on
+his couch. I knew that he was dead, for his hands were cold and clammy
+to the touch. I was struck with astonishment. The day before had I
+spoken to him, when he appeared to be hale and hearty. There were some
+ugly, black spots on his face, and I thought that it was very queer. I
+did not see any marks of violence on his person and nothing unusual
+about the premises. I looked around carefully, as a boy is apt to do
+when something puzzles him. Then I thought I would go up-town and tell
+about this strange circumstance.
+
+The store was the first building met with in the town if a person came
+from the railway station. As I went toward the next house, which was a
+short distance away, I was hailed by a tall, broad-shouldered man with
+long hair, who commanded me to halt. I kept right on, however, meaning
+to tell him about my gruesome discovery. As I advanced toward him he
+retreated, and I called to him to have no fear, as I did not intend to
+shoot. The big man shook with laughter and cried, "Hold, boy, stop
+there a minute until I tell you something. They say that 'Wild Bill'
+never feared man, but I fear you, a mere boy. Did you come out of that
+store?" "Yes, sir," I said. "And did you see the Jew?" "Yes, sir," I
+answered; "Mr. Dreifuss is dead." "How do you know that?" he
+questioned. "His hands feel cold as ice," I said, "and there is a black
+spot on his nose." Again the man laughed and said, "Do you know what
+killed him?" "I do not know, sir," I answered, "but I was going uptown
+to inquire." "Well," said the scout, "Mr. Dreifuss had the cholera."
+"That's too bad," said I; "let us go back and see if we can be of any
+assistance." "No, you don't," said the long-haired scout; "I have been
+stationed here, as marshal of the town, to warn people away from the
+place. You take my advice and go to the creek and plunge in with all
+your clothes and play for an hour in the water, then dry yourself, go
+back to camp, and keep mum!" This was the year of the cholera. It
+started somewhere down south, and many people died from it in the city
+of St. Louis, and it followed the railway through Kansas to the end of
+the track. Many soldiers died also at Fort Harker, which was farther
+out West on the plains.
+
+At last we started on our perilous journey, an imposing caravan of one
+hundred and eighty wagons, each drawn by five yoke of oxen. Our force
+numbered upward of two hundred and fifty men, the owners, teamsters,
+train masters or mayordomos and the herders of the different outfits;
+all were Mexicans except myself.
+
+Several days were spent in crossing the little stream formed by the
+confluence of two creeks. The water was quite deep and had to be
+crossed by means of a ferryboat. Here I met with my first adventure,
+which nearly cost me my life. My wagon was loaded with supplies and
+provisions and with several pieces of oak timber, intended for use in
+our train. When I drove down the steep bank on to the ferryboat, the
+timbers, which were not well secured, slid forward and pushed me off my
+seat, so that I fell right under the mules just as they stepped on the
+ferry. The frightened mules trampled and kicked fearfully. I lay still,
+thinking that if I moved they would step on me, as their hoofs missed
+my head by inches only. I thought of my mother and how sorry she would
+be if she could see me now, but I was thinking, ever thinking and lay
+very still. Then my guardian angel, in the person of a Mexican, crawled
+under the wagon from the rear end and pulled me by my heels, back to
+safety under the wagon. When I came out from under I threw my hat in
+the air and gave a whoop and cheer, at which the Mexicans were greatly
+enthused. They yelled excitedly and our mayordomo exclaimed: "Caramba,
+mira que diablito!" (Egad, see the little devil!)
+
+We traveled in two parallel lines, about fifty feet apart and kept the
+spare cattle and remounts of horses, as also the small provision teams
+between the lines. A cavalcade of train owners and mayordomos was
+constantly scouting in all directions, but they never ventured out of
+sight of the traveling teams. We started daily at sunrise and traveled
+till noon or until we made the distance to our next watering place.
+Then we camped and turned our live stock out to rest and crop the
+prairie grass. After several hours we used to resume our journey until
+nightfall or later to our next camping ground. Every man had to take
+his turn about at herding cattle and horses during the nighttime. Only
+the cooks were exempt from doing herd and guard duty.
+
+We pitched our nightly camps by forming two closed half circles of our
+wagons, one on each side of the road so as to form a corral. By means
+of connecting the wagons with chains, this made a strong barricade,
+quite efficient to repulse the attacks of hostile Indians, if defended
+by determined men. Every freight train when in camp was a little fort
+in itself and an interesting sight at nighttime, when the blazing fires
+were surrounded by men who were cooking and passing the time in various
+ways. Some were cleaning and loading their guns, others mended their
+clothes. Here and there you would find some genius playing dreamy,
+monotonous Spanish airs on the guitar, in the midst of a merry group of
+dancing and singing young Mexicans, many of whom were not older than I.
+Card-playing seemed, however, to be their favorite pastime; all
+Mexicans are inveterate gamesters, who look upon the profession of
+gambling as an honorable and desirable occupation.
+
+After the first day out I did not see an inebriated man in the whole
+party. The Mexicans are really a much maligned and slandered people.
+They are often charged with the sin of postponing every imaginable
+thing until manana, but, to do them justice, I must say that they drank
+every drop of liquor they carried on the first day out; also ate all
+the dainties which other people would have saved and relished for days
+to come. Surely, not manana, but ahora, or "do it now" was their
+soul-stirring battle cry on this occasion.
+
+After several days of travel we encountered herds of buffalo and
+mustangs or wild horses, and when our scouts reported numerous Indian
+signs, we advanced slowly and carefully, momentarily expecting an
+ambuscade and attack. Our column halted frequently while our horsemen
+explored suspicious-looking hillocks and ravines.
+
+A dense column of smoke rose suddenly in our front, and I saw several
+detachments of Indian warriors on a little hill, who were evidently
+reconnoitering, and spying our strength, but did not expose themselves
+fully to view. Simultaneously columns of signal smoke arose in all
+directions round about. Instantly our lines closed in the front and
+rear and we came to an abrupt halt. What I saw then made my heart sink,
+for the drivers seemed to be paralyzed with terror. The very men who
+had heretofore found a great delight in trying to frighten me with
+tales of Indian atrocities were now themselves scared out of their
+wits. Young and inexperienced though I was, I realized that to be now
+attacked by Indians meant to be slaughtered and scalped. Some of the
+men were actually crying from fright, seeming to be completely
+demoralized. I noticed how one of our men in loading his musket rammed
+home a slug of lead, forgetting his charge of powder entirely. The
+sight of this disgusted me so that I became furious, and in the measure
+that my anger rose my fear subsided and vanished. I railed at the poor
+fellow and abused and cursed him shamefully, threatening to kill him
+for being a coward and a fool. I made him draw the bullet and reload
+his musket in a proper manner.
+
+When I grew older I acquired the faculty to curb the instinctive
+feeling of fear which is inborn in all creatures and undoubtedly is a
+wise provision of nature, necessary to the continuance of life and
+conducive to self-preservation. Knowing that all men who ever lived and
+all who now live must surely die, I failed to see anything particularly
+fearful in death. I may truthfully say that I have several times met
+death face to face squarely and feared not. On these occasions I tried
+not to escape what seemed to be my final doom, but in the dim
+consciousness of mind that I should be dead long enough anyway, I tried
+to delay my departure to a better life as long as possible, exerting
+myself exceedingly to accomplish this purpose. Undoubtedly this must
+have made me a very undesirable person to contend with in a fight.
+Luckily for me, I have never been afflicted with a quarrelsome or
+vindictive mind. This is not a boastful or frivolous assertion, but is
+uttered in the spirit of thankfulness to the allwise Creator of Heaven
+and earth.
+
+Looking around, I beheld a sight which cheered me mightily. There, a
+few yards ahead of my wagon, was a great hole in the ground, made by
+badgers; or it may have been the palace of a king of prairie dogs.
+Quickly I drove my team forward, right over it. Then, pretending to be
+rearranging my cargo, I took out the end gate of my wagon and covered
+the hole with it. Next, I wet some gunny sacks and placed them on the
+ground under the board. Now, thought I, here is my chance for an
+honorable retreat if anything should go wrong. I intended to close up
+the hole behind me with the wet sacks, taking the risk of snake bites
+in preference to the tender mercies of the Indians. As these ground
+lairs take a turn a few feet down and are connected with various
+underground passages and have several outlets, I had a fair prospect to
+escape should the Indians discover my whereabouts, for they could
+neither burn nor smoke me out, and were not likely to take the time to
+reduce my fort by starvation. It took me but a very short time to make
+my preparations, and I did it unnoticed by my companions, who seemed
+fully preoccupied with their own troubles.
+
+A horseman galloped up to our division, a great, swarthy,
+fierce-looking man, bearded like the pard. This man did not act like a
+scared person. One glance at the frightened faces of his countrymen
+sufficed to enlighten and also to enrage him.
+
+"Senores," he said, "I perceive you are anxious and ready for a fight.
+I hope the Indians will accommodate us, as we are greatly in need of a
+little sport. It may happen that some of you will lose your scalps, and
+I hope that it is not you, Senor Felipe Morales. I should be very sorry
+for your poor old mother and your crippled sister, for who will support
+them if you should fail them? As for you, Senor Juan, it does not
+matter much if you never again breathe the air of New Mexico. Your
+young little wife has not yet had an opportunity to know you fully,
+anyway, and your cousin, the strapping Don Isidro Chavez, will surely
+take the best care of her. They say he calls on her daily to inquire
+after her welfare. Senor Cuzco Gonzales, as you might be unlucky enough
+to leave your bones on this prairie, I would advise you to make me heir
+to your garden of chile peppers. To be sure, I never saw a more
+tempting crop! Mayhap you will have no further use for chile, as the
+Indians are likely to heat your belly with hot coals, in lieu of
+peppers."
+
+Then he called for the cook. "Senor Doctor," he said, "prepare the
+medicine for this man, who is too sick to load a musket properly, and
+had to be shown how to do so by a little gringo, as I observed a while
+ago. Hold him, Senores." And they held him down while the cook
+administered the medicine, forcing it down his unwilling throat. The
+medicine was compounded from salt, and the prescribed dose was a
+handful of it dissolved in a tin cupful of water. This seemed to revive
+the patient's faltering spirit wonderfully. The cook, a half-witted
+fellow, was another man who seemed to have no fear. His eyes shone
+wickedly and he was stripped for the fight. A red bandanna kerchief
+tied around his head, he glided stealthily about, thirsty for Indian
+blood as any wolf. They told me that his mother and sister had died at
+the hands of the cruel Apaches.
+
+To me the rider said, "Senor Americanito, I know your gun is loaded
+right and is ready to shoot straight. Look you, if you plant a bullet
+just below an Indian's navel, you will see him do a double somersault,
+which is more wonderful to behold than any circus performance you ever
+saw."
+
+Here was a man good to see, a descendant of the famous Don Fernando
+Cortez, conquistador, and molded on the lines of Pizarro, the wily
+conqueror of Peru, and he heartened our crew amazingly. He exhorted the
+men to be brave and fight like Spaniards, and he prayed to the saints
+to preserve us; and piously remembering his enemies, he called on the
+devil to preserve the Indians. Such zealous devotion found merited
+favor with the blessed saints in Heaven, for they granted his prayer,
+and the Indians did not attack us that day.
+
+On the following day, Don Emillo Cortez came again and asked me to ride
+with him as a scout. He had brought a young man to drive the team in my
+stead. Gladly I accepted his invitation. He arranged a pillion for his
+saddle and mounted me behind him, facing the horse's tail. Then he
+passed a broad strap around his waist and my body and armed me with a
+Henry repeating rifle, then a new invention and a very serviceable gun.
+In this manner I had both hands free and made him the best sort of a
+rear guard. We cantered toward a sandy hill on our left. A coyote came
+our way, appearing from the crest of the hill. The animal was looking
+back over its shoulder and veered off when it scented us. Don Emilio
+halted his horse. "That coyote is driven by Indians," said he; "do you
+think you can hit it at this distance?" I thought I could by aiming
+high and a little forward. At the crack of my rifle the coyote yelped
+and bit its side, then rolling on the grass, expired. "Carajo! a dead
+shot, for Dios!" exclaimed Don Emilio. "That will teach the heathen
+Indians to keep their distance; they will not be over-anxious to meet
+these two Christians at close quarters!"
+
+We were not molested on this day nor on the next, but on the day
+thereafter we were in terrible danger. The Indians fired the dry grass,
+and if the wind had been stronger we must have been burned to death. As
+it was we were nearly suffocated from traveling in a dense smoke for
+several hours. Then, fortunately, we reached the bottom lands of the
+Arkansas River and were safe from fire, as the valley was very wide and
+covered with tall green grass which could not burn; and no sooner was
+the last wagon on safe ground than the fire gained the rim of the green
+bottomland. Our oxen were exhausted and in a bad plight, so we
+fortified and camped here for several days to recuperate before we
+forded the river. This took up several days, as the water was quite
+high and the river bottom a dangerous quicksand. To stop the wheels of
+a wagon for one moment meant the loss of the wagon and the lives of the
+cattle, perhaps. The treacherous sands would have engulfed them. Forty
+yoke of oxen were hitched to every vehicle, and we had no losses. On
+the other side we found the prairie burned over, and we traveled all
+day until evening in order to reach a suitable camping place with
+sufficient grass for our animals. As there was no water and the cattle
+were suffering, we were compelled to drive our herd back to the river
+and return again that same night. The rising sun found us under way
+again, and by noon we came to good camping ground with an abundance of
+grass and water.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER III.
+
+THE MYSTERY OF THE SMOKING RUIN. STALKING A WARRIOR. THE AMBUSH
+
+
+Now we were past the most dangerous part of our journey, leaving the
+Comanche country and entering the domain of the Ute Indians and other
+tribes, who were not as brave as the Arapahoes and Comanches. Here our
+caravan-formation was broken up and each outfit traveled separately at
+its own risk.
+
+The next day we witnessed a most horrible and distressing sight.
+Willingly would I surrender several years of my allotted lifetime on
+earth if I could thereby efface forever the awful impression of this
+pitiful tragedy from my memory. Alas I that I was fated to behold the
+shocking sight! For days thereafter we plodded on, a sad-looking,
+sober, downhearted lot of men, grieved to distraction, and there I left
+the innocence of boyhood--wiser surely, but not better! We neared the
+still smoking ruins of what had once been a happy home. As I approached
+to gratify my curiosity, I met several of my companions, who were
+returning and who implored me not to go nearer. An old Mexican,
+ignorant, rough, and callous as he was, begged me, with tears streaming
+down his face, to retrace my steps. Alas, when would impulsive youth
+ever listen to wise counsel and take heed! I entered the ruins and saw
+a dark telltale pool oozing forth from under the door of a cellar. Oh,
+had I but then overcome my morbid curiosity and fled! But no! I must
+needs open the door and look in. I saw--I saw a beautiful whiskey
+barrel, its belly bursted and its head stove in!
+
+The trip across the plains was a very healthful and pleasant experience
+to me. During the greatest heat and while the moon favored us, we often
+traveled at night and rested in daytime. By foregoing my rest, I found
+opportunity to hunt antelope and smaller game. I was very fond of this
+sport and indulged in it frequently. One day I sighted a band of
+antelope--these most beautiful and graceful animals. I tried to head
+them off, in order to get within rifle-shot distance, and drifted
+farther and farther away from camp until I must have strayed at least
+five miles. Like a rebounding rubber ball, their four feet striking the
+ground simultaneously, they fled until at last they faded from sight on
+the horizon, engulfed in a shimmering wave of heat, the reflection from
+a sun-scorched ground. Reluctantly I gave up the chase, as I could by
+no means approach the game, although they could not have winded me.
+
+In order to determine the direction of our camp, I ascended a little
+hill, when I suddenly espied an Indian. He was in a sitting posture,
+less than a quarter of a mile away. Apparently he was stark naked and
+his face was turned away from me, for I saw his broad back where not
+covered by his long hair glisten in the hot rays of the sun. His gun
+was lying within reach of his right hand, but I could not see what he
+was doing. On the impulse of the moment I dropped behind a flowering
+cactus for concealment. Then I took counsel with myself and decided
+that it would be too risky to return to camp as I had intended to do.
+In that direction for a long distance the ground was gently rising and
+most likely the Indian would have seen me. I thought it probable that
+he had staked his horse out in some nearby gulch, and if seen I would
+have been at his mercy, as perhaps he was also in touch with other
+Indians of his tribe. I reasoned that I could not afford to make the
+mistake of incurring the risk to stake my life on the chance of
+escaping his observation. I had started out to hunt antelopes, but now
+I coolly prepared myself to stalk an Indian warrior instead. I went
+about it as if I were hunting a coyote. First of all, I ascertained the
+direction of the wind, which was very light. It blew from the quarter
+the Indian was in toward me. Next, lying on my stomach, I dug the large
+flowering plant up, and holding it by its roots in front of myself, I
+crawled toward my quarry, as a snake in the grass. Cautiously,
+stealthily, avoiding the slightest noise, and always on the lookout for
+snakes and thorns, I crept slowly on, making frequent halts to rest
+myself. Twice the Indian turned his head and looked in my direction,
+but apparently he did not perceive me. In this manner I came within
+easy gunshot distance. Now I took my last rest, and with my knife dug a
+hole in the ground and replanted my cactus shield firmly. Then I placed
+my rifle in position to fire and drew a fine bead on the nape of his
+neck.
+
+"Adios, Indian brave, prepare thy soul to meet the great Spirit in the
+ever grassy meadows of the happy hunting grounds of eternity, for the
+spider of thy fate is weaving the last thread in the web of thy doom!"
+My finger was coaxing the trigger, when a feeling of intense shame rose
+fiercely in my breast. Was I, then, like unto this Indian, to take an
+enemy's life from ambush? Up I jumped with a challenging shout, my gun
+leveled, ready for the fight. "Por Dios, amigo, amigo!" cried the
+frightened Indian, holding up his hands. "No tengo dinero!" (I have no
+money. Don't shoot!) he begged, speaking to me in Spanish. Then I went
+to him and learned that he belonged to a wagon train, traveling just
+ahead of us. He was a full-blood Navajo, who had been made captive in a
+Mexican raid into the Navajo country. The Mexicans used to capture many
+Navajo pappooses and bring them up as bond servants or peons. This
+Indian told me that he had been following the same band of antelopes as
+myself, and on passing a beautiful hill of red ants, he yielded to
+temptation and thought he would have his clothes examined and laundered
+by the ants. These little insects are really very accommodating and
+work without remuneration. At the same time he likewise took a sun bath
+on the same liberal terms. This episode made me famous with every
+Spanish freighter over the Santa Fe trail, from Kansas into New Mexico.
