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THE TRAVELLER6. 
 
Amoiiff the Pueblo Indians 
 
 ■b 
 
 CARL EICKEMEYER 
 
 AND 
 
 LILIAN WESTCOTT EICKEMEYER 
 
 Ili ustrated with Photographs Taken by the Authors 
 
 NEW YORK 
 THE MERRIAM COMPANY 
 
 67 Fifth Avenue 
 
 y4 
 
 ^ 
 
 ^ 
 
 f VJ> 
 
Copyright, iSq?, ry 
 THE MERRIAM COMPANY. 
 
 E ^^ 
 
tro 
 
 THE MEMORY OF OUR FATHER 
 
 RUDOLF EICKEMEYER 
 
 THIS VOLUME 
 IS LOVINGLY DEDICATED 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 To San Ildefonso, . . . . . , . .11 
 Five Days in Cochiti, o ...... 57 
 
 Life at Santo Domingo, 107 
 
 Taos 135 
 
LIST or ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 The Travellers, 
 
 The Outfit, 
 
 Bed of the Tesuque, 
 
 Mexican Settlement, 
 
 San Ildefonso Pueblo, 
 
 Mesquite in Bloom, . 
 
 EsTUFA AT San Ildefonso 
 
 Planting Dance, 
 
 View from the Divide, 
 
 Noon-day Camp, 
 
 Camp on the Mesa, . 
 
 Descending from the Mesa, 
 
 Mrs. Juan de Jesus Herrara, 
 
 Gallo, 
 
 Gallo, ... 
 
 Juan, .... 
 
 School-House at Cochiti 
 
 School-Children, 
 
 Cochiti Indian, 
 
 F) 
 
 PAGE 
 
 outispicce. 
 15 
 19 
 23 
 
 27 
 
 31 
 35 
 39 
 43 
 47 
 51 
 55 
 61 
 
 65 
 69 
 
 73 
 77 
 83 
 93 
 
Xtst of miustratione. 
 
 <- Primitive Ploughs, . 
 L Pena Blanca Church, 
 
 Corral at Santo Dominco, 
 
 A Street in Santo Domingo, 
 
 In Holiday Attire, . 
 
 Indian Home, . 
 
 In the CaNon, . 
 
 In the Fields, . 
 
 Weary of Work, 
 
 Father and Son, 
 
 Taos Bucks, 
 
 Taos Pueblo, 
 
 EsTUFA at Taos, 
 
 Ruins of the Church, 
 
 Taos Indian, 
 
 Taos Church, 
 
 Returning from the Fields, 
 
 Indian Plough Team, 
 
 Astray, .... 
 
 A Youthful Dancer, 
 
 Navajoes, .... 
 
 PAGE 
 
 99 
 
 [03 
 
 1 1 
 
 15 
 
 19 
 
 23 
 
 31 
 
 :39 
 
 [43 
 
 147 
 
 51 
 
 55 
 
 59 
 
 [63 
 
 [67 
 
 [71 
 
 75 
 
 79 
 
 ■83 
 
 [87 
 
 191 
 
TO SAN ILDErONSO. 
 
TO SAN ILDEFONSO. 
 
 ON a spring evening, just 
 at sunset, the little Western 
 train landed us in quaint old 
 Santa Fe, the city of the 
 Holy Faith. Around the 
 door of the station some 
 Mexicans were loitering in 
 their usual lazy fashion, as 
 they watched the passengers 
 alight and enter stages in 
 waiting to take them to the hotels. Then, their 
 curiosity being satisfied, they lapsed into their 
 former state of indifference and waited for the next 
 excitement. 
 
 We had journeyed from New York to New Mexico 
 for the purpose of visiting the Pueblo Indians, and 
 for a day or two after our arrival in vSanta Fe were 
 kept busy preparing for the Indian trip, which we 
 
 13 
 
Bmonci tbc pueblo IFnMans. 
 
 decided to take in a prairie schooner, such as the early 
 Western settlers used in travelling from place to place. 
 This wagon was obtained from an old Jew, from whom 
 we also hired two horses, whose appearance at the 
 start indicated they would be unable to finish the trip. 
 We were assured, however, that they would carry us 
 through, in spite of their protruding teeth, prominent 
 ribs, and swollen knee-joints, which seemed to point 
 to the contrary. Our wagon was loaded with a little 
 camp stove and cooking utensils, two cameras, a bag 
 filled with provisions, and a bag containing blankets. 
 These necessary articles, together with a collection of 
 firearms, completed our oatfi.t and gave us an air of 
 comfort as well as safety. 
 
 Thus equipped, the journey began about fi.ve o'clock 
 on a beautiful morning, leaving the old town, with its 
 sleeping inhabitants, in the distance, as we travelled 
 on toward the north, hoping to reach San Ildefonso, 
 a pueblo about twenty-seven miles from Santa Fe, ere 
 nightfall. 
 
 The road over which we passed during the day had 
 
 on either side deep arroyos forfned by heavy rainfalls 
 
 which come suddenly in cloud-bursts, washing out in 
 
 14 
 
Zo San 1H^cfon0O. 
 
 the soil deep gullies with perpendicular sides twenty 
 feet or more in depth. Along the roadside and back 
 through the country grew the scrub cedar with its 
 tiny berries and rich green coloring. Sage bushes of 
 a lighter green, and little clumps of buffalo grass, 
 sprang up here and there, giving a grayish cast to 
 the whole country. 
 