+
+Just before we reached the Cimarron country, which is very hilly and is
+drained by the Red River, and where we were out of all danger from
+Indians, I had a narrow escape from death. I was in the lead of our
+train and had crossed a muddy place in the road. I drove on without
+noticing that I was leaving the other teams far behind. A wagon stuck
+fast in the mire, which caused my companions a great deal of labor and
+much delay. At last I halted to await the coming of the other teams.
+Suddenly there fell a shot from the dense growth of a wild sunflower
+copse. It missed my head by a very close margin and just grazed the ear
+of one of the mules. I believe that if I had attempted to rejoin the
+train then I would have been killed from ambush. Instead, I quickly
+secured the brake of my wagon, then I unhooked the trace chains of the
+mules and quieted them and lay down under the wagon, ready to defend
+myself. I was, however, not further molested and my companions came
+along after a while. They had heard the shot and thought it was I who
+had fired it.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IV.
+
+A STRANGE LAND AND STRANGER PEOPLE
+
+
+We were now within the boundaries of the Territory of Colorado and
+approaching the northern line of New Mexico. When we passed through
+Trinidad, which was then a small adobe town, we met Don Emilio Cortez
+again. He was at home in this vicinity and came for the express purpose
+of persuading me to come with him. "My good wife charged me to bring
+her that little gringo," he said; "she longs for an American son." "Our
+daughter, Mariquita, is now ten years of age, and has been asked in
+marriage by Don Robusto Pesado, a very rich man. But the child is
+afraid of him, as he is a mountain of flesh, weighing close on twelve
+arrobas. Now we thought that two years hence thou wilt be seventeen
+years old and a man very sufficient for our little Mariquita, who will
+then, with God's favor, be a woman of twelve years. She will have a
+large dowry of cattle and sheep, and as the saints have blessed us with
+an abundance of land and chattels, thou art not required to provide."
+
+I thanked Don Emilio very kindly, but was, of course, too young then to
+entertain any thought of marrying. I was really sorry to disappoint
+him, as he seemed to have formed a genuine attachment for me and was
+seriously grieved by my refusal.
+
+Rumor spreads its vagaries faster among illiterate people than among
+the enlightened and educated. Therefore, it was said in New Mexico long
+before our arrival there that Don Jose Lopez's outfit brought a young
+American, the like of whom had never been known before. He was not
+ignorant, as other Americans, for he not only spoke the Spanish, but he
+could also read and write the Castillan language. It was well known
+that most Americans were so stupid that they could not talk as well as
+a Mexican baby of two years, and that often after years of residence
+among Spanish people they were still ignorant of the language. And
+would you believe it, but it was the sacred truth, this little
+American, albeit a mere boy, had the strength of a man. He made that
+big heathen Navajo brute Pancho, the mayordomo of Don Preciliano
+Chavez, of Las Vegas, stand stark before him in his nakedness, with his
+hands raised to Heaven and compelled him, under pain of instant death,
+to say his Pater Noster and three Ave Marias. Others said that Don Jose
+Lopez was a man of foresight and discretion and saw that the Indians
+were on the warpath and very dangerous. Therefore, he prayed to his
+patron saint for spiritual guidance and succor. San Miguel, in his
+wisdom, sent this young American heretic, as undoubtedly it was best to
+fight evil with evil. And when the devil, in the guise of a coyote, led
+the Indians to the attack, then he was sorely wounded by the unerring
+aim of the gringito's rifle.
+
+Others said that Don Jose Lopez had set up a shrine for the image of
+his renowned patron saint, San Miguel, in his provision wagon, which
+was being driven by the American boy, and the boy took the bullet which
+wounded the coyote so sorely out of the saint's mouth, who had bitten
+the sign of the cross thereon. And the evil one, in the likeness of the
+coyote, rolled in his agony on the grass when he was hit by the
+cross-marked bullet. Of course, the grass took fire and very nearly
+burned up the whole caravan.
+
+Other people said they were not surprised to hear of miracles emanating
+from the shrine of the patron saint of Don Jose. His grandfather had
+whittled this famous image out of a cottonwood tree, whereon a saintly
+Penitente had been crucified after the custom of the order of
+Flagellants. This Penitente resembled the penitent thief who died on
+the cross and entered Paradise with the Saviour in this, that he was
+known to be a good horse thief, and as he had died on the cross on a
+night of Good Friday, he surely went to Glory Everlasting. Don Jose's
+grandfather made a pilgrimage with this image he had made to the City
+of Mexico, to have the Archbishop bless it in the cathedral before
+Santa Guadalupe. During the ceremony, it was said, there grew a fine
+head of flaxen hair on the image and it received beautiful blue eyes.
+And it had the miraculous propensity to ever after wink its eye in the
+presence of a priest and at the approach of a Christ-hating Jew, it
+would spit. This virtue saved much wealth for the family of Don Jose,
+as they were ever put on their guard against Jewish peddlers.
+
+The rumor that Don Jose Lopez had carried the household saint with him
+in his wagon was at once contradicted and disproved by his wife, Dona
+Mercedes. The lady declared that San Miguel had never left his shrine
+in the patio of their residence except for the avowed purpose of making
+rain. In seasons of protracted drouth, when crops and live stock suffer
+for want of water, crowds of Mexican people, mostly farmers' wives and
+their children, form processions and carry the images of saints round
+about the parched fields, chanting hymns and praying for rain.
+
+On this occasion Dona Mercedes availed herself of the chance to extol
+the prowess and power of her family's idolized saint, San Miguel. She
+said as a rainmaker he had no equal. He disliked and objected to have
+himself carried about the fields when there was not a certain sign of
+coming rain in the heavens. Her little saint, she said, was too
+honorable and too proud to risk the disgrace of failure and bring shame
+on her family. Therefore, he would not consent to be carried out in the
+fields until kind Nature, through unfailing signs, proclaimed a speedy
+downpour. When thunder shook the expectant earth and the first drops of
+rain began to fall, then he started on his little business trip and
+never had he failed to make it rain copiously. Friends of Don Jose
+Lopez, hearing all this talk, were not slow to take advantage of it.
+The time for the election of county officials was near and they
+promptly placed Don Jose in nomination for the office of the sheriff of
+San Miguel County.
+
+When people applied to the parish priest for advice in this matter, he
+laughingly told them that he did not know if all these current rumors
+were true, quien sabe, but surely nothing was impossible before the
+Lord and the blessed saints, and Don Jose being a friend, he advised
+them to give him their support, as he was a very good and capable man
+who would make an ideal sheriff. To be sure, the Don paid his debts and
+was never remiss in his duties to Holy Church.
+
+We crossed over the Raton Mountains and were then in the northern part
+of the Territory of New Mexico. What a curious country it was! The
+houses were built of adobe or sun-dried brick of earth, in a very
+primitive fashion. We seemed to be transported as by magic to the Holy
+Land as it was in the lifetime of our Saviour. The architecture of the
+buildings, the habits and raiment of the people, the stony soil of the
+hills, covered by a thorny and sparse vegetation, the irrigated fertile
+land of the valleys, the small fields surrounded by adobe walls--all
+this could not fail to remind one vividly of descriptions and pictures
+of Old Egypt and Palestine. Here you saw the same dusty, primitive
+roads and quaint bullock carts, that were hewn out of soft wood and
+joined together with thongs of rawhide and built without the vestige of
+iron or other metal. There were the same antediluvian plows, made of
+two sticks, as used in ancient Egypt at the time of the Exodus, when
+Moses led the Jews out of captivity to their Promised Land. The very
+atmosphere, so dry and exhilarating, seemed strange. In this
+transparent air, objects which were twenty miles distant seemed to be
+no farther than two or three miles at most. In such a country it would
+not have surprised anyone to meet the Saviour face to face, riding an
+ass or burro over the stony road, followed by His disciples and a
+multitude of people, who, with the most implicit faith in the Lord's
+power to perform miracles, expected Him to provide them with an
+abundance of loaves and fishes. Here we were in a country, a territory
+of the United States, which was about eighteen hundred years behind the
+civilization of other Christian countries.
+
+As we passed through the many little hamlets and towns, the male
+population, who were sitting on the shady side of their houses,
+regarded us with lazy curiosity. They were leaning against the cool,
+adobe walls, dreaming and smoking cigarettes. The ladies seemed to
+possess a livelier disposition and emerged from their houses to gossip
+and gather news. They viewed me with the greatest interest and
+curiosity and, shifting the mantillas, or rebozos, behind which they
+hid their faces after the Moorish fashion, they gazed at me with
+shining eyes. And I believe that I found favor with many, for they
+would exclaim, "M'ira que Americanito tan lindo, tan blanco!" (What a
+handsome young American. See what beautiful blue eyes he has and what a
+white complexion.) And mothers warned the maidens not to look at me, as
+I might have the evil eye. I heard one lady tell her daughter, "You may
+look at him just once, Dolores; oh, see how handsome he is!" (Valga me,
+Dios, que lindo es, pobrecito!)And the way the young lady gazed was a
+revelation to me. The fire of her limpid black eyes struck me as a ray
+of glorious light. An indescribable thrill, never before known, rose in
+my breast and she held me enthralled under a spell which I had not the
+least desire to break. And they said that it was I who had the evil
+eye! To say that these people were lacking in the virtues and
+accomplishments of modern civilization entirely would be a mistake very
+easily made indeed by strangers who, on passing through their land, did
+not understand their language and were unfamiliar with their social
+customs and mode of living. They extended unlimited hospitality to
+every one alike, to friend or stranger, to poor or rich. They were most
+charmingly polite in their conversation, personal demeanor, and social
+intercourse and very charitable and affectionate to their families and
+neighbors. These people are happy as compared with other nations in
+that they do not worry and fret over the unattainable and doubtful, but
+lightheartedly they enjoy the blessings of the present, such as they
+are. Therefore, if rightly understood, they may be the best of
+companions at times, being sincere and unselfish; so I have found many
+of them to be later on, during the intercourse of a more intimate
+acquaintance. In the large towns, as Santa Fe, Albuquerque, and Las
+Vegas, where there lived a considerable number of Americans, these
+would naturally associate together, as, for instance, the American
+colony in Paris or Berlin or other foreign places, so as not to be
+obliged to mingle with the natives socially any more than they chose.
+But in the village where my relatives lived, we had not the alternative
+of choosing our own countrymen for social companionship.
+
+Therefore, I realized when I reached my destination that I had to
+change my accustomed mode of living and adapt myself to such a life as
+people had led eighteen hundred years ago. I thought that if I took the
+example of the Saviour's life for my guiding star, I would certainly
+get along very well. Undoubtedly this would have sufficed in a
+spiritual sense, but I found that it would be impractical as applied to
+my temporal welfare and the requirements of the present time. For I
+could not perform miracles nor could I live as the Saviour had done,
+roaming over the country and teaching the natives. And then, seeing
+that there were so many Jews in New Mexico, I feared they might attempt
+to crucify me and I did not relish the thought. Therefore I accepted
+King Solomon's life as the next best one to emulate. While I was
+greatly handicapped by not possessing the riches of the great old king,
+I fancied that I had a plenty of his wisdom, and although I could not
+cut as wide a swath as he had done, I did well enough under the
+circumstances. I was, of course, limited to a vastly smaller scale in
+the pursuit and enjoyment of the many good things to be had in New
+Mexico. Ever joyous, free from care, I drifted in my voyage of life
+with the stream of hope over the shining waters of a happy and
+delightful youth.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER V.
+
+ON THE RIO GRANDE. AN ABSTRACT OF THE AUTHOR'S GENEALOGY OF MATERNAL
+LINEAGE
+
+
+In the month of September I came to the end of my journey, as I arrived
+on the Rio Abajo. Now I began the second chapter of my life's voyage.
+No longer a precocious child, I was growing to young manhood and was
+not lacking in those qualities which are essential in the successful
+performance of life's continual struggle. I was heartily welcomed by my
+uncle, my mother's brother. My aunt, poor lady, had, of course, given
+me up as lost and greeted me with joyful admiration. But she did not
+venture close to me, for in me she saw a strong, lusty young man,
+bright eyed, alert-looking and carrying a deadly army revolver and
+wicked hunting knife at his belt. To be sure, I was suntanned and
+graybacked beyond comparison with the dust of a thousand miles of wagon
+road.
+
+As I had expected, I found my uncle in very prosperous circumstances,
+in a commercial sense. And no wonder, for he was a tall, fine-looking
+man, under forty and overflowing with energy and personal magnetism.
+And my mother's little family tree did the rest--aye, surely, it was
+not to be sneezed at, as will be presently seen.
+
+Of course, mother traced her ancestral lineage, as all other people do,
+to Adam and Eve in general, but in particular she claimed descent from
+those ancient heroes of the Northland, the Vikings. These daring rovers
+of the seas were really a right jolly set of men. In their small
+galleys they roamed the trackless seas, undaunted alike by the terrors
+of the hurricane as by the perils of unknown shores. On whatever coast
+they chanced--finding it inhabited, they landed, fought off the men and
+captured their women. They sacked villages and plundered towns, and
+loading their ships with booty, they set sail joyfully, homeward bound
+for the shores of the misty North Sea, the shallow German Ocean. Here
+they had a number of retreats and strongholds. There was Helgoland, the
+mysterious island; Cuxhaven, at the mouth of the river Elbe; Buxtehude,
+notoriously known from a very peculiar ferocious breed of dogs; Norse
+Loch on the coast of Holstein, and numerous other locker, or inlets,
+hard to find, harder to enter when found and hardest to pronounce. In
+the course of time these rovers were visited by saintly Christian
+missionaries and, like all other Saxon tribes, they accepted the light
+of the Christian Gospel. They saw the error of their way and eschewed
+their vocation of piracy and devoted their energies to commerce and the
+spreading of the Gospel of Christ.
+
+Piously they decorated the sails of their crafts and blazoned their war
+shields with the sign of the cross. They kidnapped holy priests (for
+otherwise they came not), and taking them aboard their ships, they
+sailed to their several ports. Then they forced the unwilling Fathers
+to unite them in holy wedlock to the maidens of their choice. To many
+havens they sailed, and in every one they had an only wife. They made
+their priests inscribe texts from the holy Gospel on pieces of
+parchment made from the skin of hogs, and instead of robbing people, as
+of yore, they paid with the word of Holy Scripture for the booty they
+levied. This, they said, was infinitely more precious than any worldly
+dross. All hail to the memory of my gallant maternal ancestor, who,
+when surfeited with the caresses of his Fifine of Normandy, flew to the
+arms of Mercedes of Andalusia. Next, perhaps, he appeared in Greenland,
+blubbering with an Esquimau heiress. Anon, you might have found him in
+Columbia in the tolls of a princely Pocahontas. In Mexico he ate the
+ardent chile from the tender hand of his Guadalupita, and later on he
+was on time at a five o'clock family tea party in Japan, or he might
+have kotowed pidgin-love to a trusting maid in a China town of fair
+Cathay. In Africa--oh, horror!--here I draw the veil, for in my mind's
+eye I behold a burly negro (yes, sah!) staring at me out of fishy, blue
+eyes. It is said of these gallant rovers of the seas that they were
+subject to a peculiar malady when on shore. It caused them to stagger
+and swagger, use violent language, and deport themselves not unlike
+people who are seized with mal de mer, or sickness of the sea. When
+attacked by this failing, their wives would cast them bodily into the
+holds of their ships and start them out to sea, where they soon
+recovered their usual health and equilibrium and continued on their
+rounds. They were the first of all commercial travelers and the
+hardiest, jolliest and most prosperous--but they did not hoard their
+earnings.
+
+My uncle conducted a store, selling merchandise of every description.
+Dutch uncle though he was to me, I must give him thanks for the careful
+business training he bestowed on me. I say with pride that I proved to
+be his most apt and willing pupil. He taught me how the natives, by
+nature simple-minded and unsophisticated, had lost all confidence in
+their fellow-men in general and merchants in particular through the, to
+say the least, very dubious and suspicious dealings of the tribes of
+Israel. My uncle said he was an old timer in New Mexico, but the Jew
+was there already when he came and, added he, thoughtfully, "I believe
+the Jews came to America with Columbus." With a pack of merchandise
+strapped to his back, this king of commerce crossed the plains in the
+face of murderous Indians and with the unexplainable, crafty cunning of
+his race, he sold tobacco and trinkets to the warriors who had set out
+to kill him, and to the squaws he sold Parisian lingerie at a bargain.
+He swore that he was losing money and selling the goods below cost, not
+counting the freight.
+
+As the Indians had no money and nothing else of commercial value to
+him, he bartered for the trophies of victory which the proud chiefs
+carried suspended from their belts. Deprecatingly he called their
+attention to the undeniable fact that these articles had been worn
+before and had to be rated as second-hand goods. But he hoped that his
+brother-in-law, Isaac Dreibein, who conducted a second-hand
+hairdressing establishment in New York City, would take these goods off
+his hands. This trade flourished for a time, until, as usual, Israel
+fell off from the Lord, by opening shop on the Sabbath. An unlucky
+Moses got into a fatal altercation with a Comanche chief, whom he
+cheated out of a scalplock, as he was as baldheaded as a hen's egg.
+Thereat the Indians became suspicious and refused to trade with the
+Jews ever after.
+
+With proverbial German thoroughness, uncle instructed me in all the
+tricks and secrets of his profession. He had found that the Mexicans
+were good buyers, if handled scientifically, for they would never leave
+the store until they had spent all their money. Therefore, in order to
+encourage our customers, we kept a barrel of firewater under the
+counter as a trade starter. One or more drams of old Magnolia would
+start the ball to roll finely. Our merchandise cost mark was made up
+from the words, "God help us!" Every letter of this pious sentiment
+designated one of the numbers from one to nine and a cross stood for
+naught. When I said to uncle, "No wonder that our business prospers
+under this mark--God help us!--but say, who helps our customers?" he
+was nonplussed for a moment, and then he laughed heartily and said that
+this had never worried him yet.