 We jogged slowly along toward the divide which 
 forms the watershed between the Pecos and the upper 
 portion of the Rio Grande, and when that point was 
 reached such a picture was presented to our enrap- 
 tured gaze as is seldom seen, and when once seen is 
 never forgotten. Looking northward, lofty hills 
 stood out in bold relief, the brighter coloring of those 
 in the foreground gradually fading into the delicate 
 opalescent tints of those near the horizon, where they 
 seemed to pale and fade away in the cloudless blue of 
 the summer sky. To the eastward the Santa Fe 
 Mountains, with their gorgeous coloring and snow- 
 tipped peaks extending far into the blue ether, formed 
 a breastwork over which the morning sun gradually 
 rose, shedding a golden glory over the country as far 
 
 as the eye could scan. To the west, and rivalling in 
 
 17 
 
Bmong tbc ipueblo llnDians. 
 
 beauty those at our right hand, extended in unbroken 
 line the jamez Mountains, with purple bases, and deli- 
 cate blue tips reaching far into the unfathomable sky. 
 Following the Tesuque, a small stream running by 
 the roadside, we neared the pueblo of that name; but 
 as the population is small and the place not of special 
 interest, our stay there was a short one, our destina- 
 tion being San Ildefonso, some distance further north. 
 Beyond Tesuque were several small Mexican settle- 
 ments, their one-story adobe houses so near the color 
 of the soil as to be almost imperceptible until one is 
 close upon them. Surrounding some of these houses 
 were prosperous fruit ranches, obtaining moisture 
 from esaques, or irrigating ditches, which carry the 
 water of the neighboring mountain streams and rivers 
 into the ranches, and take the place of rain, which is 
 seldom seen in this part of the country. Along the 
 roadside, here and there, were small wooden crosses 
 upheld by stones piled one upon the other. These 
 crosses, we afterward learned, marked the places 
 where coffins had been rested while being carried 
 from the houses to their final resting-places. 
 
 We neared San Ildefonso a little after noon, and on 
 
 i8 
 
Zo San 1[l5efon0o. 
 
 the outskirts of the pneblo saw many Indians in 
 bright-colored garments, ploughing in the fields. 
 They presented a most picturesque appearance, mov- 
 ing in and out among the young corn, driving yokes 
 of oxen drawing primitive Indian ploughs. Others 
 were at work on the esaques that supply the fields 
 with water. The construction of these irrigating 
 ditches takes considerable time, skill, and much 
 labor, as they sometimes carry water from mountain 
 streams many miles away to the section under cultiva- 
 tion. They are, therefore, made quite deep and very 
 narrow, to allow as little loss of water by evaporation 
 as possible. The fields are flooded once a week, and 
 seemed to be in a most flourishing condition. 
 
 Proceeding a little farther, we entered the sunny, 
 dusty plaza, lined on all sides by the typical Indian 
 home, a two-story adobe house, the second story set- 
 ting a little back and having the roof of the first as a 
 sort of front yard. Most of these houses are entered 
 by small doors leading from the plaza into a large 
 front room, though some Indians retain the old cus- 
 tom which existed when the pueblos were attacked 
 by wandering tribes of Apaches and Navajoes that 
 
Bmong tbe pueblo ITnMan^. 
 
 roamed through the country, giving the peaceful vil- 
 lage Indians much anxiety and fear for their safety. 
 They consequently have no doors to their houses, but 
 enter the lower rooms through a hatchway in the 
 roof. In front of all the houses are rudely constructed 
 ladders, by means of which access is gained to the 
 upper rooms, and up these rickety ladders children of 
 all ages and sizes ascend, those of a larger growth 
 carrying on their backs little ones whose mothers feel 
 not the slightest anxiety as they view from a distance 
 the perilous ascent. 
 
 We drove to the home of a thrifty Indian who 
 speaks fairly well the English language, and were 
 most cordially greeted by his wife, who, on seeing 
 our approach, hastened down the ladder to welcome 
 us. (Jn entering the abode the first objects noticed 
 were the pictures that hung on the white walls of the 
 rooms. They were of a purely religious nature, rep- 
 resenting Christ, the Virgin Mary, and the Saints. 
 They were painted on wood and were brought from 
 Mexico many years ago. vSo old are they that they 
 have become dimmed and faded by the ravages of 
 time, but are none the less sacred in the eves of the 
 
XLo San HlOcfonso. 
 
 owner on that account. In a back room, which is the 
 living room of the family, were two fire-places. One 
 of these was assigned to ns, while in the other our 
 hostess prepared her noonday meal of tortillas, dried 
 beef, and coffee. It was a most interesting sight to 
 see her seated before the little corner fire-place mak- 
 ing tortillas, a concoction of flour and water mixed 
 together and kneaded as our bread is. When it was 
 considered the right consistence, it was rolled out in 
 flat round discs like pancakes and cooked on a piece 
 of stone upheld by an iron tripod over a blazing wood 
 fire. They required several turnings, and when fin- 
 ished we were presented with a sample of the morn- 
 ing's baking, but the toughened mass was not very 
 palatable. We in turn gave them some of our provi- 
 sions, which they ate with a keen relish as they sat on 
 the hard cemented floor in a semicircle. 
 
 After enjoying our meal, we decided to go the 
 rounds of the pueblo and see the various places of in- 
 terest to be found there. Our host conducted us first 
 to the estufa, or council house, situated just outside 
 the main plaza. It is here that all important ques- 
 tions are decided and where the Indians practise for 
 
 25 
 
Bmong tbe ipucblo IfnOians. 
 
 their dances. The estufa, like the other houses in the 
 pueblo, is made of adobe, but unlike them, being 
 circular in form, it is a conspicuous figure in the vil- 
 lage. The building is lighted only by means of an 
 opening in the roof. This opening also serves as 
 entrance to the place. Having climbed the steps 
 that lead to the roof, we entered through the hatch- 
 way and descended by a ladder, the poles of which 
 protruded high above the building. All that could 
 be seen in the dimly-lighted room was the fire-place, 
 in the centre directly under the ladder, and an 
 adobe settee projecting from the wall of the build- 
 ing. Finding very little of interest in the bare, 
 dark room, we wended our way in the direction of 
 the home of the governor to pay our respects to that 
 celebrity. 
 
 He was seated in the front room of his little house, 
 busily engaged making moccasins. We watched him 
 for some time at this humble occupation, greatlv in- 
 terested in his work. He pierced small holes in the 
 soles, and corresponding ones in the uppers, through 
 which he ran pieces of sinew. The bead work for 
 
 which the Indian is famous is done in a similar way. 
 
 26 
 
;ro San 1Il&cfon60. 
 
 "When we had become well versed in the art of shoe- 
 making, the governor left his work and took us into 
 an inner room, where his wife was grinding wheat. 
 She was kneeling before a slanting stone slab, and 
 with a small oblong-shaped stone in her hand she 
 rubbed the wheat between the two in a way similar 
 to rubbing clothes on a washboard. This work is 
 always done by the women. 
 
 By the aid of our interpreter cjuite a lengthy con- 
 versation was carried on with the governor, in which 
 the affairs of the pueblo were discussed. The gov- 
 ernment was one of the first subjects inquired into, 
 and we were greatly surprised to find such a complex 
 form existing. It is twofold in character, resembling 
 both the monarchial and republican. The former is 
 exemplified in the office of cacique, or chief, who was 
 originally appointed for life by the governor of New 
 Mexico, to be succeeded by his eldest son. The lat- 
 ter, or republican form, is shown by the annual elec- 
 tion of a governor and twelve councilmen, whose 
 business it is to direct the affairs of the pueblo and to 
 decide all important questions that may arise. They 
 
 are second in authority only to the cacique, who has 
 
 29 
 
Bnioiui tbc ipucblo llnDtans. 
 
 power to veto any decision not to his liking. The 
 officer next in power is the fiscal, who looks after the 
 religious affairs of the pneblo, and instructs the boys 
 and girls in the tenets of Catholicism. He is ap- 
 pointed by the cacique, whose duty it also is to nomi- 
 nate three candidates for the office of governor and 
 three for that of war chief, one of whom, in each 
 case, is elected by the people to fill the office. The 
 duty of the war chief is similar to that of our police 
 justice. He has power to decide all questions of 
 right and wrong that may arise, and to impose a fine 
 of grain or money upon the offender, according to 
 the magnitude of the offence. The election of gov- 
 ernor, councilmen and war chief takes place each 
 year at harvest time in the estufa, where the men and 
 all boys capable of working in the fields congregate 
 to vote orally for their favorite candidates. 
 
 We were, of course, anxious to attend a business 
 meeting and see the Indian conduct it, but they are 
 very reticent concerning their council meetings, never 
 allowing outsiders to be present. Seeing our disap- 
 pointment, the governor sought to conciliate us by in- 
 viting us to be present that evening to witness the 
 
^0 San 1[lC>cfon0o. 
 
 practice for a dance which was to take place the fol- 
 lowing morning in the plaza. 
 
 Dancing is one of the principal pastimes of the 
 Indian and one very often indulged in, so that any 
 one, making even a limited stay at a pueblo, is likely 
 to witness this most interesting sight before his de- 
 parture. 
 
 When the time arrived to join the dancers, we 
 walked toward the estufa, where the smoke and light 
 from the camp-fire below could be seen coming out 
 of the roof through the hatchway. The bucks were 
 chanting, and the beating of the drum to give the 
 dancers time reached us with muffled sound. Fol- 
 lowing our guide up the steps, we descended the lad- 
 der through clouds of smoke and found ourselves in 
 the midst of the august assemblage. It was hard to 
 imagine that the room, with the dim light from the 
 camp-fire shining on the grotesque forms of the 
 dancers, was the same we had visited during the 
 afternoon, so great was the difference in its appear- 
 ance. On the adobe settee sat the squaws, their 
 papooses either in their arms or wrapped in blankets 
 lying on the floor at their feet. The old bucks were 
 
 33 
 
among tbc ipucblo Hn&lans. 
 
 seated on the floor in two lines opposite each other, 
 with the drummer at their head facint^ the fire. The 
 younger bucks or warriors, and the squaws, formed in 
 line two abreast : first two bucks, then two squaws, and 
 so on, dancing to the time given by the drummer and 
 the chanters. The scene presented was ghostly, the 
 dimly- lighted, smoky atmosphere giving a certain 
 weirdness to the shadowy moving forms. 
 
 As the dance progressed some of the children, who 
 dance quite as earnestly as their parents, joined in, 
 and young and old went through the movements with 
 great activity. The time of the dancing is regular 
 for intervals, then there will be one or two beats left 
 out, the dancers all the while keeping time perfectly 
 with their feet. When the line, headed by two of the 
 most athletic bucks, had encircled the hall, the two 
 lines faced each other, spread out, crossed over, then 
 swung around and returned to their original positions. 
 There is quite a perceptible difference in the dancing 
 of the buck and squaw: the former lifts his feet high 
 from the ground as he goes through the tiresome 
 
 O too 
 
 motions that constitute his part of the programme, 
 
 while the squaw simply shuffles her feet along, sway- 
 
 34 
 
Zo San iriDefonso. 
 
 ing her body from side to side, and holding ont her 
 hands as if offering something in prayer. 
 
 The dance practice was over at midnight, when, 
 well pleased with the novel entertainment, we returned 
 to the prairie schooner which had been drawn up in 
 front of the house in which our dinner had been 
 cooked at the little corner fire-place. 
 
 Soon all was still, and sleep reigned throughout the 
 pueblo. On returning from the estufa the dancers 
 had wearily thrown themselves down on pallets that 
 lay on the ground in front of the houses where the 
 other members of their families were already resting, 
 with the deep blue star-lit sky overhead for a canopy. 
 vSlowly the waning moon rose in all the majesty of 
 her silvery beauty, and as the mellow rays of light 
 touched the prostrate forms of the sleepers, they 
 seemed to work a perfect transformation, softening 
 the hard lines on many faces. 
 
 We were awakened next morning at sunrise by the 
 
 governor as he stood in the centre of the plaza calling 
 
 to the people to prepare for the dance to take place 
 
 directly after breakfast. Immediately all was astir, 
 
 as those who were to take part in the festivity hast- 
 
 37 
 
IHmoiui tbc ipucblo IFnDians. 
 
 ened to attire themselves in suitable costume. In a 
 short time gaudily-arrayed figures appeared on the 
 scene, coming first from one house, then from another, 
 and wended their way in the direction of the estufa, 
 where the participants congregated previous to their 
 appearance in the plaza. 
 
 When the dancers had collected and the word was 
 given to start, the first set, about thirty in number, filed 
 from the estufa into the plaza, marching in lines two 
 abreast. They were followed by a band of chanters, 
 consisting of the bucks who were too old to dance. 
 The dancers were beautifully decorated. The bucks 
 were stripped to the waist, their hands and part of 
 the forearms painted white, from which ran a line of 
 white spots to the shoulder, and then down to the 
 small of the back, resembling the fallow deer. On 
 the upper part of the arms were armlets of rawhide, 
 also painted white, through which were stuck green 
 sprigs of the cottonwood tree. Around the waist was 
 a white belt or sash of wool, having large tassels on 
 the ends, and holding in place an embroidered skirt 
 reaching nearly to the knee. White knee breeches 
 were worn under the skirt. Around the left leg was 
 
 -^8 
 
^0 San IFlOetonso. 
 
 a band of worsted tied in a bow, and around the right 
 a string of bells. From the back of the belt hung the 
 skin of the red fox. White moccasins, with a decora- 
 tion of skunk skin at the heel, completed the costume. 
 Each carried in his right hand rattles made from 
 gourds which grow wild in large quantities near the 
 Indian villages; and in the left, branches of the Cot- 
 tonwood tree. 
 