+
+There was not much money in circulation in New Mexico at that time, as
+the country was without railroads and too isolated to market farm
+produce, wool and hides profitably. Mining for gold was carried on at
+Pinos Altos, near the southern boundary, but the Apaches did not
+encourage prospecting to any extent. During the period of the discovery
+of gold in California, in the days of "forty-nine," the people of New
+Mexico had become quite wealthy through supplying the California placer
+miners with mutton sheep at the price of an ounce of gold dust per
+head, when muttons cost half a dollar on the Rio Grande. At that rate
+of profit they could afford the time and expense of driving their herds
+of sheep to market at Los Angeles, even though the Apaches of Arizona
+took their toll and fattened on stolen mutton.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VI.
+
+INDIAN LORE. THE WILY NAVAJO
+
+
+The principal source of the money supply was the United States
+Government, which maintained many forts and army posts in the
+Territories as a safeguard against the Apache and Navajo Indians.
+During the Civil War, the Navajo Indians broke out and raided the
+Mexican settlements along the Rio Grande and committed many outrages
+and thefts. The Government gave these Indians the surprise of their
+lives. An army detachment of United States California volunteers
+swooped suddenly down on the Navajos and surprised and conquered them
+in the strongholds of their own country. The whole tribe was forced to
+surrender, was disarmed, and transported to Fort Stanton by the
+Government.
+
+This military reservation lies on the eastern boundary of New Mexico,
+on the edge of the staked plains of Texas. Here the Navajos were kept
+in mortal terror of their hereditary enemies, the Comanche Indians, for
+several years, and they were so thoroughly cowed and subdued by this
+stratagem that they were good and peacable ever after. The Government
+allowed them to reoccupy their native haunts and granted them a
+reservation of seventy-five miles square. These Indians are blood
+relatives to the savage Apaches. They speak the same language, as they
+are also of Mongolian origin. They came originally from Asia in an
+unexplained manner and over an unknown route. They have always been the
+enemies of the Pueblo Indians, who are descendants of the Toltec and
+Aztec races. Unlike the Pueblo Indians, who live in villages and
+maintain themselves with agricultural pursuits, the Navajos are nomads
+and born herdsmen.
+
+The Navajo tribe is quite wealthy now, as they possess many thousands
+of sheep and goats, and they are famed for their quaint and beautiful
+blankets and homespun, which they weave on their hand looms from the
+wool of their sheep. They owned large herds of horses, beautiful
+ponies, a crossed breed of mustangs and Mormon stock, which latter they
+had stolen in their raids on the Mormon settlements in Utah. As saddle
+horses, these ponies are unexcelled for endurance under rough service.
+
+Mentally the Navajo is very wide awake and capable of shrewd practices,
+as shown by the following incident, which happened to my personal
+knowledge.
+
+A tall, gaudily appareled Indian, mounting a beautiful pony, came to
+town and offered for sale at our store several gold nuggets the size of
+hazelnuts. He took care to do this publicly, so as to attract the
+attention of some Mexicans, who became immensely excited at the sight
+of the gold and began to question him at once in order to ascertain how
+and whence he had obtained the golden nuggets. They almost fought for
+the privilege of taking him as an honored guest to their respective
+homes. The Indian was very non-committal as regarded his gold mine, but
+very willing to accept the sumptuous hospitality so freely rendered
+him. He was soon passed on from one disappointed Mexican to another,
+who in turn fared no better and invariably sped the parting guest to
+the door of his nearest neighbor. When the Indian had made the circuit
+of the town in this manner he looked very sleek and happy, indeed, but
+the people were no wiser. The knowledge of having been shamefully
+buncoed by an Indian and disappointed in their lust for gold made the
+Mexicans desperate. They held an indignation meeting and resolved to
+capture the wily Navajo and compel him, under torture, if necessary, to
+divulge the secret of his gold mine. Consequently, they overcame the
+Indian, and when they threatened him with torture and death, he yielded
+and said that he had found the gold in the Rio de San Francisco, a
+mountain stream of Arizona. He promised to guide them to the spot where
+he obtained the nuggets, saying that the bottom of the stream was
+literally covered with golden sand, which might be seen from a
+distance, as it shone resplendently in the sun. Then every able-bodied
+Mexican in town who possessed a horse prepared to join a prospecting
+expedition to the wild regions of mysterious Arizona. They organized a
+company and elected a captain, a man of courage and experience. The
+captain's first official act was to place a guard of four armed men
+over the Navajo to prevent his escape, otherwise they treated their
+prisoner well.
+
+The women of the town cooked and baked for the party, and undoubtedly
+each lady reveled in the hope to see her own man return with a sackful
+of gold; and as a result of these fanciful expectations they were in
+the best of spirits, laughing and singing the livelong day.
+
+At last the party was off, and what happened to them I shall relate, as
+told me by the captain, Don Jose Marie Baca y Artiaga, and in his own
+words as nearly as I can remember them. "Valga me, Dios, Senor! What an
+experience was that trip to Arizona! It began and ended with
+disappointment and disaster. All the men of our party seemed to have
+lost their wits from the greed of gold. They began by hurrying. Those
+who had the best mounts rushed on ahead, carrying the Indian along with
+them, and strove to leave their companions who were not so well mounted
+behind. The first night's camp had of necessity to be made at a point
+on the Rio Puerco, distant about thirty-five miles. As the last men
+rode into camp, the first comers were already making ready to leave
+again. In vain I remonstrated and commanded. There was a fight, and not
+until several men were seriously wounded came they to their senses and
+obeyed my orders. I threatened to leave them and return home, for I
+knew very well that unless our party kept together we were sure to be
+ambushed and attacked. I cautioned my companions as they valued their
+lives to watch the Navajo and shoot him on the spot at the first sign
+of treachery. This devil of an Indian led us over terrible trails,
+across the roughest and highest peaks and the deepest canyons of a
+wild, broken country. He seemed to be on the lookout ever for an
+opportunity to escape, but I did not give him the chance. Our horses
+suffered and were well-nigh exhausted when we finally sighted the
+coveted stream from a spur of the Mogollon range which we were then
+descending. The stream glistened and shone like gold in the distance,
+under the hot rays of a noonday sun and my companions would have made a
+dash for the coveted goal if their horses had not been utterly
+exhausted and footsore. As it was, I had the greatest trouble to calm
+them. Arriving at the last and steepest declivity of the trail, I
+succeeded in halting the party long enough to listen to my words.
+'Companions,' I said, 'hear me before you rush on! I shall stay here
+with this Indian, whom you will first tie to this mesquite tree. Now
+you may go, and may the saints deliver you from your evil passion and
+folly. Mind you, senores, I claim an equal share with you in whatever
+gold you may find. If any one objects, let him come forth and say so
+now, man to man. I shall hold the trail for those among you who would
+haply choose to return. Forsooth, companions, I like not the actions of
+this Indian. Beware the Apache, senores; remember we are in the Tonto's
+own country!'
+
+"From my position I witnessed the exciting race to the banks of the
+stream, and saw plainly how eagerly my companions worked with pick and
+pan. Hard they worked, but not long, for soon they assembled in the
+shade of a tree, and after a conference I saw them make the usual
+preparations for camping. Several men looked after the wants of the
+horses, others built fires, and four of the party returned toward me.
+'What luck, Companeros!' I hailed them when they came within hearing
+distance. 'Senor Capitan, we have come for the Indian,' said the
+spokesman of the squad. 'And what use have you for the Indian?' I
+asked. 'We shall hang him to yonder tree,' they said, 'as a warning to
+liars and impostors.' Bueno, Caballeros, he deserves it. I deliver him
+into your hands under this condition, that you grant him a fair trial,
+as becomes men who being good Catholics and sure of the salvation of
+their souls may not, without just cause, consign a heathen to the
+everlasting fires of perdition.'
+
+"Silently, stoically, the Indian suffered himself to be led to the
+place of his execution. After the enraged Mexicans had placed him under
+a tree with the noose of a riata around his neck, they informed him
+that he might now plead in the defense of his life if he had anything
+to say. 'Mexicans,' said the Navajo, 'I fear not death! If I must die,
+let it be by a bullet. I call the great Spirit, who knows the hearts of
+his people, to witness that I beg not for my life. I have not a split
+tongue nor am I an impostor. I have guided you to the place of gold. I
+have kept my promise. You Mexicans came with evil hearts. You fought
+your own brothers. You abandoned your sick companions on the trail to
+the coyote. You have broken the law of hospitality toward me, your
+guest, as no Spaniard has ever done before. Therefore, has your God
+punished you. He has changed the good gold of these waters to
+shimmering mica and shining dross. Fool gold He gives to fools! As you
+serve me now, so shall the Apaches do to you. Never more shall you
+taste of the waters of the Rio Grande, so says the Spirit in my heart!'
+
+"The Indian's dignified bearing and his inspired words on the threshold
+of eternity moved my conscience and caused a feeling of respect and
+pity for him in my breast as well as in others of our party. When Juan
+de Dios Carasco, who was known and despised by all for being a
+good-for-nothing thieving coward, drew his gun to shoot the Navajo in
+the back, I could not control my anger. 'Stop,' I shouted, 'you
+miserable hen thief, or you die at my hands, and now. This Indian
+should die, but not in such a manner. Senores, you have made me your
+capitan. Now I shall enforce my orders at the risk of my life's blood.
+Give that Indian a knife and fair play in a combat against the prowess
+of the valiant Don Juan de Dios Carasco.'
+
+"Although greatly disconcerted, Juan de Dios had to toe the mark. There
+was no alternative for him now, as I was desperate and my orders were
+obeyed to the letter, for death was the penalty for disobedience. The
+fight between the Mexican and the Indian ended by the Navajo, who was
+sorely wounded, throwing his knife into the heart of his enemy. It was
+a fair fight, although we accorded Juan de Dios, he being a Christian,
+this advantage against the Indian (who was better skilled in the use of
+weapons) that we allowed him to wrap his coat about his left arm as a
+shield, while the Indian was stripped to his patarague, or breechclout.
+We buried the body and allowed the Indian to shift for himself. I
+observed him crawling near the water's edge in quest of herbs, which he
+masticated and applied to his wounds with an outer coating of mud from
+the banks of the stream. During the following night he disappeared. I
+suspect that the golden nuggets which caused all our troubles were
+taken from the body of a prospector who had been murdered in the
+lonesome mountains of Arizona.
+
+"We allowed our horses several days' rest to recuperate before starting
+on our return trip. You saw, senor, how we arrived. Starved, sore, and
+discouraged, we straggled home, jeered at and ridiculed by wiseacres
+who are always ready to say, 'I told you so!' and by enemies who had no
+liking for us. But the women, may Santa Barbara keep them virtuous!
+they who loved their husbands truly rejoiced to welcome us home,
+although we failed to bring them chispas de oro.
+
+"As concerns the wife of Juan de Dios, and who was now his widow,
+pobrecita, she was not to be found at her home. She had taken advantage
+of her man's absence to decamp to the mountain of Manzana with a
+strapping goat-herder, a very worthy young man, whom she loved and is
+now happily free to marry."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VII.
+
+THE FIGHT IN THE SAND HILLS. THE PHANTOM DOG
+
+
+A number of years had I lived with my relatives when uncle found it
+expedient to sell out his business. He had prospered wonderfully in his
+commercial ventures. Long since had his coffers absorbed most of the
+money circulating within his sphere of trade. Thereafter he accepted
+commercial paper in payment for merchandise, and trade grew immensely.
+Our customers soon learned how easy it was to affix their signatures to
+promissory notes and to mortgages on their lands or cattle, their
+horses, sheep, crops, and chattels. Of course there was a little
+interest to be paid on the indebtedness, but as it was merely a
+trifling one and a half per centum per month or eighteen per cent
+yearly, it was of no consequence. And it was so easy to pay your debts.
+Just think of it, people bought everything they needed and longed for
+at the store and paid for it by simply signing their names to several
+papers. When the day of payment came, they could liquidate their debts
+by renewing their obligations. They simply signed a new set of similar
+papers with the interest compounded and added to the original debt.
+Surely Don Guillermo was conceded to stand highest in popular
+estimation of any set of men who had ever come to the Rio Grande. Had
+he not shown the people how to do business in a convenient and easy
+manner? Under such a system nobody worried or labored very much and
+life was like a pleasant dream. But alas! there has always been a
+beginning and an ending to everything under the sun, good or evil. The
+awakening from an easy life's dream was occasioned by a crushing blow.
+It fell on the day of final reckoning, when Don Guillermo, my good
+uncle, thought the time was propitious to realize something tangible on
+sundry duly signed, sealed, and witnessed instruments. There was a
+rumpus; neither earthquake nor cyclone would have caused a greater
+commotion in the community. What, then, did this lying gringo mean by
+resorting to the trickery of the United States law courts and the power
+and services of the county sheriff? Why did he wrest their property
+from them? Had this gringo not always accepted their signatures as a
+legal tender for the payment of their debts? Had he not told them time
+and again that their handwriting was better than gold? If uncle had
+fallen into the clutches of these furious people, he would undoubtedly
+have been lynched. But he had wisely disposed of all his property in
+the country and had left with his family for the States. I remained in
+the service of the buyer of and successor to his business.
+
+Soon after I began to feel lonesome, restless and dissatisfied, and
+that life among the natives was not as pleasant and satisfactory as
+formerly may be easily imagined. In fact, the gringos were now
+cordially hated and envied by a certain class, the element of greatest
+influence among the people. This produced a feeling of unpleasantness
+not to be overcome, and I resolved to emigrate to California, overland,
+by way of Arizona. I longed for the companionship of people of my own
+race and wanted to see more of the world. There was an opportunity to
+go to a mining town of northern Arizona, with several ox-teams which
+were freighting provisions. The freighter, Don Juan Mestal, assured me
+that he was very glad to have the pleasure and comfort of my company
+and would not listen to an offer of remuneration on my part. He said
+there was the choice of two routes; one road passed through the country
+of the Navajo Indians and the other road led past Zuhl, the isolated
+Pueblo village. Don Juan said that he would not go by way of Zuni, if
+he could avoid it, as he was prejudiced against this tribe. Not that
+they were hostile or dangerous, but he had acquired a positive
+aversion, amounting to abhorrence, for those peaceful people when he,
+as a boy, accompanied his father on a trading expedition there. At that
+time he witnessed the revolting execution of a score of Navajos who had
+been apprehended as spies by the Zunis. These unfortunates came to
+their village as visiting guests, it being in the time of the harvest
+of maize, when these Indians celebrate their great Thanksgiving feast.
+A young Navajo chief, who led the visiting party, aroused the ire of
+the old medicine chief of the tribe, who had lately added a new
+attraction to his household, beshrewing himself with another lovely
+young squaw. It was said that the enamored damsel had made preparations
+to elope with the gallant Navajo chief, but was betrayed by the
+telltale barking of the dogs, great numbers of which infest all Indian
+villages. The old doctor accused the Navajos of espionage and had them
+taken by surprise and imprisoned in an underground foul den. Then met
+the chiefs of the tribe in their estufa, or secret meeting place, to
+pass judgment on the culprits. The old medicine chief smoked himself
+into a trance in order to receive special instructions from the great
+Spirit regarding the degree of punishment to be inflicted on the
+unlucky Navajos. After sleeping several hours, he awoke and announced
+that he had dreamed the Navajos were to be clubbed to death. After
+sunrise the next morning these poor Indians met their doom in the
+public square of the village unflinchingly in the presence of the whole
+population.
+
+They were placed in a row, facing the sun, about ten feet apart. A Zuni
+executioner, armed with a war club, was stationed in front of each
+victim, and another one, armed likewise, stood behind him. A war chief
+raised his arms and yelled, and forty clubs were raised in air. Then
+the great war drum, or tombe, boomed out the knell of death. There was
+a sickening, crashing thud, and twenty Navajos fell to earth with
+crushed skulls, each cabeza having been whacked simultaneously, right
+and left, fore and aft, by two stone clubs in the hands of a pair of
+devils.
+
+It had always been an enigma to me that the Pueblo Indians, who were
+not to be matched as fighters against the Apache and Navajo had been
+able to defend their villages against the onslaught of these fierce
+tribes, their hereditary enemies. Don Juan Mestal enlightened me on
+that topic. He said the explanation therefor was to be found in a
+certain religious superstition of the Navajos and Apaches, which
+circumstance the Pueblo Indians took advantage of and exploited to the
+saving of their lives. When they had reason to expect an attack on
+their villages, the Pueblo laid numerous mines and torpedoes on all the
+approaches and streets of their towns. While these mines did not
+possess the destructive power of dynamite or gunpowder, they were
+equally effective and powerful, and never failed to repulse the enemy,
+especially if reinforced by hand grenades of like ammunition, thrown by
+squaws and pappooses from the flat roofs of their houses. By some means
+or other it had become known to the descendants of Montezuma that when
+an Apache stepped on something out of the ordinary "he scented
+mischief" and believed himself unclean and befouled with dishonor, and
+fancied himself disgraced before God and man; and forthwith he would
+hie himself away to do penance at the shrine of the nearest water
+sprite. This superstition they brought from Asia, their native land.
+
+When the day of our departure drew near, I visited my numerous friends
+to bid them farewell and receive many like wishes in return. I must own
+that I felt a pang of sadness when I saw tears well up in the innocent
+eyes of sweet maidens and saw the fires dimmed in the black orbs of
+lovely matrons whom I had held often in my arms to the measure and
+tuneful melody of the fantastic wild fandango; musical Andalusian
+strains which words cannot describe--soul-stirring, enchanting,
+promising and denying, plaintive or jubilant, songs from Heaven or
+wails from the depths of Hades. Here I lived the happiest hours of my
+life, but being young, I did not realize it then.