 The squaw wore a head decoration of peculiar de- 
 sign, made of a thin flat board, in shape similar to 
 the fa9ade of the Indian church. It had three ser- 
 rated vertical projections, with an open space in the 
 centre as if for a bell. It was painted white, with 
 borders of green and yellow, and from the peaks 
 floated the feathers of the wild turkey. The dress 
 was of black woollen material, and hung a little below 
 the knee. It was gathered over the right shoulder 
 and again under the left arm, leaving the arms and 
 one shoulder bare. A woollen belt of unique design 
 and bright coloring offset the costume and relieved 
 the blackness of the dress. 
 
 On the arrival of the dancers in the plaza, the 
 drummer took position beside them, and at his rear 
 
 41 
 
Bmong tbe pueblo UnMans. 
 
 stood the group of chanters facing one another. The 
 dance, which was much the same as that of the night 
 before, had not progressed far when another set of 
 about the same number filed into the plaza from the 
 other end of the pueblo and went through the same 
 performance. 
 
 We spent the remainder of the day taking photo- 
 graphs of the place and of some of the people, and in 
 walking to an old butte, where, it is claimed, the 
 pueblo was originally situated ; but like the old cliff 
 dwellings, the former homes of the Pueblo Indians, 
 the place was deserted. It could be seen, however, 
 from arrowheads and old pieces of pottery found 
 there, that at some remote period, during the prehis- 
 toric ages, the place must have been inhabited. 
 
 During the evening we had several callers, among 
 whom was a young Indian of good type, who could 
 speak English as well as Spanish and his native 
 Indian language. It is a curious fact that the lan- 
 guage spoken in pueblos situated within a short dis- 
 tance of each other differs, while sometimes in two, 
 many miles apart, the same is spoken. Fortunately 
 
 all the Pueblo Indians speak Spanish, so that they 
 
 42 
 
XLo San fll^efonso. 
 
 may converse one with the other, even though their 
 native languages be different. Being in doubt as to 
 whether the pueblos we intended visiting had Eng- 
 lish-speaking Indians, we decided to take, as inter- 
 preter, Juan, the young Indian, who seemed de- 
 lighted with the idea of making a third to our party. 
 He told us he had made several trips to the different 
 pueblos and had at one time spent a year among the 
 Utes, whose customs he still followed. His long 
 black hair was parted in Ute style, and on special 
 occasions he used quite a quantity of war paint. He 
 was unmarried, but told us he expected to take the 
 all-important step at harvest time, when he would 
 have saved five dollars, the amount necessary to pay 
 the Mexican priest to perform the ceremony. The 
 prospect of earning the live dollars and winning the 
 maid before harvest time probably made the parting 
 with her less hard. Whether that were the case 
 or not, there were no tears or sad looks either from 
 Juan or his lady love when w^e left San Ildefonso the 
 following day, just as the sun rose over the little 
 village. 
 
 The morning was beautiful. At our right, and run- 
 
 45 
 
among tbe pueblo IFn'Mans. 
 
 ning- by the pueblo, the Rio Grande flowed, the clear 
 sparkling water dancing in the sunlight as it hurried 
 on in its course through the cafion to the gulf. A 
 soft mist seemed to overhang the neighboring hills 
 like a mantle of gauze, through which the varied tints 
 shone in subdued coloring and ethereal beauty. 
 
 We started through Alamo caiion, which runs par- 
 allel with White Rock caiion, containing the bed of 
 the Rio Grande. The two are divided in places by 
 high ledges of rock, the top of which, for about a 
 thickness of one hundred feet, is of volcanic origin; 
 and below it are strata of different kinds of rock, sand, 
 and clay, varying from white to light red and blue, 
 with all the intervening shades so perfectly blended 
 as to make it impossible to detect the joining of one 
 color with another. The rocks average in height 
 about three hundred feet, and above them, on the west, 
 tower the vSan Ildefonso range, where the Indian 
 boys from the pueblo hunt deer and antelope. 
 
 The trip up the caiion was like driving through a 
 park; the cactus in bloom with its yellow, white and 
 red flowers, and the valley covered with fragrant bal- 
 sam, sage bushes, and clumps of buffalo grass. There 
 
 46 
 
^0 San lIlDcfonso. 
 
 was good shooting all the way, the cotton-tails and 
 wild doves being plentiful, while an occasional jack 
 rabbit ran in and out among the sage bushes, giving 
 us a lively chase for him. 
 
 About noon we struck camp just oif the road. After 
 unloading the wagon and setting up the little stove, 
 Juan started up the caiion toward the Rio Grande for 
 water. He had been gone but a short time when a 
 strange noise was heard. Gradually the sound came 
 nearer, and coming toward us, down the caiion, was 
 a flock of goats, sheep and lambs, driven by a Mexi- 
 can. The driver could not speak our language nor 
 we his, but by signs he was made to understand that 
 we wanted to purchase a lamb, and he seemed very 
 willing to let us have one. When Juan returned with 
 the water he played the part of butcher, killing and 
 dressing the lamb and preparing it to be cooked. 
 Soon dinner was on the fire, and in about twenty 
 minutes from the time the lamb was running around 
 we were eating him. 
 
 Our camp for the night was behind a clump of 
 trees, near the narrow-gauge railroad which runs 
 through this part of the country; and after supper 
 
 49 
 
Bmonci tbc ipucblo IfiiMans. 
 
 onr bed in the wagon was prepared by .spreading a 
 pair of blankets on the floor for a mattress, and using 
 a pair for covering — then, putting the canvas wagon 
 cover over the hoops, the bed was ready for us. We 
 tied the horses to a tree near by, and entered our 
 sleeping apartment, while Juan, wrapping his blanket 
 around him, lay on the ground by the side of the 
 wagon . 
 