+
+When I came to the house of Don Reyes Alvarado, who was my chum and
+bosom friend, and also of like age, he gave me a pleasant surprise. He
+informed me that there would be a dance at the Hancho Indian's
+settlement that same night, one of those ceremonial events which I had
+long desired to attend in order to study the customs and habits of
+these descendants of the Aztecs. Their social dances are inspired by
+ancient customs and are the outbursts of the dormant, barbaric rites of
+a religion which these people were forced to abandon by their
+conquering masters, the Spaniards. Outwardly and visibly Christians,
+taught to observe the customs of the Roman Catholic Church and to
+conform to its ritual, these people, who were the scum and overflow
+from villages of Pueblo Indians, were yet Aztec heathens in the
+consciousness of their souls and inclination of their hearts.
+
+Shortly after sunset we were on our way to the sand dunes of the Rio
+Grande, where these poor outcasts had squatted and built their humble
+homes of terron, or sod, which they cut from the alkali-laden soil of
+the vega. They held their dance orgies in the estufa, the meeting house
+of the tribe. This was a long, low structure built of adobe, probably a
+hundred feet long and nine feet wide, inside measure. The building was
+so low that I could easily lay the palm of my uplifted hand against the
+ceiling of the roof, which was made of beams of cottonwood, covered
+with sticks off which the bark had been carefully peeled, the whole had
+then been covered with clay a foot in depth. The floor of this long,
+low tunnel-like room was made of mud which had been skilfully tampered
+with an admixture of short cut straw and had been beaten into the
+proper degree of hardness. Dampened at intervals, this floor was quite
+serviceable to dance on. There were no windows or ventilators in this
+hall and only one door at the end. This was made out of a slab of hewn
+wood and was just high and wide enough to admit a good sized dog. The
+hall was brilliantly lighted by a dozen mutton tallow dips, which were
+distributed about the room in candelabra of tin, hanging on the
+mud-plastered and whitewashed walls. The orchestra consisted of one
+piece only, an ancient war drum, or tombe, and was located at the
+farther end of the room. It was beaten by an Indian, who was, if
+possible, more ancient than the drum. As we approached we heard the
+muffled sound of the drum within. "Caramba, amigo!" said my friend;
+"they are at it already, and judging from the sound, they are very gay
+to-night. Madre santissima! I remember that this is a great night for
+these Indians, as it is the anniversary of the Noche Triste, which they
+celebrate in commemoration of the Aztec's victory over the Spaniards
+when the Indians almost wiped their enemies off the face of the earth.
+Senor, to tell the truth, rather would I turn my horse's head homeward.
+Pray, let us return!" "And why, amigo," I asked. "Because this has
+always been a day of ill luck for our family," said Don Reyes. "It
+began with the misfortune of the famed Knight Don Pedro Alvarado, the
+bravest of men and the right hand of Don Fernando Cortez. In the bloody
+retreat of the Spaniards from Mexico, in their fight with the Aztecs,
+during the Noche Triste, Don Pedro Alvarado, from whom we were
+descended, lost his mare through a deadly arrow. "Muy bien, amigo Don
+Reyes," said I; "if you fear these people, I advise you to return home
+to Dona Josefita, but I shall go on alone." "I fear not man or beast!"
+flared up Don Reyes, "as you well know, friend, but these are heathen
+fiends, not human, who worship a huge rattlesnake, which they keep in
+an underground den and feed with the innocent blood of Christian babes.
+Lead on, senor, I shall follow. I see it is as Dona Josefita, my little
+wife, says: "If these young gringos crave a thing, there is no use in
+denying them, for they seem to compel! To the very door of that uncanny
+place I follow you, amigo, but enter therein I shall not, unless I be
+first absolved from my sins and shriven by the padre."
+
+We had now arrived at the door of the estufa (oven), where the
+entertainment was going on, full blast. I alighted and my friend took
+charge of my horse and stationed himself at the door while I got down
+on all fours and crawled inside. I seated myself on a little bench at
+one side of the entrance. When my eyes got accustomed to the dense
+atmosphere of the place, I observed that the room was full of people,
+dancing in couples with a peculiar slow-waltz step. The ladies stayed
+in their places while the men made the rounds of the hall. After a few
+turns with a lady, they shuffled along to the next one, continually
+exchanging their partners. As the dancers passed me by, one after
+another, they noticed me, and many among them scowled and looked angry
+and displeased. Suddenly the drum stopped for a few minutes. Then it
+began in a faster tempo. Now the men remained stationary, while the
+ladies made the circuit of the room and each one in her turn passed in
+front of me. They looked lovely in their costumes of finely embroidered
+snow-white single garments, trimmed with many silver ornaments and
+trinkets and in their short calico skirts and beautiful moccasins.
+Their limbs were tastefully swathed in white buckskin leggins, which
+completed the costume.
+
+Faster and faster beat the drum, and the sobbing, rhythmic sound
+thrilled my senses and filled my heart with an indescribable weird,
+fierce longing. I saw a maiden approach taller and finer than the rest.
+One glance of her soft, wild eyes and I flew to her arms. "Back,
+Indians!" I shouted, "honor your queen!" and entered the lists of the
+frolicsome dance. Wilder beat the drum and faster. As the old Indian
+warmed to his work, he broke out in a doleful, monotonous song, the
+words of which I did not understand. It sounded to me like this:
+
+  Anna-Hannah--
+  Anna-Hannah--
+  May-Ah!--
+  Anna-Hannah-Sarah-Wah!
+  Moolow-Hoolow, Ji-Hi-Tlack!
+  Anna-Hannah--
+  May-Ah-Ha!
+
+So it went on indefinitely.
+
+To lay this troubled spirit I tossed him a handful of coins, with the
+unfortunate result that his guttural song became, if anything, more
+loud and boisterous. I had no thought of exchanging my partner, as the
+Aztec maiden clung to me. With closed eyes and parted lips she moved as
+in a blissful dream. I have known Christian people become frantic under
+the impetus of great religious excitement and I have seen them act very
+strangely, also have I seen Indians similarly affected during their
+medicine-ghost dances. Now I, who had not thought it possible of
+myself, had become more savage and uncontrollable than any one. I
+suppose it was the irritating, monotonous sound of the war drum that
+did it, jarring my nerves, and the peculiar Indian odor in the stifling
+hot air of the close room, enhanced by the exhilarating sensation of
+threatening danger, and that in the presence of the adored sex.
+Assuredly all this was more than enough to set me off, as I am
+naturally impulsive and of a high-strung nervous temperament.
+
+I must say that considering the modest costumes of these Indian ladies
+and their bashful and shrinking disposition, it does seem strange that
+they should fascinate one like myself of the Saxon race. To be sure the
+sight of the bared shoulders and necks of society belles when undressed
+in the decollete fashion of their ball gowns ravishes and gluts our
+sensuality, but a momentary glimpse of the Indian maid's brown knee
+flashing by during the excitement of the fandango is just as
+suggestive, and the inch of hand-made embroidery on the edge of their
+short skirts is as effective as priceless lace on gowns of worth. And
+the Indian fashion has this to recommend it, that it is the less
+expensive of the two costumes. Ever watchful, ever on the alert, I saw
+the sheen of a knife flash from its scabbard in the hazy air, and my
+beautiful partner shivered and moaned in my arms. "Dog of an Indian,
+dare and die," shouted I, angrily. Four times I made the circuit of the
+room, and when again opposite the entrance of this man-kennel, I heard
+the voice of my faithful friend, Don Reyes Alvarado, calling me
+anxiously. I gave my lovely partner in charge of her tender-hearted
+sisters, for the poor wild thing had fainted and lay limply in my arms.
+The strong arm of my companion grasped me and drew me out into the
+fresh air, where I almost collapsed, overcome.
+
+"Surely, amigo," said Reyes, "you will not blame me now for not
+entering, but you have endurance, for Dios! I should not have survived
+so long. Thank God you came out alive! When I saw them pass in knives,
+I had my doubts and momentarily expected to hear the report of your
+revolver. But when I saw you pass by infatuated with Jtz-Li-Cama, the
+cacique's daughter and wife of the murderous scoundrel, El Macho, then
+I gave you up. Oh, see what is happening now. Amigo, you have broken up
+the dance. So it seemed. The drum was silent now and we heard the
+voices of men arguing in the Aztec idiom. Of a sudden the lights were
+extinguished and the crowd came out with a rush, and silently they
+stole away in the darkness.
+
+"Now, amigo," said Reyes, "let me tell you something, which may haply
+serve you well. Knowing that an American accomplishes things which a
+Mexican like myself must let alone, I advise you to try for the hidden
+treasure of La Gran Quivira. Seeing that you are in the good graces of
+Jtz-Li-Cama, you might prevail with the cacique to guide you. He is
+said to be the only living man who knows the secret of the trove in the
+ruins of the sacred temple of the ancient city. The Indians believe
+that this treasure, which the Aztecs hid from the Spaniards, is guarded
+by a terrible phantom dog, the specter of one of the great dogs of
+Fernando Cortez which ravened among their Aztec ancestors. They fear
+the specter of this fabled Perro de la Malinche more than anything else
+on earth, as it is said to harrow their souls in Hades as it ravened
+their bodies when in the flesh."
+
+After smoking a few cigarritos, my friend proposed to ride home, as
+there was really nothing else to be done. We rode slowly along,
+enjoying the beautiful night of this faultless climate, and I shall
+ever remember this night to my last day. There was a pleasant,
+refreshing odor in the air, the scent of the wild thyme which grows in
+these sand dunes. The moon rose over the Manzana range and flooded the
+broad valley with its soft, silvery rays. Suddenly, at a sharp turn of
+the trail, we found ourselves surrounded by silent forms arisen from
+the misty ground. "Don Reyes Alvarado," spoke the voice of the Indian,
+known as the macho, "I have come for revenge and am now ready to wipe
+out the insults you heaped on me when you charged me with the theft of
+your calves. I challenge thee to fight. Alight from thy horse, cowardly
+Spaniard! To-night of all nights shalt thou feel the Indians' blade
+between thy ribs." "Fight him, amigo," I said. "I shall enforce fair
+play." But my friend Reyes whom I knew to be a man of both strength and
+courage, weakened, being cowed with the superstition of the unlucky
+Noche Triste. "Tomorrow I shall fight thee, Indian," he answered "not
+at nighttime, like a thieving coyote." "If thou wert not astride thy
+horse and out of my reach, thou wouldst not dare say that to me, thou
+cuckold dupe of the Americans!" sneered the Indian. This insult to my
+companion angered me, and I demanded a retraction and an apology
+therefor from the Indian. When the macho flatly refused and repeated
+the insult in a more aggravating manner, I replied that I feared not to
+meet him or any other goatherding Indian and was ready to fight him on
+the spot.
+
+Saying this, I dismounted and threw my horse's bridle to my friend
+Reyes to hold. Then the cacique, or Pueblo chief, the father of
+Jtz-Li-Cama, appeared and demanded our weapons. "I shall not interfere
+in this fight, senores," said he, "if you surrender your weapons to me,
+the lawful alguacil (officer) of this district." He then took the
+macho's knife, and I gave him my revolver and stripped for the fray.
+
+I advanced and scratched a circle of about twelve feet diameter in the
+deep sand with my foot, then I stepped to the center of this ring and
+awaited my antagonist. I cautioned my friend Reyes to see to it that no
+one else overstepped the line. To the lonely sand dunes of the Rio
+Grande unwittingly I thus introduced the manly sport of the prize ring.
+But the battle was not fought for lucre or fame, nor according to the
+London Prize Ring Rules; it was fought in defense of a friend's honor,
+and the stake was life or death. The Indian made a rush for me, but I
+avoided him and warded off his blows. I did not touch him till I saw my
+chance, and then I tapped him under the chin which sent him sprawling.
+He arose promptly and came for me in a rage, when I felled him with a
+blow on the head. Again he came, and this time he gave me a stunning
+blow in the face, which maddened me so, that I took the offensive and
+laid him low with a terrific hit. I was now thoroughly infuriated and
+threw all caution to the winds. When he arose once more, I attacked
+him. He took to his heels and I followed him up. I noticed then that
+the whole crowd of Indians were running after us, but I had now become
+reckless and did not mind. Then I stumbled over a root and fell face
+down in the sand. Before I could arise fully the macho had turned and
+thrown himself upon me. I managed to turn over on my back and gripped
+him by throat and face, so that he was really in my power, and I felt
+that he was subdued so that I could easily force him under, and, small
+wonder, for with the terrible grip of my hand had I once crushed a
+man's fingers in a wrestling match. Now I used the macho's body as a
+shield against the furious onslaught of his people, who attacked me
+with rocks, clubs, and anything they could lay hands to. I thought, and
+I never ceased thinking and planning for one moment, that the affair
+looked very serious for me, when I saw the cacique approach with my
+pistol in hand, exclaiming, "Now, gringo, thou shalt die, on the altar
+of the god, at the sacred shrine of Aztlan, I shall lay thy quivering
+heart!" In vain I looked for help from my companion, who had sought
+safety in flight. Something had to be done and that quickly. Surely I
+had one trusty friend, true as steel, who would not forsake me in the
+extremity of my peril. I bethought me of my little "American bulldog"
+which I had picked up in the cars in Kansas, and which had ever since
+followed me faithfully. "Sic-semper-Cerberus-Sic!" My right hand stole
+to my hip, a short sharp bark, and the treacherous cacique fell over
+with a crimson stain on his forehead. At the same moment a weird,
+uncanny yelp pierced the night, and a tremendous shaggy phantom cloud
+obscured the slender sickle of the moon. Terrified, the Indians
+screamed "El Perro! El Perro de la Malinche!" and shrilly the voices of
+frightened squaws took up the refrain, "Perro! Perro! Gringo Perro!"
+
+When I staggered to my feet, I was alone, sorely bruised and wounded,
+but master of the field. I recovered my revolver, which lay at my feet
+and contrived to mount my horse, whose bridle had caught on the
+greasewood brush, and I headed for home.
+
+Not long thereafter I met my friend Reyes, who was followed by a
+retinue of peons. "Gracias a Dios. Amigo!" he exclaimed, on seeing me.
+"I came after your body, if it were to be found, and here you are
+alive. When I heard the report of firearms and knowing that those
+devils had your weapon, I feared the worst. How on earth did you manage
+to escape them? Seeing you down and beset by the whole tribe, I gave
+you up for dead and fled."
+
+I told my friend that with God's help and the phantom dog's assistance
+I had beaten off my assailants, and I thought that the cacique had been
+sorely bitten by the dog. Dona Josefita was very anxious and excited.
+When she saw me coming, she cried, "The saints preserve us, oh here he
+is! Mercy, how he looks, pobrecito! he is cut all to pieces. Hurry,
+Reyes, bring him in here and lay him gently down. Hombre, husband,
+coward! how couldst thou abandon thy friend who fought for thy honor,
+not fearing the death. I wager that pale hussy, Jtz-Li-Cama, was, as
+usual, the cause of this strife between men!"
+
+The kind lady then attended deftly and skillfully to the dressing of my
+wounds, applying soothing herbs and healing ointments, which tended to
+allay the fever, and she nursed me with the tenderest care, so that in
+a week's time I was as well as ever, though not without a feeling of
+regret for my too speedy recovery.
+
+Of course, there arose the rumor of a fierce battle between Americans
+and Indians. To silence this silly talk and to avoid unpleasant
+complications, I surrendered myself to the alcalde of the precinct and
+accused myself of having disturbed the peace of the realm. Pleading my
+case, I stated that as there was nobody but the peace disturbers
+involved, and as said parties did not make any further claim upon the
+Honorable Court, therefore, under the statute of the Territory and the
+Constitution of the United States, the law required that the court
+mulct the guilty parties in the payment of a nominal fine and discharge
+the culprits. The Honorable Court decreed that I as an American ought
+to know the American law best, and discharged me after I paid my
+self-imposed fine. The administering of justice in cases of importance
+was, of course, relegated to the United States Circuit Courts, but
+Uncle Sam did not care to meddle with the many troublesome alcaldes or
+justices of the peace, as he did not understand the Spanish language
+very well. This was certainly humiliating and embarrassing, but who can
+blame him, as no one is over anxious to be rated an ignorant person.
+
+My Mexican friends decided to give a farewell party in my honor.
+Accordingly they made great preparations. They secured the largest
+sala, or hall, in the township and scoured the country for
+musicians--fiddlers and guitar players. Every person of any social
+notability was invited. They drew the line of social respectability at
+peons, or bondmen. This was a happy-go-lucky caste of people who
+possessed no property nor anything else, and consequently they had no
+cares and were under no responsibility of any kind, as the wealthier
+classes, who virtually owned them, had to provide for their
+necessities. The system of peonage in New Mexico had been abolished
+with the abolition of slavery in the United States, but the peons did
+not realize the wretchedness of their deplorable social status, and in
+their ignorance they regarded their bondage as a privilege, believing
+themselves fortunate to have their wants provided for by their
+patrones. They were treated kindly by their masters and looked upon as
+poor relations and intimate but humble friends.
+
+The entertainment was to be of the velorio (wake) type, which begins as
+a prayer meeting and ends in a dance. My friends exerted themselves to
+the utmost to make this event the social climax of the season. They
+sent a committee to the pueblo of Isleta for several goatskins full of
+native wine, and incidentally they borrowed San Augustin, the pueblo's
+famous image saint, who they intended should preside over the velorio.
+As this prayer meeting was to be in my honor and for the sake of
+invoking the protection of the saints on my journey, they thought it
+best to procure San Augustin, who being the patron saint of the heathen
+Isleta Indians, would not mind giving a heretic Protestant gringo a
+good send-off, as he was accustomed to deal with heresy. They also
+procured a dozen fat mutton sheep, which were to be barbecued and
+served with chile pelado to the invited guests, surely a tempting menu
+and hot! The ladies baked bollos, tamales and frijoles. Melons and
+cantaloupes were brought in by the cartload. I was waited upon by a
+committee and received a formal invitation; for everything was done in
+grand Spanish style. When I arrived at the festive hall the ceremonies
+began. The ladies knelt before San Augustin, praying and chanting
+alternately. I took my customary station at the door, as master of the
+artillery. At the singing of a certain stanza and after the words,
+"Angeles, y Seraphim es! Santo! Santo! Santo!" I received my cue from
+one of the deacons who gave the order: "Fuego, maestro!" and I
+discharged my double barreled shotgun and a brace of six shooters in
+lightning-like succession. Surely this was pious devotion, properly
+emphasized, and it kept San Augustin from falling asleep. I used up a
+pound of gunpowder that night, and this was said to have been the
+grandest, most successful velorio ever held in that part of the world.