 We arose at sunrise next morning, and, after en- 
 ioying our Ijreakfast of lamb, potatoes and coffee, 
 journeyed upward through a very rough and moun- 
 tainous ct)untr\-, broken up by high hills and deep 
 arroyos. About noon we struck camp on the dusty 
 road beside a little Mexican settlement. An old 
 iNIexican, who brought us some water, sat beside the 
 fence watching us prepare dinner, which we ate sit- 
 ting under the wagon, to protect us from the heat of 
 the sun. 
 
 Beyond this settlement a steep hill led to the bare 
 and barren mesa, where there was not even a sage 
 bush in sight. Prairie on all sides of us, and we, like 
 tiny specks upon a great ocean, sailed on and on with 
 
 nothing visible but prairie and sky. Slowly the sun 
 
 50 
 
^0 San IflDcfonso. 
 
 rode on in glory toward the west, and, as it sank to 
 rest below the horizon, twinkling stars came out one 
 by one, until the sky, that a short time before was all 
 aglow with the sun's roseate rays, was illumined by 
 the lesser light of the stars, v/hich looked protectingly 
 down on us as we slept. During the night the wind 
 came up and blew across the prairie with terrific 
 force, almost taking the wagon cover with it in its 
 mad sweep ov^er the mesa, and it was not until the 
 cover had been tied down with a strong rope that we 
 felt at all secure. Then, pinning a mackintosh over 
 the opening at the foot to keep the wind out, we tried 
 to settle ourselves, but it was not possible to sleep 
 long. As there were no trees around, the horses had 
 to be tied to the back of the wagon, and first one, 
 then the other, would jar it, while occasionally a 
 horse's head was thrust under the cover as he tried to 
 get at our feet. Next morning the mackintosh that 
 had been used as a curtain w^as found chewed into 
 ribbons, and the horse had quieted down. 
 
 Our supply of water was so low that there was very 
 little coffee for breakfast, and we dispensed altogether 
 with our usual morning's ablution, a ceremony we 
 
 53 
 
among tbe f»ueblo IfniMans. 
 
 were often obliged to omit during the trip. How- 
 ever, Juan assured ns he could get water a little way 
 down the road, but, after driving on hour after hour 
 and still no water, we began to doubt his knowledge 
 of the country. vStill he persisted, "It is right down 
 there." 
 
 The Indian has no idea of distance. One time, 
 when asked how far a certain place was, Juan replied, 
 "Three days with burros and one day with a horse." 
 Our hope ncnvwas that our distance from water would 
 not be reckoned with burros, for as the sun shone 
 more brightly our tliirst became almost unbearable. 
 Still we drove on, and no water. 
 
 Our descent from the mesa to the plain below was 
 
 over a steep, narrow and rough road winding around 
 
 the edge of a cliff about nine hundred feet in height. 
 
 Applying the brakes, we reached the foot in safety, 
 
 and to our great joy and relief a tiny stream was 
 
 running along by the roadside. We arrived here just 
 
 in time, for the little stream gradually grew less and 
 
 less, and then vanished altogether. Juan told us it 
 
 would appear again next morning, and that this was 
 
 quite a common occurrence. 
 
 54 
 
i-l 
 
 
 
 DESCENDING FROM THE MESA. 
 
II. 
 
 nVE DAYS IN cocniTi, 
 
SAN JUAN'S DAY. 
 
 OUR arrival at Cochiti, late 
 in the afternoon, was wit- 
 nessed by several squaws of 
 the villaofe, who were fiUinir 
 water jars down at the rio. 
 They paused in their work as 
 we drew near and forded the 
 river, greeting- us in the usual 
 friendly manner; then, with 
 their burdens skilfully bal- 
 anced on their heads, they passed on up the sandy 
 hill that forms the approach to the little settlement. 
 Half-way up the hill were fruit orchards, in the 
 corners of which were cribs built on the ends of 
 long poles. They looked like small rustic summer 
 houses; but instead of being used for pleasure, the}' 
 were guard-houses, where some of the men keep 
 
 watch at night over the fruit near by. 
 
 59 
 
Binonc; tbe pueblo irn&fans. 
 
 Cocliiti has a population of nearly four hundred 
 Indians and about half as many Mexicans. It is the 
 only pueblo we visited having a Mexican settlement, 
 it being contrary to the wishes of the Government to 
 have the two races quartered together. But some- 
 how or other the Mexican element has worked its 
 way into Cochiti, and in several instances the Indian 
 and Mexican have intermarried, making the sepa- 
 ration of the races impossible. 
 
 Juan conducted us to the home of a friend — Juan 
 de Jesus Herrara — w^ho with his family, consisting of 
 an aged father and mother, a wife and three children, 
 lived in the little adobe house that for the follow- 
 ing few days was our home. One of the two rooms 
 on the ground floor was assigned to us for use as a 
 bedroom, kitchen and reception-room during our 
 stay. We spread the blankets on the floor in one 
 corner, and our bedroom was ready for use; light- 
 ing a fire on the hearth and preparing our evening 
 meal made the kitchen a reality, while entertaining 
 half a dozen old bucks and squaws who had been 
 drawn to the spot out of curiosity gave the place 
 
 quite the air of a reception-room. 
 
 60 
 
MRS. JUAN DE JESUS HERRARA. 
 
San Sunn's H)ar. 
 
 Our visitors seated themselves on the floor, watch- 
 ing ns prepare supper. Unfortunately we could not 
 converse with them, as they could not speak English, 
 and Juan, our interpreter, had gone out to see the 
 place and to make friends among the Indians. It 
 was a strange sight. The little cellar-like room had 
 only the light of a single candle shining dimly 
 through it, and the smoke from cigarettes the bucks 
 were enjoying made the forms appear almost ghostly 
 in their indistinctness. When our visitors had par- 
 taken of crackers and coffee, their curiosity being 
 fully, and their appetites partially, satisfied, they 
 left. 
 
 We retired early, but the place was so noisy that 
 it was impossible to sleep. At sundown the church 
 bell had rung for about an hour, after wdiich a shot- 
 gun was fired in the plaza. Alore bell -ringing fol- 
 lowed, and the gun was fired twice; still more bell- 
 ringing, and the gun was fired a third time. This 
 alternate ringing and firing, together with violin- 
 playing by some j\Iexicans who wandered through 
 the plaza, making noisy demonstrations all the while, 
 
 ushered in wSan Juan's Day; and at daybreak the fol- 
 
 63 
 
Hmona tbc ipuctilc UnJMans. 
 
 lowing- morning (Sunday) the whole community were 
 ready to participate in the celebration. 
 