+At eleven o'clock I announced that my battery was overheated and too
+dangerous to reload, which stopped the praying and the grand baile
+began. There were several hundred dancing couples, who enjoyed
+themselves to the utmost until sunrise, and nobody thought of leaving
+for home until everything eatable and liquid was disposed of.
+
+Now the date of our departure had arrived, and very sad, indeed, was I
+to leave these people who had done their very best to make me feel at
+home with them and who seemed to be really fond of me. I consoled Dona
+Josefita somewhat with the promise that I would return some day and
+find her the treasure of La Gran Quivira. Don Juan Mestal, the
+freighter, seemed as reluctant to leave as I was; something was always
+turning up to delay our start. But at last we were off.
+
+After three days of travel, we came to a small town, where I met a
+Mexican whom I knew on the Rio Grande, where he had formerly lived. He
+invited me cordially to the wedding of his sister, which was to be on
+the next day at old Fort Wingate, an abandoned fort, and then a Mexican
+settlement. This man said that he had come on purpose to meet me, as he
+had heard of my intentions to leave the country. Although I did not
+like the man, who was said to be jealous of Americans, I accepted his
+urgent invitation more from curiosity to learn what he meant to do than
+for other reasons.
+
+The next morning I started early from camp and rode over to the little
+town, distant fifteen miles. When I arrived in front of my prospective
+host's house I caught a glimpse of two men, who were sneaking off
+toward an old corral. Then I knew what was in the wind, for those two
+men were known to me as desperate cutthroat thieves and highwaymen;
+their specialty was to waylay and murder American travelers. My kind
+friend professed to be overmuch delighted at my arrival. He took charge
+of my horse and invited me into his house, where I met the bridal
+couple and their friends, who were carousing and gambling. I joined and
+made merry with them. At ten o'clock the whole party made ready to
+proceed to the chapel, where the marriage ceremony was to be performed.
+I simulated the part of a very inebriated person, a condition which
+they looked forward to with hope and satisfaction, and told them that I
+would stay at the house to await their return. When everybody had left
+I thought I might as well get under way, feeling lonesome. I went out
+and around to the rear of the house, where the corral was, to get my
+horse, but found the gate fastened with chains and securely locked. The
+corral walls were built of adobe, and the two walls of it were a
+continuation of the side walls of the house, and its end wall formed an
+enclosure or backyard. My horse was there, and I found my saddle in one
+of the rooms of the building, hidden under a blanket. I entered the
+corral through the back door of the house, caught and saddled my horse,
+and then led him out to the street. This was a very laughable manner of
+leave-taking. The house was cut up into a labyrinth of small rooms,
+just large enough for a horse to turn around in, and the doors were low
+and narrow. As I could not find the outer door, I led my horse
+successively into every room in the house.
+
+There is no furniture such as we use in a typical Spanish dwelling, no
+bedsteads, tables, or chairs. The inmates squat on divans arranged on
+the floor around the walls of the rooms, and at nighttime they spread
+their bedding on the floors. Some of the rooms were nicely carpeted
+with Mexican rugs. My horse must have thought he had come to a suite of
+stables, for he acted accordingly. He nosed around after grain and hay,
+whinnied and pawed, and seemed to enjoy himself generally. At last I
+found the right door, came out into the street and rode to the church
+to tender my best wishes to the happy couple and bid them adios. When
+the party emerged from the chapel they seemed to be very much surprised
+at seeing me. I told my host that I regretted to leave them so early in
+the day, but had an appointment to keep elsewhere. I would ride slowly
+out of town so that they could overtake me easily, should they wish to
+see me later, but nobody came, and after several hours I caught up with
+my companions.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VIII.
+
+WITH THE NAVAJO TRIBE
+
+
+After a couple of days we came to Fort Wingate, which controls the
+Navajo Indian Reservation. We camped here for a day to have some repair
+work done to our wagons, and I took a stroll over the hills after
+rabbits and returned to camp at nightfall. Don Juan told me that he had
+been visited by a number of Indians, who had bartered him some blankets
+and buckskins and he was highly pleased thereat.
+
+The next morning we started early and traveled until noon. Several
+Indians had been following us for some time, and as soon as we made
+camp they squatted at our fire, while others were continually arriving,
+some afoot, but most of them on horseback. Manuelito, a grand-looking
+chief, rode into camp on the finest Indian pony I had ever seen. It was
+beautifully caparisoned; the saddle, bridle, and trappings were covered
+with silver mountings. This was by far the most gorgeously dressed
+Navajo I had ever met. He wore tight-fitting knickerbockers of
+jet-black buckskin, which resembled velvet, with a double row of silver
+buttons, set as close as possible on the outward seams, from top to
+bottom. On his legs from knee to ankle he wore homespun woolen
+stockings and his feet were covered by beaded moccasins of yellow,
+smoke-tanned buckskin. His bright red calico shirt was literally
+covered with silver ornaments and his ears were pierced with heavy
+silver rings, at least three inches in diameter. His wrists and arms
+were heavy with massive silver bracelets and others, carved from a
+stone, which resembled jade. About his neck he wore strings of wampum
+and glass beads, garnets, and bits of turquoise. The turquoise and
+garnet is found here in places known only to these Indians. His fingers
+were encircled by many rings, but the finest ornament he possessed was
+his body belt of great disks of silver, the size of tea saucers. All
+this jewelry was of a fair workmanship, such as is made by Navajo
+silversmiths out of coin silver. In fact, these Indians prefer silver
+to gold for purposes of personal adornment. The blanket which this
+Indian wore around his waist was worth at least two hundred dollars;
+never have I seen its equal in beauty of pattern and texture.
+
+The chief dismounted and withdrew with Don Juan behind a wagon for a
+talk, as I presumed. They reappeared soon, and the chief mounted his
+steed and cavorted around our camp as one possessed. Furiously lashing
+his horse, he scattered our cooking utensils and acted in a most
+provoking manner generally. I noticed then that the noble chief was
+intoxicated, and when I questioned Don Juan sharply, he admitted that
+he had given the Indian some whiskey, and on the day before as well. I
+warned the Don to have no further dealings with these Indians and
+advised him to break camp at once in order to avoid trouble. I informed
+him also that he had committed a serious crime by selling liquor to
+Indians and that he was liable to be arrested at any time should a
+patrol from the fort happen our way. As the Mexican was frightened now,
+we took to the road in a hurry and traveled until a late hour that
+night. In fact, we did not stop until the cattle were exhausted.
+
+Hardly had we prepared our camp and were sitting around our fire, when
+a horde of Indians appeared, clamoring for whiskey. As they were armed
+and threatening, Don Juan became so terrified that he climbed to the
+interior of a wagon to comply with the demand of the savages. When I
+saw this, I drew my rifle from its place under my bedding and placed it
+in readiness. Plainly I saw Don Juan come out of the wagon with the
+mischievous stone jug, as this happened in the bright light of our camp
+fire. That will never do, thought I, and quickly drawing my revolver, I
+persuaded the Don to drop the jug, incidentally smashing it with a 44
+caliber bullet, taking care not to hurt anybody; and this was easily
+done, as the jug was a large one, it held three gallons.
+Instantaneously I grabbed my Winchester, and with my back against a
+wagon stood ready for action. The Indians uttered a howl of
+disappointment when they saw the jug collapse and its precious contents
+wasted, but were silenced by an exclamation of their chief. After an
+excited pow-wow between themselves, they disappeared among the hills in
+the shadows of the night.
+
+"Muchas gracias, senor Americana," said Don Juan, "quien sabe?" What
+would have happened if the Indians had gotten the liquor, which I dared
+not refuse them; but I think this ends our troubles. We passed a
+sleepless night, and long before sunrise Don Juan made preparations for
+our departure.
+
+When the herders rounded up the cattle, they found that several yoke of
+oxen were missing, and greatly alarmed, they said that they believed
+the Indians had stolen them during the night. Don Juan did not appear
+to be very anxious to search for the missing cattle himself, so he sent
+out the herders again after breakfast. They returned with the report of
+having found the tracks of Indians who had apparently driven the cattle
+toward the hills, and stated that they were afraid to follow, fearing
+for their lives.
+
+As it was nearly noon by this time, we cooked our dinner, and while
+doing so were visited again by a number of the Indians. Don Juan
+intimated to them that several of his oxen had strayed off during the
+night, and the Navajos kindly offered to go in search of them for a
+remuneration. They demanded a stack of tortillas a foot high and a sack
+of flour. Nolens-volens, squatted Don Mestal before the fire and baked
+bread for the wily Indians as a ransom for his cattle. Of course then
+the missing oxen were soon brought up, and we lost no time in getting
+under way.
+
+Until midnight we traveled, as Don Juan was very anxious to get away
+from the reservation of these Indians, which is seventy-five miles
+across. This night we experienced a repetition of the tactics of the
+night before, as regarded the safety of our herd, but Don Juan had to
+pay a higher ransom in the morning. While we were awaiting the arrival
+of the Indians with our lost steers, Chief Manuelito honored us again
+with his presence. He sat down at our fire, and producing a greasy deck
+of Spanish playing cards, he challenged Don Juan to a game of monte.
+That was an irresistible temptation for my companion. By the smiling
+expression of his wizened features I divined that he thought he saw his
+chance for revenge. Manuelito undoubtedly had a strain of sporting
+blood in his veins, as he offered to stake his horses, blankets,
+squaws, and everything he had against the Mexican's wagons and cargo. I
+warned Don Juan to have a care, as I knew the cunning of the Navajo
+tribe, having dealt with them before, and advised him to play the traps
+he had bought from them with liquor against a chipper little squaw who
+was richly dressed and had come with Chief Manuelito, mounted on a
+white pony. I believed her to be the chief's daughter. When she
+understood the import of the conversation, she looked haughtily and in
+a disdainful manner at Don Juan, but appeared to be pleased with me and
+eyed me with symptoms of curiosity. Of course, I expected her to defy
+Don Juan to take her, and simply ride off in case he should win the
+game. At any rate, I meant to take her under my protection, if
+necessary, and send her home to her people. In fact, the liquor which
+Don Juan had sold these Indians had belonged to me and had been
+presented to me by a friend as an antidote for possible snake bites on
+the road to Arizona.
+
+The gambling began, and my Mexican companions became so engrossed in
+the enjoyment of their alluring national game of monte that they forgot
+everything else. The drivers were as interested as their employer and
+bet the poor trinkets they possessed on the result of the game. There
+arrived more Indians continually, and I observed a familiar face
+amongst these and saw that I myself was recognized. The game was ended
+as I had foreseen, with Don Juan as the loser. He was an easy prey for
+these Indians, who are as full of tricks as the ocean is of water.
+
+Then Chief Manuelito, who was highly elated with his victory over the
+Mexican, challenged me to a game in a very overbearing and provoking
+manner. I replied that I despised the game of monte, which was perhaps
+good enough for Mexicans and Indians, but was decided by chance; I
+boasted that I was ready to bet anything I had on my skill at shooting
+with the rifle, and challenged him and his whole tribe to the sport
+which was worthy of men, a shooting match. I think Manuelito would have
+accepted my challenge without hesitation and in great glee if he had
+not been restrained by the Indian whom I have mentioned before as
+having just arrived and recognized me. This Indian said something to
+the chief, which seemed to interest and excite them all. Chief
+Manuelito advanced, and extending his hand in greeting, said that he
+had often wished to meet me, the wizard who had beaten the champion
+marksman of the Navajo tribe.
+
+Several years before I had in the town of Cubero, at the request of
+Mexican friends, shot a target match with the most renowned marksman of
+the Navajo tribe, my pistol being pitted against the Navajo's rifle,
+and had beaten him with a wonderful shot to the discomfiture and
+distress of a trading band of Indians, who bet on their champion's
+prowess and lost their goods to the knowing Mexicans.
+
+The chief then requested me to favor them with an exhibition of my
+skill. I readily assented and directed them to put up a target. They
+placed a flat rock against the trunk of a pine tree at so great a
+distance that it was barely distinguishable to the naked eye. I guessed
+the distance and my shot fell just below the mark. Then I raised the
+hind sight of my Winchester a notch and the next shot shattered the
+stone to pieces. At this the Indians went wild. They had thought it
+impossible for any man to perform this feat of marksmanship, and were
+most enthusiastic in the profession of their admiration. Gladly would
+they have adopted me into their tribe as a great chief or medicine man
+had I wished to ally myself to them. There was the opportunity of a
+lifetime, but I did not embrace it.
+
+As the sun was now low in the heavens, I advised Don Juan to remain in
+camp for the night and spoke to Chief Manuelito, expressing my wish to
+pass through his country unmolested and without delay. The chief
+assured me of his protection and bade us have no care. We slept soundly
+that night, a band of Indians guarding our camp and herd under orders
+of Manuelito, who had become my stanch friend and admirer. The
+following day we came to the end of the reservation and soon crossed
+the boundary line of New Mexico into Arizona.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IX.
+
+IN ARIZONA
+
+
+I left New Mexico with the intention of making Los Angeles in the
+golden State my future home, and now, thirty years later, I have not
+reached there yet. Vainly have I tried to break the thraldom of my
+fate, for I did not know that here I was to meet face to face with the
+mighty mystery of an ancient cult, the God of a long-forgotten
+civilization, a psychic power which has ordered my path in life and
+controlled my actions.
+
+As its servant, at its bidding, I write this, and shall now unfold, and
+in the course of this narrative give to the world a surprising
+revelation of the power of ancient Aztec idols, which would be
+incredible in the light of our twentieth century of Christian
+civilization if it were not sustained by the evidence of undeniable
+facts.
+
+Our road led through a hilly country toward the Little Colorado River.
+In the distance loomed the San Francisco Mountains, extinct craters
+which had belched fire and lava long, long ago at the birth of Arizona,
+when the earth was still in the travail of creation. We forded the
+Little Colorado at Sunset Crossing, a lonely colony, where a few
+Mormons were the only inhabitants of a vast area of wilderness. We were
+headed due west toward a mesa rising abruptly from the plateau which we
+were then traversing. This mesa was again capped by a chain of lofty
+peaks, one of the Mogollon mountain ranges. We ascended the towering
+mesa through the difficult Chavez pass, which is named after its
+discoverer, the noted Mexican, Colonel Francisco Chavez, who may be
+remembered as a representative in Congress of the United States, for
+the Territory of New Mexico. A day's heavy toil brought us to the
+summit of the mesa, which was a beautiful place, but unspeakably
+lonesome. This wonderful highland is a malpais or lava formation and
+densely covered with a forest of stately pines and mountain juniper.
+Strange to say, vegetation thrives incredibly in the rocky lava; a
+knee-high growth of the most nutritious grama grasses, indigent to this
+region, rippled in the breeze like waves of a golden sea and we saw
+numerous signs of deer, antelope, and turkey. Our road, a mere trail,
+wound over this plateau, which was a veritable impenetrable jungle in
+places, a part of the great Coconino forest. Think and wonder! An
+unbroken forest of ten thousand square miles, it is said to be the most
+extensive woodland on the face of the globe. This trail was the worst
+road to travel I have seen or expect ever to pass over. The wagons
+moved as ships tossed on a stormy sea, chuck! chuck! from boulder to
+boulder, without intermittence. We found delicious spring water about
+noon and passed a most remarkable place later in the day. This must
+have been the pit of a volcano. A few steps aside from the road you
+might lean over the precipice and look straight down into a great,
+round crater, so deep that it made a person dizzy. At the bottom there
+was a ranch house, a small lake and a cultivated field, the whole being
+apparently ten acres in area. I looked straight down on a man who was
+walking near the house and appeared no larger than a little doll and
+his dog seemed to be the size of a grasshopper, but we heard the dog
+bark and heard the cackling of hens quite plainly. On one side of this
+pit there was a break in the formation, which made this curious place
+accessible by trail.
+
+We had been advised that we would find a natural tank of rain water in
+the vicinity of this place and camped there at nightfall. We turned our
+stock out, but our herders did not find the promised water. Our cook
+reported that there was not a drop of water in camp, as the spigot of
+his water tank had been loosened by the roughness of the road and all
+the water was lost. Now this would have been a matter of small
+consequence if Don Juan had not been taken ill suddenly. He threw
+himself on the ground and cried for water. "Agua, por Dios!" (Water,
+for God's sake) he cried, "or I shall die." "Why, Don Juan," I said,
+"there is no water here. I advise you to wait till moonrise when the
+cattle are rested and then leave for the next watering place, which is
+Beaver Head, at the foot of the mesa; we ought to reach there about ten
+o'clock to-morrow morning. Surely until then you can endure a little
+thirst!" "Amiga, I cannot, I am dying," moaned Don Juan, in great
+distress. As I suspected that he had lost his nerve on the Navajo
+reservation, I felt greatly annoyed, and when he became frantic in his
+cries I promised to go down to Beaver Creek to get him a drink of
+water, for I recalled to mind his little daughter who bid me farewell
+with these words: "Adios, Senor Americano, I charge you with the care
+of my padrecito. If you promise me, I know that he will return to me
+safely."
+
+I set out on my long night-walk, stumbling over rocks and boulders in
+the darkness. It was a beautiful night, the crisp atmosphere was laden
+with the fragrant exhalation of the nut pines and junipers and there
+was not a breath of air stirring. I got down to water at midnight, the
+time of moonrise, filled my canteen and started on the return trip.
+Slowly I reascended the steep mesa, and when I reached the summit I sat
+down on a rock in a thicket of junipers. The moon had now risen above
+the trees and cast its dim light over an enchanting scene. The sense of
+utter loneliness, a homesickness, a feeling of premonition, stole over
+me, and weirdly I sensed the presence of I knew not what. From the
+shadows spoke an owl, sadly, anxiously, "Hoo, hoo! Where are you? You!"
+and his mate answered him tenderly, seductively, "Tee, hee! Come to me!
+Me!"
+
+In the west, far, far away, clustered a range of mountains, spread out
+like an enormous horse-shoe and in its center arose the form of a
+solitary hill. In the heavens from the east drifted a white, ragged
+cloud. The solitary hill seemed to rise high and higher and all the
+mountains bowed before it. The spectral cloud resolved itself into a
+terrible vision which enveloped the central hill. Great Heavens! Again
+I saw the phantom dog and fancied that I heard shrill screams of
+"Perro, perro, gringo perro!" A crackling noise, a coming shadow, and
+forward I fell on my face, ever on the alert, ever ready. An unearthly
+yell and a great body flew over, fierce claws grazing me. Two balls of
+fire shone in the bush, but my rifle cracked and a great lion fell in
+its tracks. I expected my companions to meet me soon, coming my way.
+Instead, I found them, after my all-night's walk, snugly camped where I
+had left them. Don Juan explained that with God's favor they had found
+the water soon after I had left them. He said that they had called loud
+and long after me, but I did not seem to hear.
+
+This day we descended the mesa and entered the valley of the Verde
+River, one of Arizona's permanent water courses. This valley is
+cultivated for at least forty miles from its source to where it enters
+precipitous mountains. We forded the crystal waters of the river at
+Camp Verde, an army post, and crossed another range of mountains and
+several valleys into a comparatively open country, and on the night of
+a day late in November we camped on Lynx Creek, and were then within a
+half day's travel of our destination.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER X.
+
+AT THE SHRINE OF A "SPHINX OF AZTLAN"
+
+
+Not a drop of rain had fallen on us since we left the Rio Grande, the
+days were as summer in a northern climate, but the nights were quite
+chill, the effect of an altitude of five thousand feet above sea level.
+The country had lost its appearance of loneliness, for we passed
+several parties of miners and heard the heavy booming of giant powder
+at intervals, and from various directions all through the day.
+
+We were joined by a jolly party of miners who were eager for news and
+camped with us over night. There were three men in this outfit.
+Keen-looking, hearty old chaps with ruddy faces and gray beards, they
+looked like men who are continually prospecting for the "main chance."
+I passed a delightful evening in their company. They said they owned
+rich silver mines farther up on Lynx Creek, and had come out from town
+to perform the annual assessment work on their claims, as prescribed by
+the laws of the United States, in order to hold possession and perfect
+legal title to the ground. As I was not versed in matters pertaining to
+the mines, I asked why they did not work their mines continually for
+the silver. They explained that they could not work to good advantage
+for lack of transportation facilities which made it very difficult and
+costly to bring in machinery for developing their prospects into mines.
+Therefore, until the advent of railroads they chose to perform their
+annual assessment work only.
+
+Two of these gentlemen were substantial business men and the other was
+their confidential secretary or affidavit man. It was his duty to make
+an affidavit before a magistrate that his employers had performed the
+labor required by law, which is not less than one hundred dollars per
+claim and incidentally he cooked for the outfit and attended to the
+horses. Of course, they might have hired mine laborers to do this work,
+but they said they enjoyed the outing and exercise, especially as this
+was the time of house cleaning and they were glad to get away from
+home. "Yes," affirmed the affidavit man, "and so are your wives."
+
+These gentlemen rode horses and carried a supply of provisions on a
+pack mule. The most conspicuous object of their pack was a keg labelled
+"dynamite." When the clerk placed this dangerous thing near the fire
+and sat on it, I became fidgety, but was reassured when subsequently I
+saw him draw the stopper and fill a bottle labelled "Old Crow" from it.
+They advised me to go prospecting and gave me much valuable information
+and kindly offered to sell me a prospecting outfit, "for cash," at
+their stores.
+
+As we were chatting, I became aware of a delicious, pungent odor, like
+the perfume of orange blossoms. "Is it possible," said I, astonished,
+"that there are orange groves in bloom in this vicinity?" The old
+gentlemen said they did not smell anything wrong, but the clerk jumped
+to his feet and sniffed the air in the direction of Prescott. "Why,
+gentlemen," said he, "of course, you cannot smell any further than the
+blossoms on the tips of your noses, but the young man has a sharp
+proboscis, he scents the girls. Here comes Dan bound for the Silver
+Bell Mine with his blooming show." We heard the clatter of hoofs and
+wheels and saw a large coach pass by, crowded with passengers, mostly
+ladies. The clerk said that the genial owner of the Silver Bell Mine,
+who was also the proprietor of a popular resort in town, was going out
+to pay his miners their monthly wage. "That is it," said one of the
+merchants, "and to keep the boys from leaving the mine in order to
+spend their money at his resort in town, he takes his variety show out
+there. He cannot afford to have his mine shut down just now, as they
+have struck horn silver, and that is the kind of tin he needs in his
+business."
+
+These kind old gentlemen cautioned me to keep away from a dark-looking,
+broken mountain, looming to the north. "That country is no good," they
+said; "there is nothing but copper there, even the water is poisoned
+with it." Those were the black hills where there is now the prosperous
+town of Jerome and one of the great mines of the earth, the famous
+United Verde Mine, the property of Senator William Clark.
+
+The following day, about noon, we rounded a sharp bend of the road and
+Fort Whipple and the town of Prescott came into view. A pretty and
+gratifying sight truly, but imagine my astonishment! Here to the right
+was the identical mysterious hill which I had seen in that memorable
+night from the height of the Mogollon mesa and behind it was the black
+range, the Sierra Prieta, which had formed a part of the encircling
+horseshoe.
+
+Never in my lifetime have I come to a town where the people were as
+hospitable and kindly disposed toward strangers as here. It is no
+wonder that I got no farther, for here the people vied with each other
+to welcome the wayfarer to the gates of their city. The town was then
+young and isolated. The inhabitants had come by teams or horseback from
+as far away as the State of Kansas, where the nearest railway
+connection was eastward, or from California, via Yuma and Ehrenberg on
+the Colorado River. Stages and freight teams made regular trips across
+the arid desert to Ehrenberg. The first settlers of this region came
+from California in search of gold. They first found it in the sands of
+the Hassayampa, which is born of mighty Mount Union, the mother of four
+living streams. From its deathbed in the hot sands of the desert, they
+traced the precious waters to its source. Gold they found in plenty
+with hardship and privation. They encountered a band of hostile
+Indians, and hardest to bear, a loneliness made sufferable only by the
+illusive phantasies of the golden fever. Their expectations realized,
+the majority of these pioneers returned to the Golden State and
+civilization with the burden of their treasure, saying they had not
+come to Arizona for their health. Now in these present days there comes
+a throng of people in quest of health solely, and many are they who
+find its blessing in the sunny and bracing air of this climate, in hot
+springs and the balmy breath of the fir and juniper of our mountains. I
+found employment in a mercantile establishment of this little mining
+town and grew up with the country, as the saying is. I formed new
+acquaintances and made new friends. Among others, I met William Owen
+O'Neill. I cannot now remember the exact time or year. Attracted by the
+light-hearted, cheerful, and dare-devil spirit of this ambitious and
+cultured young man, I joined a military organization, of which he was
+then a lieutenant and later the captain, this was Company F of Prescott
+Grays, National Guard of Arizona. Poor, noble-hearted, generous
+Buckie--he knew it not, but this was his first step on the path of
+glory leading to the altar of patriotism whereon he laid his life. It
+was he who, with a poet's inspiration, first divined the mystery of the
+mountain which I have before alluded to. He likened this beautiful
+mound to a sleeping lion who guarded the destinies of the mountain
+city. Poor friend, his glorious song stirred the dormant life in the
+metallic veins of the Butte and, wonder of wonders, the sleeping lion
+awoke, the poet's lay had brought the Sphinx to life--the die of fate
+was cast and he had sealed his doom! When I read his beautiful poem, I
+gasped in wonder, for only I on earth fathomed the significance of this
+revelation. This dream of a poet's fanciful soul, soaring on the wings
+of Pegasus, was stern reality to me and anxiously I awaited
+developments. Nor waited I in vain.
+
+The grateful Sphinx showered honor and wealth upon my friend. The
+generous sportive boy, who cared naught for gold, actually grew rich,
+for the Sphinx had granted him the most lucrative office in the county,
+the people made him their sheriff. He rose step by step to the highest
+place of honor in the community until he became the mayor of Prescott.
+Not satisfied with this token of its favor, the Sphinx rewarded him in
+a most extraordinary and convincing manner. By the help of nature, its
+help-meet, it transformed a great deposit of siliceous limestone into
+beautiful onyx and painted it in all the colors and after the pattern
+of the rainbow. This magnificent gift made Captain O'Neill
+independently rich, but it is a fact that as soon as it passed from his
+hands, the stone lost in value and no one has since profited from it. I
+believe that our hero would have risen to the highest position of
+dignity on earth, the Presidency of the United States, if he had not
+unwittingly aroused the jealousy of the terrible heathen god. When he
+chose a wife from the lovely maidens of Prescott, then the vengeful
+Sphinx laid its sinister plans for his undoing, for it is in the nature
+of cats, small or great, to be exceedingly jealous. The furious idol
+remembered the people of a long forgotten race, its loyal subjects, who
+had reared and worshiped it, inconceivably long ago, when the Grand
+Canyon of Arizona was but a tiny ravine and before icy avalanches had
+ground the rocks at the Dells into boulders. It remembered the
+descendants of its subjects, the Aztec Indians. It remembered how the
+Spaniards had cruelly broken the Aztec nation. Through the subtle
+influence of psychic forces, it stirred up a passion of hate for Spain
+in the hearts of the people of the United States, and it fostered the
+awful spirit of strife, and at the right moment it let loose the dogs
+of war. One convulsive touch of its rocky claws on the hidden currents
+coursing in earth's veins and an evil spark fired the fatal mine under
+the battleship Maine, in the harbor of Havana.
+
+"Is this possible; can this be true?" If not, why is it that at the
+call to arms, even before the nation rallied from the shock of the
+cowardly deed which sacrificed the lives of inoffensive sailors--why is
+it, I say, that from under the very paws of the Sphinx, so far away in
+Arizona--and at the call of Captain O'Neill, the noble mayor of
+Prescott, there arose the first contingent of fighting volunteers in
+our war with Spain? The inexorable Sphinx had resolved to grant to our
+beloved and honored friend its last and most exalted gift, a hero's
+death on the field of battle. It has graven the name of Prescott, the
+city of the Sphinx, on scrolls of everlasting fame, as the town which
+rallied first to the call of the President and as the only town which
+gave the life of its mayor, its first, its most honored citizen, to the
+nation.
+
+On the isle of Cuba, in the battle of San Juan Hill, fell the gallant
+Captain William Owen O'Neill of the regiment of Rough Riders. Peace to
+his ashes!
+
+I have been told the circumstances surrounding his death by friends,
+who were soldiers of his company. They were lying under cover behind
+every available shelter to dodge a hailstorm of Mauser bullets,
+awaiting the order to advance. Captain O'Neill exposed himself and was
+instantly killed. How could he avoid it? How could it have been
+otherwise? What can keep an Irishman down in the ditch when bullets are
+flying in air, "murmuring dirges" and "shells are shrieking requiems?"
+You may readily imagine an Irishman on the firing line, poking his head
+above the ground, exclaiming: "Did yez see that? And where did that
+Dago pill come from now? Shure it spoke Spanish, but it did not hit me
+at all, at all, Begorra!"
+
+The activity of the Sphinx ended not with the battle of San Juan Hill,
+for it cast the luster of its glorious power on the gallant Lieutenant
+Colonel of the famous regiment of Rough Riders, Theodore Roosevelt, and
+on him it conferred in time the greatest honor to be achieved on earth,
+it made him President of the United States of America. Not knowing it,
+perhaps, he still is at the time of this writing in the sphere of
+influence and in the power of the Sphinx and is doing its bidding. Else
+why should he, as is well known, favor the jointure of New Mexico and
+Arizona into one State? Surely the loyal subjects of the Sphinx, the
+Pueblo Indians of Aztec blood, live mostly in New Mexico, and the
+cunning idol plans to deliver them out of the hands of the Spanish
+Mexicans, and place them under the protection and care of the Americans
+of Arizona, knowing full well that the Anglo-Saxon blood will rule.
+
+Every miner and prospector of Arizona knows that there have been, and
+are found to this day nuggets of pure gold and silver on the summit of
+barren hills, in localities and under geological conditions which are
+not to be reckoned as possible natural phenomena. Whence came the
+golden nuggets on the summit of Rich Hill at Weaver, where a party of
+men gathered two hundred thousand dollars worth in a week's time?
+Whence came the isolated great chunk of silver at Turkey Creek, valued
+at many thousands? The wisest professor of geology and expert of mines
+cannot explain it. This, I say, is the gold and silver from ornaments
+employed in temples of the idols of ancient races, who lived
+unthinkable thousands of years ago. The very stones of their temples
+have crumbled and been decomposed, but the precious metal has been
+formed into nuggets, according to the natural laws of molecular
+attraction, and under the impulse of gravity and in obedience to the
+laws of affinity of matter.
+
+People from Prescott in their rambles in the vicinity of Thumb Butte
+have probably noticed a slag pile as comes from a furnace. I have heard
+them theorize and argue on the question of its origin or use, as there
+is not a sign of ore in existence thereabouts to indicate a smelting
+furnace. I say this was an altar erected I by the ancient worshipers to
+their idol, the Sphinx. Before it stood the awful sacrificial stone,
+whereon quivered the bodies of victims while priests tore open their
+breasts and offered their throbbing hearts in the sacred fire on the
+altar, a sacrifice to their cruel god. Many prospectors have
+undoubtedly traced a blood red vein of rock coursing from this place
+toward Willow Creek--a valuable lode of cinnabar, they must have
+thought. If they had tested the ore for quicksilver, they would have
+received discouraging results. Porphyry stained with an unknown
+petrified substance and without a trace of metal invariably read the
+analytical assays.
+
+This is the innocent, petrified blood of victims which stained a ledge
+of porphyry when it ran down the mountain side in torrents, an awful
+sacrifice to the ancient idols of lust and ignorance. A kindly warning
+to you, fellow-prospectors and miners, who delve in the vitals of
+Mother Earth! Beware Thumb Butte, beware the district of the Sphinx!
+Have a care, for you know not what you may encounter in this mystic
+neighborhood! Shun strange gods and set up no idols in your hearts, as
+you value the salvation of your souls. But if your mine lies in this
+district, be fearful not to excite the anger of the gnomes of the
+mountain. Charge lightly, lest you blast the bottom out of your mine.
+Disturb not the slumber of the spirits of the hills lest they throw a
+horse into the shaft and push your pay-ore down a thousand feet.
+
+Now, I who am what I am, a servant of the Sphinx, have erected the
+shrine of my household gods in the beautiful town, which lies in its
+shadow and is held in its paw. Even now is the Sphinx weaving on the
+web of my destiny. I hope I may be spared the cumbersome burden of the
+wealth of a Rockefeller, who is said to possess a billion dollars for
+every hair on his head. One thousandth part of his wealth would suffice
+to reward me amply.
+
+I received a message in a dream, in a vision of the night, a promise
+from the Sphinx. I fancied that I was on Lynx Creek, sitting on the
+windlass at the shaft of my silver mine. This mine is within a mile of
+the place where we had camped and met the party of miners. I had worked
+the mine with profit until I met, through no fault of mine, with a
+fault in the mine and encountered a horse in the formation which
+faulted the ground in such a manner as to interrupt the pay chute and
+to make further work unprofitable.
+
+While I sat there, lighting my pipe and blessing my luck, I saw a black
+tomcat come along and jump my claim. As I have always detested claim
+jumpers, I threw a rock at him and with an uncanny mee-ow and bristling
+tail he disappeared down the mine. When I went to the spot where he had
+scratched, after the fashion of cats, probably preparing to build his
+location monument and place his notice, I was thunderstruck to see that
+the rock I had thrown at him had been transformed into a chunk of pure
+gold. Surely where that cat jumped into the mine, there lies a bonanza,
+there shall I sink to the water level.
+
+From the time of my youth have I always possessed great bodily strength
+and physical endurance, combined with good health, and now, I am, if
+anything, stronger in body than ever and I am blessed with the
+identical passions and thoughts I harbored in the days of my youth. To
+me this signifies that my life's real task is now beginning, the Sphinx
+is fitting me for glorious work. What and where, I care not; but
+ambitious hope leads me on, past wealth and power to visions of a
+temple of divine, pictorial art. Fain would I guide my light, frivolous
+thoughts long enough into the calm channels of serious reflection to
+bid you, my kind readers, a dignified farewell and express the sincere
+hope that, when we have prospected life's mortal vein to the end of
+time and our souls soar on the last blast of Gabriel's trumpet to
+shining sands on shores of bliss eternal.
+
+
+
+
+AN UNCANNY STONE.
+
+(A sequel to the last chapter of "Wooed by a Sphinx of Astlan."')
+
+  "Gigantic shadows, dancing in the twilight
+  Fade with the sun's last golden ray.
+  On quivering bat-wings, sad and silent,
+  Flits darkness--night pursuing day.
+  Hark! as the twelfth hour sounds its knell
+  At midnight, tolls a whimpering bell
+  When yawning graves profane their secrecy.
+  Ghosts stalk in dreamland haunting memory
+  And spectral visions of departed friends arise
+  Who freed of sin, that fetter of mortality,
+  With Angels in their kingdom of Eternal Life
+  Grace Heaven's choir of harmony."
+
+The third day of July A. D. 1907 was a gala-day for the citizens of
+Prescott, a historic date for Arizona, as then our governor, in behalf
+of the territory, formally accepted an equestrian statue from its
+sculptor.
+
+This monument which commemorates our war with Spain had been erected on
+the public plaza of Prescott in honor of "Roosevelt's Rough Riders,"
+the first regiment of United States Volunteer cavalry.