 The little adobe church M'ith its wooden cross 
 Avas the scene of the earliest activity, as old and 
 young, Indian and ^Mexican, wended their way in 
 the direction of the sanctuary to be present at mass, 
 conducted by a ^^lexican priest from a neighboring 
 town . 
 
 We entered with the rest, and found ourselves in a 
 large, bare room with cemented floor, on which there 
 were no seats. The side walls of the church were 
 adorned from door to altar with small crosses, between 
 which had been placed alternately candlesticks and 
 pictures of the saints. On either side of the altar 
 were paintings of Christ, considered of great value, 
 and claimed to have been brought from ]\Iexico hun- 
 dreds of years ago. On the altar, which is surrounded 
 by a wooden railing of rude workmanship, were can- 
 dles and images of the saints. 
 
 We were greatlv interested to see what the iuLre- 
 nuity of the Indian had accomplished in the art of in- 
 terior church decoration. On the rafters were placed 
 
 good-sized logs, faced off, the flat side being turned 
 
 64 
 
San Juan's Bag. 
 
 down, and on this flattened surface were ori^crinal 
 characteristic paintings and drawings of bear and 
 buffalo hunted by Indians. The dimly-lighted church 
 with its close atmosphere had a sepulchral appear- 
 ance, and we were glad to get once more in the open 
 air and leave the Indian to hear mass. 
 
 Later during the morning, going into the gov- 
 ernor's house, we came suddenly upon a most inter- 
 esting sight. In the centre of the room, which had 
 been cleared of everything but an olla of water, sat 
 seventeen bucks, forming a circle. They were singing 
 in a sort of nasal twang, and at our entrance kept on 
 with the inharmonious strains, not so much as look- 
 ing at us. One of the bucks had a drum resembling 
 a good-sized cask. These drums are made from solid 
 pieces of wood, which the Indians hollow out and 
 tightly draw drumheads of sheepskin over the ends. 
 Opposite the drummer sat the war chief, a vicious- 
 looking fellow, wearing a belt of Winchester car- 
 tridges. He sat there erectly, not a muscle in his 
 body moving except those he necessarily used in pro- 
 ducing the nasal twang that constituted the song. 
 
 All the while they smoked cigarettes rolled in corn 
 
 67 
 
among tbe pueblo IfnDians. 
 
 husks, the smoking not interfering in the least with 
 the singing. 
 
 They sang thus until noon, when it was time to pre- 
 pare for the games which were to take place in the 
 plaza after dinner. The festivities began with the 
 celebrated game of gallo, which was most thoroughly 
 enjoyed by all but the poor rooster, whose unearthly 
 cries elicited not the slightest feeling of sympathy 
 among the many spectators assembled on the house- 
 tops near by, keenly enjoying the cruel sport and 
 eagerly applauding when a good point was made by 
 the contestants. Every young Indian and Mexican 
 who could procure a horse of any kind joined in the 
 game. It was played by two at a time, an Indian and 
 a Mexican evenly matched. The two came together 
 in the centre of the plaza, where a live rooster was 
 brought, his feet tied together with rawhide. Each 
 took hold of one of the legs, and, at the word given 
 by the governor of the pueblo, pulled, trying to get 
 possession of the bird, which all the while was screech- 
 ing as if in terrible agony. The contestants violently 
 swayed from side to side, pulling with all theii* 
 
 strength. Finally, the Indian gained an advantage, 
 
 68 
 
San Juan's Sag. 
 
 and, spurring his pon3^ ran off with the rooster, nearly 
 dragging his opponent from his horse, amid wild 
 shouts from the excited spectators on the roofs. It 
 seemed as if the bird must be torn apart, but, besides 
 losing its breath and a few feathers, it stood the 
 ordeal very well. 
 
 The Mexican then rode to the centre of the plaza 
 and faced the audience, while the Indian started at 
 one end with the rooster in his right hand. He 
 rode by the Mexican at full speed, and in passing 
 struck him over the head with it. The Mexican 
 tried to catch the bird, but failed. They fought 
 in this way for some time, until both were covered 
 with feathers and blood from the now lifeless roos- 
 ter, but neither seemed to gain much advantage, 
 both being exhausted. The rest of the horse- 
 men standing near, wishing for a chance, rode 
 np and separated them. In the break which fol- 
 lowed, the one with the rooster started off at full 
 speed for his home, closely followed by the rest of 
 the horsemen, who tried to get possession of it, 
 but he succeeded in reaching home without parting 
 company with the poor lifeless thing, thus becoming 
 
 71 
 
among tbe ipueblo IFtiManB. 
 
 the nappy possessor of the bird and the victor of 
 the game. 
 
 Another o-ame was started by two others, and so on 
 until each had a chance to wrestle for a rooster, which 
 in some cases passed through many hands before it 
 was finally won. The programme was carried out sys- 
 tematically, as if it had been carefully prepared. 
 
 After finishing the game of gallo the horsemen 
 lined up one by one and rode by another live rooster 
 that had been placed in sand with only his head in 
 sight. The idea was to pick him up while riding by. 
 Each rider eagerly watched the others as they reached 
 from the saddle and tried to catch the bird. Finally 
 one succeeded, and, grasping the head, ran off with 
 the rooster, followed by all the horsemen. He rode 
 out of the plaza and over the prairie, up deep arroyos, 
 and back through the several streets of the pueblo, in 
 his efforts to elude his followers, and, reaching home 
 with it, the bird was his. 
 
 Next in order came foot races by some of the young 
 bucks, after which some girls tried their skill at run- 
 ning. 
 
 It being San Juan's Day, every one by the name of 
 
 72 
 
San Juan's Dag. 
 
 Juan was obliged to contribute something to be given 
 to the people. Accordingly all articles were carried 
 to the roof of one of the houses near by, and thrown 
 down, one by one, into the crowd assembled below. 
 Juan, possessing the name of the day, was told he 
 must make a contribution as the others of that name 
 did. Accordingly he took some birds he had previ- 
 ously shot for our supper, and carried them to the 
 house-top. All stood with upturned faces and out- 
 stretched hands as one article after another fell into 
 some grasping palm. The collection consisted of 
 pieces of leather, bright bits of calico, birds, and tor- 
 tillas. No one became the actual owner of anything 
 until he reached home with it, and any one who could 
 get an article away from another before he arrived 
 at that place of safety was privileged to do so. This 
 ended the celebration, and at sundown vSan Juan's 
 Day was over. 
 
 75 
 
A VISIT TO THE SCHOOL-HOUSE. 
 
 At sunrise the following morning- the governor 
 called loudly from his position in the centre of the 
 pueblo, assigning to the men assembled in the door- 
 ways the work they were to perform that day. As 
 the different names were called the owners disap- 
 peared within the houses to prepare for the work 
 allotted to them, and hurried to the scene of action 
 to do their share of the labor. 
 
 After breakfast we decided to visit the school-house 
 near by and see the little Indian children assembled 
 there. Arriving early, we were most cordially wel- 
 comed by the teacher, Mrs. Grozier, of Boston, the 
 only white woman in Cochiti. 
 
 It would be hard to find a more interesting place in 
 
 the pueblo than the school-house, a one-story adobe 
 
 building fitted up by the Government, under whose 
 
 control the school is carried on. 
 
 Of the thirty-two pupils enrolled upon the school 
 
 76 
 
a \)i6it to tbc Scbool=bou0e. 
 
 register the average daily attendance is about one- 
 half the full number. The parents of the children, 
 not realizing the benefits to be derived from a regular 
 attendance, keep them at home on the slightest pro- 
 vocation, to do any and all kinds of work. But, in 
 spite of this drawback, the school seemed in a flourish- 
 ing condition, and about nine o'clock the little bare- 
 footed, scantily-clad children were seated at desks 
 similar to those used in any well-regulated school- 
 room, ready to begin the work of the day. 
 
 While waiting for the little ones to become quiet we 
 glanced around the room. In front, with the white 
 wall for a background, hung the grand old Stars and 
 Stripes, which, in spite of the dusky faces of the little 
 ones and their unintelligible language when convers- 
 ing with one another, gave us a pleasurable home- 
 like feeling. On either side of the national emblem, 
 and on the walls of the room, hung illustrated charts 
 of various descriptions, to enable the little ones more 
 readily to grasp the subjects intended for their study. 
 On a blackboard at the left of the room was a draw- 
 ing of a train of cars done by a little boy whose talent 
 was clearly shown by this well-executed work. 
 
 79 
 
 -'%/, 
 
Bmonci tbc ipucblo KniMans?. 
 
 In addition to the regular attendants of the school 
 were several squaws who dropped in from time to 
 time during the session, probably finding the school- 
 rocm, with its evenly-boarded lloor and large open 
 windows, a pleasant change from their own houses. 
 
 When the children became sufficiently subdued to 
 give attention to the work of the day, the opening 
 exercises began. First the Lord's prayer was repeated 
 in English, led by the teacher, whom the children 
 follow^ed closely in broken accent, and with reverently 
 bowed heads. "Come to Jesus'" was sung by the 
 school, and some little voices were very effective as 
 they joined in the sv/eet strains of the old hymn with 
 the greatest of zeal and animatit)n. By the time the 
 last verse was reached the room fairly rang with the 
 enthusiastic efforts of the youthful songsters. The 
 singing of two other pieces completed the exercises, 
 and the children were ready to begin their lessons. 
 
 A bright little boy was called upon to read, and 
 from his second reader selected a piece called " The 
 Boy and the Bubbles," his Spanish accent of the 
 English words making his rendering of the piece very 
 
 interesting. Next a letter from the same book was 
 
 80 
 
B msit to tbe Scbool^bouse. 
 
 read. It was dated "New York, December loth, 
 1884," and headed "Dear Santa Claus." This beino- 
 printed in script made the reading of it more difficult 
 for the little fellow, but he got through the task 
 very well, being helped over the harder words by his 
 teacher. 
 
 By this time all the children were anxious to show 
 us their accomplishments, and there were half a dozen 
 applicants to speak a piece. A little girl of seven was 
 chosen as elocutionist, and she recited "Little bird, 
 little bird up in a tree," etc. When she had finished 
 another wanted to show us how well she could speak 
 the same piece, which it seemed they all knew. And 
 so we again heard about "Little bird," and were as 
 much entertained as we had been the first time. 
 
 Meanwhile many of the children had drawn pictures 
 to which they had signed their names, and they 
 proudly exhibited them to us, being greatly elated 
 over any sign of approval we chanced to bestow upon 
 them. 
 
 Just at this point in the most interesting programme 
 
 the teacher was called from the room to answer some 
 
 call from a needy neighbor. Instantlv their studious 
 
 81 
 
Bnionc} tbc pueblo ITnDlans. 
 
 manner changed for one of play, and they were once 
 more "little Indians," laughing and talking in their 
 wonderful threefold language, a mixture of Indian, 
 Spanish and English, sometimes in one sentence 
 using words from all three languages. 
 
 At one side of the room some little girls were gath- 
 ered, all talking at the same time; but as they were 
 conversing in a language unknown to us, we turned 
 our attention to a group of four boys seated near by. 
 They had evidently had some dispute, and seemed far 
 from reaching an amicable settlement of the case. 
 "I'll bet you twenty-five dollars," said our little 
 friend, who a few minutes before had read to us. 
 "And I've got lots of money," he continued, in ear- 
 nest tones. "Then let's go and buy candy with it," 
 said one of his more practical companions, evidently 
 not caring to carry on the argument with such a pros- 
 pect in view. Whether they bought the candy or not, 
 we do not know, for, her mission being for the time 
 fulfilled, the teacher returned, and order was restored 
 out of the chaos that so recently reigned. 
 
 After this little impromptu recess the children re- 
 turned to their lessons with renewed vigor, and per- 
 
 82 
 
B Wl3(t to the Scbool=bou6e. 
 
 formed the mathematical part of the programme. vSev- 
 eral examples were worked by all the class in addition, 
 subtraction, and multiplication, and in most cases 
 they were correctly done. The multiplication tables 
 were then given by two or three of the more advanced 
 pupils ; the monotonous recital of " twice one are two, " 
 "twice two are four," etc., being given in the same 
 monotone that children always use when wrestling 
 with these fundamental principles of arithmetic. 
 