+
+A master-piece of modern art the statue breathes life and action in the
+perfection of its every detail, representing a Rough Rider who is about
+to draw his weapon while reining his terrified horse as it rears in a
+last lunge. This is indicated by the steed's gaping mouth, distended
+nostrils, the bent knees, knotted chords and veins of its neck and body.
+
+The expression of a noble beast's agony is rendered in so life-like a
+manner that its protruding eyes seem to glaze into the awful stare of
+death, and instinctively the spectator listens for the stifled whimper
+and whinnying screams of a wounded creature.
+
+Borglum's splendid statuary, this heroic cast of bronze which so
+faithfully portrays the destiny of a dumb animal, man's most useful and
+willing slave, always ready to share its master's fate, even unto
+death--to my mind is a most eloquent, if silent, argument against all
+warfare.
+
+But the glory of the monument is its pedestal.
+
+A solid stone, a bed-rock from the cradle of the idol-mountain it was
+contributed by nature to the memory of one of its noblemen, "Captain
+William Owen O'Neill," who crowned his life with immortality, suffering
+a soldier's death.
+
+During the storming of San Juan Hill to anxious friends imploring him
+not recklessly to expose himself, with smiling lips he gave this
+message of death's Angel, that mysterious oracle of a Sphinx which from
+the gaze of mortals veils their ordained doom: "Comrades, sergeant! I
+thank you for your kindly warning--fear not for me, the Spanish bullet
+that could kill me is not molded!"--when instantly he fell struck
+dead--not by a "Spanish" bullet--"no!" but by the bullet fired from a
+Mauser rifle, "not made in Spain." Not an ordinary stone this Arizona
+granite rock is entitled to highest honors among the stones of the
+earth.
+
+By none outclassed in witchery it ranks equally in fame with the
+Blarneystone of Ireland; old Plymouth Rock does not compare with it,
+for that derives its prestige only from "Mayflower pilgrims" who
+accidentally landing at its base merely stepped over it.
+
+Proudly our Arizona stone bears a most precious burden--the tribute of
+a people who in exalting patriotism honor themselves.
+
+Originally an archaean sea-bottom rock this stone lay submerged in the
+ocean until during the Jurassic Period, under the lateral pressure of a
+cooling earthcrust the table-lands and mountain-chains of Arizona rose
+from the seas.
+
+Then it slumbered through several epochs of geology, representing many
+millions of years in the bosom of earth, the mother, until at the
+beginning of the psychozoic era, through erosion or the action of
+atmospheric influences and nature's chemistry it came to the surface;
+uncovered and freed from all superimposed stratified rock.
+
+It saw the light of day long before the advent of primitive man; but
+the giant-flora and fauna of pre-historic time had developed,
+flourished and vanished while it rested under ground.
+
+Contrary to the habit of rolling stones which gather no moss, this
+Arizona stone accumulated much, for when it had reached its assigned
+site on the plaza of Prescott it had become a very valuable, expensive
+rock.
+
+When first I saw it, this fearful Aztec juggernaut was within a half
+mile of its destination. Slowly it crawled along, threatening
+destruction to everything in its path, and in the course of a week had
+arrived at the Granite-creek bridge.
+
+It moved by main strength and brute force employing men and horses
+after the custom of the ancients when more than thirty-seven hundred
+years ago King Menes, son of Cham reigned in Egypt, who albeit surnamed
+Mizrain the Laggard, yet was the first king of the first dynasty of the
+children of the sun.
+
+When I saw the direction from whence the stone had come I feared that
+disaster would overwhelm our town and unfortunately was I not mistaken.
+
+At the bridge the stone gave the first manifestation of its unholy
+heathen power when it balked, defying modern civilization and through
+sorcery or in other unhallowed ways contrived to interfere with the
+public electric traction service, paralyzing the traffic so effectively
+that every street car in the town was stopped; not merely a few hours,
+but for days.
+
+Like that colossus of strength and wisdom, the elephant which refuses
+to pass over a bridge until satisfied that this will uphold its weight,
+the cunning stone did not budge another inch until the bridge had been
+braced with many timbers.
+
+As foreseen by me this uncanny rock was sent by the Idol of the
+mountain, the "Sphinx of Aztlan," to cast a hoodoo, an evil spell over
+the monument.
+
+It caused dissension among the people and confused their minds into
+rendering abnormal criticisms, making them indulge in eccentric
+vagaries and speculations on the artistic and intrinsic value of the
+monument. Some persons guessed at the value of the metal contained in
+the statue, while others reckoned the cost of the horse or that of the
+rider's accoutrements.
+
+However, of thousands of admiring and delighted spectators none shared
+an exactly like opinion except in this, that the statue bore no
+individual resemblance; but that also was contradicted by a young lady
+whom I heard exclaim: "Girls, surely that looks like Buckie O'Neill,
+but in love and war men are not themselves!" "How do I know? Oh, mamma
+said so!"
+
+During the ceremony of unveiling the monument a dark, ragged storm
+cloud hung over the Aztec mountain, fast overcasting the sky. Thousands
+of people strained their eyes and held their breath in the glad
+anticipation of seeing the features of their lamented friend,
+Prescott's honored mayor, immortalized in bronze. When after moments of
+anxious suspense the veil which draped the statue parted and fell to
+earth, the sun's rays pierced the clouds, while deafening cheers rent
+the air. I thought I heard a weird, faint cry, an echo from the
+past--but cannons boomed, drums crashed as a military band rendered its
+patriotic airs.
+
+And we saw--not the familiar, fine features of our soldier hero, so
+strikingly portrayed by a famed artist and molded into exact, lifelike
+resemblance, but instead we beheld an unknown visage--a type, merely
+the semblance of a "Rough Rider," its rigid gaze riveted on the
+Idol-mountain, forever enthralled by the Sphinx.
+
+  In nineteen hundred seven, on the third day of July
+  With shining mien and naming sword earthward St. Michael came
+  To save--ever auspicious be the blessed day--
+  From blighting heathen guile a Christian hero's fame
+  The while, breathless with awe, solemn the people gazed
+  And rhetoric's inspired flame on Aztlan's altar blazed.
+  Adore the Saints, behold a miracle Divine!
+  Hallowed, our Saviour, be Thy Name
+  And Heaven's glory thine!
+
+  Of idol-worship now has vanished every trace
+  In deepest crevice and highest place
+  On mesa, butte and mountain-face;
+  From the Grand Canyon's somber shade
+  The sun-scorched desert, the dripping glade
+  And sunken crater of Stoneman's Lake.
+  The "Casa Grande," a home of ancient race--
+  A ruin now--is haunted by Montezuma's wraith.
+  In Montezuma's castle, crumbling from roof to base
+  The winds and rain of heaven ghosts of the past now chase.
+
+  Where erstwhile the Great Spirit's children dwelt
+  Forever hushed is the papoose's wail, and stilled the squaw's
+        low-crooning lilt.
+  No longer shimmers starlight from eyes of savage maids
+  Worshippers of the fire and sun, poor dwellers of the caves--
+  The sisters of the deer and lo, shy startled fawns of Aztec race
+  Or coy ancestral dams of moon-eyed Toltec doe.
+  Now Verde witches bathe in Montezuma's well
+  And over its crystal waters the tourists cast their spell.
+
+  Rejoice! To Arizona has the Saviour vouchsafed His Grace
+  For our Salvation Army lass teaches true Gospel faith:
+  "Be saved this night, poor sinner, repent, the hour is late!
+  Salvation is in store for thee, brother do not delay
+  As fleeting time and sudden death for no man ever wait!"
+  "Praise God!" the lassie's war-cry is, the keynote of her song.
+  To the tune of "Annie Roonie" and kindred fervid lay
+  With mandolin and banjo, marching in bold array
+  The devil's strongholds storming, battling to victory--
+  With banners flying, the tambourine and drum
+  Forever has she silenced the shamans vile tom-tom.
+  All Fetish Spirit-medicine she has tabooed, banished away
+  Except bourbon and rye, sour-mash, hand-made
+  And copper-distilled, licensed, taxed and gauged,
+  Then stored in bond to ripen, mellow, age.
+  God bless the Army, rank and file who fight our souls to save!
+  Modern disciples of the Son of Man, true followers of Christ,
+  They work by day, then preach and pray and pound their drum at night.
+
+
+
+
+L'ENVOY.
+
+  Farewell, this ends my rhyming, submitted at its worth.
+  Lest I forget--pride goes before the fall, on earth
+  And exceeding fine if slowly, grind the mills of angry gods--
+  The muses' steed, a versifying bronco had I caught
+  And recklessly I rode; but fast as thought
+  Fate overtook me when Pegasus bucked me off.
+  Sorely distressed I hear a satyr's mocking laugh
+  As on my laurels resting, on my seat of honor cast
+  And thanking you for kind attention now your indulgent censure ask.
+
+
+
+THE BIRTH OF ARIZONA. (AN ALLEGORICAL TALE.)
+
+On the summit of a mountain I staked my claim; in the shade of a
+balsam-spruce I built my hut.
+
+When the south wind that rises on the desert climbs to the mountain's
+ridge and rustling among silvery needles, rattles the cones on boughs
+and twigs--the tree-giant whispers with resinous breath, bemoaning the
+fate of a prehistoric civilization, and lisps of the mystery and
+romance of a humanity long extinct, mourning for races forgotten and
+vanished.
+
+Alone--unrivaled in her weird, wild grandeur stands Arizona where spiry
+rock-ribbed giants stab an emerald, opal-tinted sky, and terraced mesas
+of wondrous amber hue form natural stairways, that grandly wrought were
+carved step after step, through successive epochs of erosion, affording
+thus an easy ascent to the rugged profile of this land of the Western
+Hemisphere. All this is of historic record in stony cypher of geology
+indelibly engraved by time on the rocky walls of deepest canyons, as
+traceable from the primordial archaean to our present era, the age of
+man.
+
+In tremor-spasms of terrestrial creation, 'midst chaotic fiery turmoil
+of volcanos, out of the depth of globe-encircling waters, from the womb
+of Universe--Eternity--came the Almighty Word, and then was born fair
+Arizona.
+
+Fraught with golden prophecy was her horoscope, cast by fate's oracle
+for her birthday fell under the sign of the scorpion when in the path
+of planets Venus contended with the Earth for first place of ascendency
+to the second house of the heavens.
+
+High above the tidal wave rose Arizona, as fleecy clouds float in the
+rays of Apollo's sun-torch when at eventide his flaming chariot plunges
+into unfathomed depths of the Pacific Ocean.
+
+With her first breath this daughter of Columbia, born of gods, clamored
+for aid. Neptune was first among the planets to heed the plaintive cry
+and held her to his breast, with fond caresses.
+
+The grandest canyon on the face of earth with flowing streams and
+limpid crystals he gave her as a birthday present.
+
+These crystals rare are famed as Arizona diamonds now.
+
+Bright, lovely Venus, the sister of Earth, a shining planet, gave the
+ruby-red garnet, her pledge of love and Arizona hid it in her bosom.
+There shall you find it, if worthy so you be, in the hearts of happy
+maidens.
+
+Saturn gave her his ring of amethysts and Uranus the greenish
+malachite, of buoyant hope the emblem. This, in time, was changed to
+copper, the king of all commercial metals.
+
+Mars gave the bloodstone. From it came soldiers bold, heroes who fought
+Apaches and the Spaniard.
+
+The winged Mercury on passing tossed her two stones, most precious; the
+lodestone and a Blackstone. The lodestone was a stone of grit. When
+Arizona placed it in her crib thence came the lucky prospector who
+sinks his shafts through earth and rock in search of mineral treasure.
+
+Then opened she the Blackstone and lo, from it arose the men of
+eloquence who aided by retainers fight keenly in continued terms for
+order, law and justice with weapons that are mightier than the sword
+which giveth glory, eternal rest and immortality to heroes only whom it
+smiteth.
+
+Behold, a shadow now fell on the Earth and as a serpent coils and
+creeping stretches forth its slimy length, it came apace.
+
+Foreboding evil it announced the knight-errant of never-ending space, a
+wicked comet. To Arizona gave he playthings many: the rattlesnake,
+hairy tarantelas and stinging scorpions, horned toads and centipedes, a
+scented hydrophobia-cat, the Gila monster, a Mexican and the Apache;
+also a thorny cactus plant.
+
+Anon the tricky Hassayampa rose from his source. On mischief bent he
+overflowed his bed, teasing the infant Arizona. He worried her, poor
+dearie--dear till she shed tears and nature adding to the gush of
+waters there flowed a brackish stream away; now named Saltriver and on
+its banks nested the Phoenix.
+
+From Elysium in his chariot descended then the sungod to nurse his
+infant daughter. He dried the Hassayampa's bed in the hot desert sand
+and where man-like, incautiously he scorched the hem of Arizona's
+dress--where now lies Yuma--there the temperature rose ten degrees
+hotter than hades; but luckily since then it has cooled off as much.
+
+The happy maiden smiled with joy as Apollo kissed her long and often.
+He took the turquoise from the skies, an emblem of unfaltering faith.
+It and a lock of shining hair he gave her. That hid she in her rocky
+bed where it became gold of the mint; the filthy lucre of unworthiness
+and avarice, a blessing when in charity bestowed; a boon as the reward
+of honest labor!
+
+With lengthening shadows Luna, night's gentle goddess came, a full mile
+nearer to Arizona than to other lands beaming her softest rays over the
+sleeping child. Under the lunar kisses woke Arizona and stored the
+moonshine in her gown. That nature has transformed to silver; serving
+the poor man as his needed coin.
+
+In sadness waned the moon, for caught between the horns of a dilemma
+she had no wealth left to endow the infant with. Intemperate habits had
+the goddess always, was often full and now reduced to her last quarter,
+but that was waning fast and her man's shadow also growing less. Her
+semi-transparent stone, alas! had given she long since to California,
+but this proudest of all daughters of the seas did not appreciate the
+kindly gift. She cast it on the white sands of her beaches where it is
+gathered by the thankful tourist who shouts exultantly, delighted with
+his find:
+
+  The moonstone, climate, atmosphere,
+  The only things free-gratis here--
+  Eureka!
+  I have found!
+
+
+
+
+A ROYAL FIASCO.
+
+(HISTORICAL ANECDOTES.)
+
+
+A village on the coast of northern Germany, where the Elbe flows into
+the North Sea, was my birthplace, its parsonage, my childhood's home.
+
+Two great earth-dikes which sheltered our village from fierce
+southwesterly gales were the only barrier standing between untold
+thousands of lives and watery graves, for the coasts of Holland and
+northern Germany are below the level of high tides.
+
+It is known that through inundations caused by breaks in these levees,
+occurring as late as the tenth and eleventh centuries of our era more
+than three hundred thousand persons with all their domestic cattle were
+drowned over night.
+
+These dikes which extend for many miles along the banks of the river
+were erected by the systematic herculean toil of generations of our
+ancestors.
+
+According to a popular tradition it was Rolof, the dwarf, a thrall of
+Vulcan, who taught my forefathers the art of forging tools from iron
+ore, enabling them to battle successfully against the might of Neptune.
+
+They blunted the angry sea-god's trident with their plows and shovels
+and repulsed him at the very threshold of his element, stemming the
+inroads of hungry seas with their stupendous handiwork which still
+stands intact, an imposing monument to the memory of my forebears,
+being their children's children's most precious inheritance.
+
+On the soil which my ancestors reclaimed from the sea they founded
+their homes and sowed grasses and cereals.
+
+But ere long a dire calamity came over the land, for at the command of
+the revengeful Neptune his mermaids spewed sea-foam into the river's
+fresh water addling it with their fish-tails into a nasty brine.
+
+Luckily the good dwarf who in his youth had served his term of
+apprenticeship at the court of King Gambrinus and was therefore master
+of the noble craft of brewing kindly taught my forefathers to brew a
+foaming draught from the malt of barleycorn, which thereafter they
+drank instead of water.
+
+And now all seafaring men who navigate the river Elbe between Cuxhaven
+and Hamburg are still troubled with a tremendous thirst which nothing
+but foaming lager beer may quench.
+
+The founding of the village's church dates from the conversion of Saxon
+tribes who inhabited that country. The chapel's original walls were
+built of rock, but its newer part was constructed of brick-work during
+the fourteenth century.
+
+Our domicile, the parsonage, although not quite as ancient, was a very
+picturesque ruin with its moss-covered roof of thatched straw, under
+which a flock of sparrows made their homes; but a modern building, how
+prosaic-looking it might be, or deficient in uniqueness and the charm
+of its surroundings, would undeniably have made a better, more sanitary
+and comfortable residence.
+
+Mother, at least, thought this when father landed her, his blushing
+bride at the ancient parsonage in a rain storm which compelled them to
+retire for the night under the shelter of an umbrella; and thus the
+honeymoon of their married life waxed with uncommon hardship.
+
+Later the old leaky house received a tile roof, part of it was removed
+and with it the room where first I saw the light of day.
+
+That was a cold day for father indeed, as there was another mouth to be
+fed then, a very serious problem for a poor parson to solve.
+
+When my aunt remarked that I looked like a "monk" father eyed me
+thoughtfully, saying: "Perhaps there is something to Darwin's theory
+after all," but mother took me to her arms, withering her sister with
+scornful glances of her flashing eyes. "Certainly does he look like a
+monk, the poor little tiddledee-diddy darling," she said; "what else
+would you expect of him, being the son of a preacher and a descendant
+of priests?"
+
+On a certain fateful summer day when assembled at dinner we heard the
+rumble of wheels as an imperial post-chaise hove into view, lumbering
+lazily past the parsonage.
+
+The postillion's horn sounded a letter-call and my sisters rushed out,
+racing over our lawn to the gate, in order to take the message. They
+returned with a large envelope bearing great official seals, both girls
+struggling for its possession and fighting like cats for the privilege
+of carrying the precious document. Mother's face was wreathed in smiles
+of ecstacy.
+
+"Your salary, papa," she whispered, but father was very solemn. "No,
+dear, it is not due," he answered. He took the missive from my sister's
+hands and turned it over and over, guessing at its contents until
+mother who was favored with more of that quality which is commonly
+called "presence of mind" urged him to open it, and see.
+
+An ashen pallor spread over father's countenance, the letter dropped
+from his hand and he would have fallen if mother had not caught him in
+her arms. She grabbed the evil message, slipping it into the bosom of
+her gown, where it could do no further harm.
+
+Then she guided father's faltering steps to the sanctity of his studio,
+where he wrote his sermons and closed the door.
+
+My sisters availed themselves of the opportunity to make a raid on
+mother's pantry, but I, poor little innocent, waited in the corridor
+for mother's return, dreading to hear the worst. I heard my dear father
+groan aloud and bemoan his fate and listened to mother's soothing
+sympathetic words as she begged father to be calm and bear it like a
+man and a Christian.
+
+When at last mother came out I flew to her. She took me to her arms,
+kissing my tear-stained face.
+
+"Poor little boy," she said, "cheer up and you shall have a big cookie,
+don't you cry!"
+
+"Oh, mamma," I faltered, "will papa die?"
+
+"No, sonny, that he won't," said she with a determined glint of her
+eyes and a twitching of the corners of her mouth, "for I won't let him;
+but he does suffer anguish!"
+
+"Oh, tell me, mamma, what misfortune has befallen us," I cried.
+
+"It is very sad," said mother. "Your father, who is the finest speaker
+in the country, has been commanded by a worshipful senate and most
+honorable civic corporation of the Free City of Hamburg to appear
+before the visiting king in full dress, and officiate as orator of the
+day at a reception to be tendered his majesty by our city"--here mother
+broke down completely, overwhelmed by grief and wept copiously into her
+handkerchief.
+
+"Oh, oh," I wailed, "do say it, mamma!"
+
+"And--and your father has no coat!" she sobbed. "Poor man, he fears
+disgrace and dreads the loss of preferment and of a royal decoration,
+perhaps. He will have to feign sickness as an excuse for his absence;
+but I hope he realizes now how degraded and unhappy I must feel with my
+last year's gowns and made-over millinery--and your poor sister's
+ancient bonnets, I dare not look at them any longer!"
+
+"But papa has a coat," I said, "a royal Prince Albert!"
+
+"True," answered mother, "but it has no swallow's tails!"
+
+"A Prince Albert has no swallow-tails?" I gasped wonderingly; "but it
+has great, long tails, surely!"
+
+"Oh, now I see," an idea flashing through my mind; "it has cock-tails,
+has it, mamma, and it can't swallow them, can it, mamma?"
+
+"Oh my, oh my!" screamed mother, "you are the funniest little chap to
+ask me questions. Go, ask pussy!"
+
+Then I went into the back yard to interview my favorite playmate, our
+big, black tomcat, and aroused him from his cat nap. But he blinked
+sleepily only, saying nothing.
+
+However, speech was not to be denied me in that manner, for I held the
+combination which unlocks the portals of silence. I gave the handle a
+double twist and he spat and spluttered: "Sh--sh--sht--t--t!"
+
+As may be imagined, my father passed a sleepless night in the solitude
+of his studio. He wrestled with a host of demons and made a good fight
+of it; for finally in the small hours of morning he overcame the evil
+spirit of worldly ambition and with true Christian humility, his soul
+purified by vanquished temptation, resigned himself unreservedly, good
+man that he was, to the mandate of a cruel fate. He began to write his
+sermon for the Sabbath, and being spiritually chastened and
+battle-sore, naturally his thoughts dwelt on melancholy topics.
+Therefore, he took the text of his sermon from the Lamentations of
+Jeremiah, chapter 3, v. I:
+
+"I am the man that hath seen affliction by the rod of His wrath."
+
+It may be stated here that on the next Sabbath, from "firstly" to
+"seventhly" for two long hours father pondered over the uncertainties
+of earthly life, and that on this occasion he delivered the most
+effective sermon of his pastoral career.
+
+When father had written his sermon he resumed work on an unfinished
+volume of historical sketches which he prepared for future publication.
+
+Meantime mother, who was busy with a pleasanter task was
+correspondingly cheerful. She altered father's "Prince Albert" into a
+stately full-dress coat, ripping up its waist-seams, and pinned back
+the skirts of the coat into the proper claw-hammer shape.
+
+Then she took that other garment which goes with the long waistcoat and
+the full-dress coat of a courtier's suit, in hand.
+
+This article had not been mentioned before by anyone, as there was a
+goodly supply of it known to be in mother's wardrobe. Deftly cutting
+the lace away, a few inches above the knees she placed some
+mother-of-pearl buttons and bows of ribbons and with few stitches
+fashioned a beautiful pair of courtier's small clothes, or
+knickerbockers, for father's use.
+
+Father had begun a description of the battle of Waterloo, for nothing
+so touched a responsive chord in his mind as the recording of a most
+fearful catastrophe, the direst calamity known to history, nor served
+as well to alleviate by comparison his mind's distress and
+mortification.
+
+Just as he wrote the sentence, "Alas for Napoleon, here set his lucky
+star; not only was his misfortune repeated, but also his final downfall
+accomplished when Blucher's tardy cavalry appeared on the field,
+turning the tide of battle in favor of the British"--in came mother
+with happy, triumphant laughter, unfolding and flaunting to the breeze
+the so anxiously wished-for full-dress suit.
+
+"Julia, darling, you have saved the day, oh you are so clever," shouted
+father, joyfully embracing her; "but I say!" he exclaimed in startled
+surprise, "where on earth did you get this--er--trousseau? Do you
+really think I shall need those?"
+
+"Yes, indeed you shall, dearest, when you are going to court," replied
+mother. "Here you have everything needed except the silken hose which
+you must buy."
+
+"But you have a plenty of long-limbed stockings," said father,
+wrinkling his brow.
+
+"My good man, look here now!" answered mother, bristling, "well enough
+you know that all my stockings are very old and holey!"
+
+"Oh, darn them!" growled father testily.
+
+"Wilhelm, do you wish the king to see my stockings then?" cried mamma,
+angrily.
+
+"But, my dear, you know that he can't see, as he is stone-blind," said
+father.
+
+"So he is, Wilhelm, and for that very reason he could not find the
+throne of England," snapped mother, "but never was he blind as you to
+his queenly wife's unfashionable appearance, nor was he ever deaf to
+her demands for something decent to wear!"
+
+And mother, as always when it came to ultimate extremes, finally gained
+her point, for father loved her dearly and dared not deny her.
+
+On the following day arrived the king, for whose reception our township
+had made grand preparations. Festoons of evergreen decorated the
+roadway from the parsonage to the opposite house, and mother and my
+sisters were stationed at our gate with an abundance of roses to strew
+in the king's path.
+
+From the steeple pealed the chimes, heralding his majesty's arrival. He
+traveled in an open landau, which was drawn by six milk-white Arabian
+steeds and surrounded by a select escort of young men who were his
+subjects and served as his guard of honor.
+
+They wore scarfs of the royal colors over breasts and shoulders.
+
+A courtier sat on either side of the king for the purpose of advising
+him and to direct his movements.
+
+Poor man, he turned his sightless white eyes on us, bowing to the
+ladies in acknowledgment of their curtesies and roses.
+
+This king was very unlike his royal namesake predecessors, as he was
+pitied by everyone and not envied or hated. I must confess to having
+been sorely disappointed with this sight of royalty, for I thought a
+king must be an extraordinary being, expecting to see a double-header,
+as kings and queens are pictured on playing cards, the kings holding
+scepters in their left hands and bearing a ball with their right, but I
+saluted and shouted as everyone else did, and when my sisters pelted
+the royal equipage with their roses I shied my cap at his majesty, at
+which the people who saw this laughed as loudly as they dared in the
+presence of a king. I expected also to see a military display, but
+there were no soldiers present, because the king traveled "incognito,"
+which means that it was forbidden to reveal his royal identity. He was
+supposed to be a plain nobleman merely, "Herr von Beerstein" for
+instance.
+
+But a king, who is human after all, may wish to enjoy himself as others
+do and desire to associate occasionally with ordinary people. So "Herr
+von Beerstein" goes to a beer garden in quest of a pleasing companion
+who is readily found, for he has money to burn and invests it freely.
+
+An obliging bar-maid introduces him to her lovely cousin and they
+retire to a lonely seat in the most secluded spot of the garden.
+
+"Herr von Beerstein" now places his heart and purse in the keeping of
+his gentle companion, who calls directly for "zwei beers."
+
+Now follows a repetition of the old, old legend that yet is always new
+and ever recurring in the romance of mutual love on sight, two hearts
+beating as one and in the love that laughs at locksmiths, but as the
+course of true love seldom runs smooth, now with the maiden's oft
+repeated calls for "lager" "Herr von Beerstein" grows by stages
+sentimental, incautious and then so reckless that "presto!" before he
+is aware of any danger to himself he has stopped Cupid's fatal dart
+with his royal personal circumference. Maddened with pain he exhibits
+symptoms of a most violent passion and becomes very aggressive. But the
+cunning maid appeals to the protecting presence of Fritz, the waiter,
+with other calls for beer, whispering in the ear of her love-lorn
+swain: "Nine, mine lieber Herr von Beerstein, ven you has married me
+once alretty, nicht wahr? Ach vas, den shall you kiss me yet some more,
+yaw!"
+
+Thus she tantalizes the poor man until he becomes desperate under the
+strain of an unrequited love and as a last resort he places his hand
+over his heart, bares the bosom of his shirt and exposes the insignia
+of royalty, flashing the sovereign's star before her eyes. Humbly,
+overcome with shame and remorse at the thought of having trifled with
+her king's affections, and prompted by her pitiful exaggerated notion
+of loyalty the poor thing kneels before his majesty, craving his pardon.
+
+With royal hands the king uplifts her, graciously kissing her rosebud
+mouth and when she says: "Your majesty's slightest wish is a command to
+me, your servant!" and is about to surrender her loveliness to Cupid's
+forces and temporarily lose her heart, but her soul forever--in the
+very nick of time comes her guardian-angel to the rescue.
+
+When she, poor little gray dove, lies trembling in the royal falcon's
+talons a head rises up and peeps over the fence, for the royal star has
+been seen through a crack between the boards, its knowing, sly grin
+passing into the lusty shout:
+
+"Heil dem koenig, hoch, hoch!"
+
+An excited crowd rushes from all directions, cheering: "Ein, zwei,
+drei, hurrah!" while a constable places the damsel under arrest,
+charging her with lese majeste. When, however, his majesty intercedes
+most graciously the your lady is promptly released, and restored to
+freedom.
+
+But the constable's fee that she must pay--in earthly power, not even a
+king can save her from it, for that is a "trinkgeld" and she pays it
+from the royal purse.
+
+On the evening of the king's arrival I accompanied my father to the
+castle where the reception royal took place. There were no ladies
+present on this occasion. The king was, as has been said, totally
+blind, but indulged in the curious habit of feigning to have an
+unimpaired eye sight and pretended to admire scenic objects which had
+been pointed out to him beforehand as though he really saw them,
+carrying out this illusion to the extent of ridiculousness. It is said
+that at a hunt-meet a courtier incurred his royal displeasure through
+these incautious words: "Sire, you shot this hare from a next to
+impossible distance, condescend to feel how fat it is!"
+
+As the poor man failed to say "See how fat," he fell promptly into
+disfavor, which is equivalent to being blacklisted in our country.
+
+The king's general behaviour suggests that he deemed his blindness not
+merely to be a most regrettable misfortune, but that he regarded it as
+a deserved culpable affliction.
+
+When a small boy I was told that he lost his eyesight through an act of
+charity. He drew a purse from his pocket, intending to give a beggar an
+aim when his horse shied violently, causing the steel-beaded tassels of
+the purse to injure his eyes.
+
+Later, as I grew older, I heard a different tale:
+
+The king as a student, then being crown-prince of the realm, found
+pleasure in looking at the wine which was red, and at a pair of eyes
+that were blue and shone like heavenly stars, oh so gently and
+tenderly! But he looked, alas, once too often--into eyes that blazed
+with lurid flames of hate and fury--the terrible eyes of the green-eyed
+monster. There came a flash as of lightning with a loud report and he
+saw stars that fell fiercely fast until they vanished under a cloud of
+awful gloom in the hopeless despair of perpetual night; but the
+glorious luminous star of day for him shone not again, nevermore, on
+earth! To this day I know not which version tells the truth.
+
+The castle's grand hall was overflowing with people. I followed in the
+wake of father, who had fallen into line, advancing gradually toward
+the august presence of a crowned king. Nervously father awaited his
+turn to bask for one anxious moment in the sunshine of royal favor and
+touch a king's hand.
+
+I slipped away unperceived to the kitchen, knowing well the premises of
+this fine old castle which was kept in good repair by the city of
+Hamburg, its present owner. It had been won by conquest of arms in 1394
+A.D. from the noble family "Von Lappe."
+
+The principal occupation of these knights was the waylaying and robbing
+of merchants; but the wrecking of ships was their favorite, most
+profitable pastime.
+
+The kitchen was in the basement of the castle and great in size, its
+floor paved with slabs of stone, the walls and ceilings were paneled in
+oak. On one side of the room were stone-hearths with blazing fires,
+over which hung pots and brazen kettles. Game and meats broiled on
+spits, there being no cook-stoves in those days. Heavy doors, strapped
+with great wrought iron hinges and studded with ornamental scroll-work
+led into pantries and cellars.
+
+The place swarmed with liveried servants and cooks; also the king had
+brought his "chef de cuisine and own butler. The latter, a lordly
+Englishman, was a grand, haughty person who superintended the
+extravagant preparations for the entertainment of royalty.
+
+A maid conducted me to a corner where I was out of harm's way and
+regaled me with delicacies when the courses were served, oh it was
+fine! The chef prepared certain dishes for the king and I saw the
+butler taste of the viands that were placed on crown-marked dishes of
+porcelain and gold. He also tasted the king's wine.
+
+When at last I grew sleepy, kind maids arranged a couch of snowy linen
+for me, and I slept until the banquet royal was over when the guests
+returned to their homes.
+
+But me lord, the butler, eyed me with questioning curiosity.
+
+"Aw me lad, h'and where did your father get 'is blooming costume?" he
+asked.
+
+"Mother supplied it, good sir," I answered.
+
+"Hi say, me lad," he laughed, "your mother h'is a grand lydie, you tike
+me word for h'it; h'in h'England they would decorate that suit with the
+h'order h'of the garter!"
+
+"Honi soit, qui mal y pense!" I lisped.
+
+
+
+
+A MAID OF YAVAPAI.
+
+To S. M. H.
+
+(AN IDYLLIC SKETCH.)
+
+
+People from every land sojourn in Arizona.
+
+From the Atlantic's sandy coasts, the icy shores of crystal lakes, from
+turbid miasmatic swamps--east, north and south, they come.
+
+Over mountain, canyon and gulch they roam, prospecting nature's
+grandest wonders.
+
+But the purest gold on Arizona's literary field, that was found by the
+genius of a lonesome valley's queen, the song-lark of our "Great
+Southwest."
+
+From the sheltering tree of her ancestral hall shyly she fluttered
+forth.
+
+Among stony crags of the sierra, on fearsome dizzy trails, in the
+somber shadows of virgin forests, in the rustling of wind-blown leaves
+(the seductive swish of elfin skirts) she heard the voices of Juno's
+sylvan train. Enchanted she listened to the syren's call, and ere the
+echo died within her ear she had devoted her talent to literature, a
+priestess self-ordained in Arizona's temple of the muses.
+
+In the flight of her poetic mind she met his majesty, king of the
+hills, the mountain-lion at the threshold of his lair and toyed with
+his cubs, princes and heirs to freedom.
+
+She heard the were-wolf scourge of herds, fierce lobos snarl in silent
+groves of timber and shivered at the coyote's piercing yelps from grave
+yards in the valleys.
+
+At nighttime, in her lonely camp the dread tarantela disturbed her rest
+and in day's early gloam a warning rattle of creepy serpents sounded
+her reveille:
+
+"Fair maid, awake, arise in haste! When darkness vanishes with dawn,
+heed our alarm-clock in the morn!"
+
+She spoke not to the sullen bear, in cautious silence passed him by and
+shunned the fetid breath of monster lizards and venom stings of
+centipedes and scorpions; but woman-like she feared the
+hydrophobia-skunk more for its scent than for its deadly poison.
+
+She heeded not the half-tamed Indian on the trail; but the insolent
+leer of Sonora's scum, the brutalized peon, the low caste chulo of
+Chihuahua, froze into the panic-stare of abject terror under the
+straight glance of her eye. The slightest motion of her tender hand to
+him augured a sudden death, for she was of Arizona's daughters,
+invulnerable in the armor of their self-reliant strength, a shield of
+lovely innocence, white as the snow is driven.
+
+On the Mesa del Mogollon, in the darkling Coconino Forest she
+interviewed the cowboy, that valiant belted knight of modern western
+chivalry, and in the chaparral she cheered the lonesome herder.
+
+In the treasure-vaults of earth, a thousand feet below the surface,
+invading the domain of Pluto's treacherous gnomes she met the hardiest
+man in Arizona, the miner, who always happy is and full of hope.
+
+Poor fellows, they hobnob with death and do not mind it!
+
+Floods of rivers, cloudbursts in narrow gorges, the lightning of the
+hills, blinding and smothering sandstorms on the desert detained her
+not, for in her chosen path not on delay she thought.
+
+By fragrant orange groves in the valley of Saltriver, past "lowing kine
+on pastures green," under the luring shade of palms, among the vines
+she passed.
+
+Winging her virgin-flight to snowclad pinnacles of Parnassus she pours
+her jubilant songs of hope, faith, love into men's souls and women's
+hearts.
+
+"May constant happiness attend thee, fair lady, our precious pearl in
+Arizona's diadem!"
+
+Though time shall wreath thy raven tresses with silvery laurel, and
+with his palsied hand forever stay, in the fulfilment of thy mortal
+destiny, the throbbing of thy faithful heart--"Yet shall the genius of
+thy lyre with angel-hands reverberate the shining chords through untold
+future ages in heavenly strains of resonance and glory, until the
+solace of their faintest echoes dies within the last true heart in
+Arizona."
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Tales of Aztlan, by George Hartmann
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