 At this stage of proceedings some of the babies, 
 whom the little girls in many cases are obliged to 
 take to school with them, began to get uneasy and 
 long for a freedom not to be found within the walls 
 of a school-room, and so, to pacify these little victims 
 of early education, the teacher brought from her 
 seemingly inexhaustible supply, some much-sought- 
 after candy, or " coack" as it is fondly called, and 
 quieted the little martyrs as their older and more 
 enlightened sisters proceeded with the well-known 
 truths, "twice three are six, twice four are eio-ht " 
 
 The daily lessons over, school was dismissed. The 
 children reluctantly left, those having little charges 
 marching off with them on their backs, while those 
 
 85 
 
Bmong tbe pueblo llnMans. 
 
 fortunate enough not to be so burdened ran off with 
 the unrestricted freedom and joyousness of childhood. 
 
 Accepting- a most cordial invitation to have lunch 
 in the school -house, we seated ourselves at desks re- 
 cently vacated by the children, and heartily enjoyed 
 the meal cooked at the schoolroom fireplace. 
 
 Soon we heard sounds of muffled laughter, and saw 
 popping out from under the desks the dishevelled 
 locks of the little hero of the twenty-five dollar bet 
 and his philosophical companion. They knew if seen 
 at the time of dimissal they would be sent home with 
 the rest, and so by strategy they sought to remain in 
 school, where it seems they would rather be than any- 
 Avhere else. vSo anxious are they to get to school 
 that sometimes they arrive at five o'clock in the morn- 
 ing, much to the discomfiture of the teacher, who tells 
 them to go home and come later; whereupon they 
 point to the sun, thus trying to convince her that it is 
 time to begin operations. 
 
 Our little friends, having obtained permission to 
 
 remain if quiet, seated themselves on the floor in 
 
 front of the room and amused themselves for some 
 
 time trying to earn, by their good behavior, the right 
 
 86 
 
B IDislt to tbe Scbool=bou6c. 
 
 to remain within the hallowed walls. But soon their 
 love for fun predominated, and sounds of muffled 
 laughter proceeded from the spot the boys occupied, 
 as a pair of mischievous black eyes looked in our direc- 
 tion to see if their recent outburst of hilarity wan to 
 be the cause of banishment. Instead of banishment, 
 however, their number was reinforced. As soon as 
 they had finished their frugal repasts, the other chil- 
 dren wandered back in the direction of the school- 
 house, and stood in the doorway with such longing 
 expressions that they were allowed to enter, babies 
 and all, and the room had much the same appearance 
 it had had twenty minutes before. But this time 
 they came for fun, and they had it. 
 
 During the course of the afternoon the teacher, who 
 is obliged to minister to their bodily as well as their 
 mental needs, had occasion to bring out her medicine 
 case, containing many phials of sugar pills. Im- 
 mediately several little hands were entreatingly 
 outstretched, as their possessors exclaimed, in a serio- 
 comic manner, " Mungi milo" (very sick). But judg- 
 ing from their healthful appearance a few moments 
 
 previous to the beseeching demands, it was impossi- 
 
 87 
 
Bmonci tbc ipucl>lo UnMans. 
 
 ble to convince the dispenser of the pills that an epi- 
 demic had suddenly appeared in their midst, and so, 
 laug-hingly putting up her case, she gave to each little 
 impostor some coack, and they were no more " mungi 
 mile." 
 
 Until nearly sundown the little company remained 
 in possession of the field, enjoying themselves as only 
 children can; then, bidding us good-by, they dis- 
 banded, going to their several homes. And it is to 
 be hoped, for the sake of their indulgent friend and 
 teacher, that they did not consider the sun in the 
 right position for them to return until long after five 
 o'clock. 
 
 Returning to our domicile, we found Juan seated 
 before the little window, making an elaborate toilet. 
 A second glance revealed the fact that he was using 
 our brush and comb to work some gun grease into 
 his shining black locks. He was putting on the fin- 
 ishing touches, and seemed greatly pleased with his 
 image reflected in a piece of broken looking-glass he 
 carried with him. He had daubed his face with red 
 war-paint, and the parting of his hair formed a 
 straight line of red, from which the greasy black hair 
 
21 Dislt to tbe Scbool=bou6c. 
 
 receded in a solid mass. Not in the least abashed b}' 
 our presence, he took one more glance at himself in 
 the tiny mirror, and, being satisfied with the reflec- 
 tion, he put the articles back in place and waited 
 for orders. 
 
 Being too fascinated by the audacity of his act to 
 give him the warranted reprimand, we sent Juan to 
 shoot some birds for supper, and, between laughing 
 and scolding, gave the articles in question a good 
 
 share of soap, water and hard rubbing. 
 
 89 
 
SIGHT-SEEING. 
 
 Next morning we went to the school-house again, to 
 take pictures of the teacher and scholars. The chil- 
 dren, with whom we had become great friends, were 
 full of fun and quite willing to be photographed, prob- 
 ably not sharing with the older ones the superstitious 
 idea that it would bring them harm. They lined up 
 asfainst the wall of the school-house, and seemed to 
 think posing great sport. When the pictures had 
 been taken, the little ones went back to their lessons, 
 while we started on a purchasing expedition. 
 
 There was an old Mexican woman in the pueblo 
 
 who possessed many paintings of saints, madonnas, 
 
 etc., such as were in the little house at San Ildefonso. 
 
 Wishing to add one or two of these to our collection 
 
 of curios, we called at the house where the woman 
 
 lived with her two daughters, one of whom spoke 
 
 English quite well, having attend school in the 
 
 pueblo. 
 
 90 
 
Stgbtseeelng. 
 
 They brought down picture after picture, some so 
 faded that it was almost impossible to trace even the 
 outlines of a form. Selecting some of the better-pre- 
 served ones, we offered a fair price for them, but the 
 old woman protested, saying she could not possibly 
 part with them — they were sacred. A larger amount 
 being offered she seemed more inclined to part with 
 the sacred relics, and, when the price was raised for 
 the last time, she gladly seized the opportunity of 
 turning saints into gold, and sold four of them, 
 "Dolores," "San Francisco," "San Juan," and "San 
 Bicente." 
 
 Being highly pleased with the bargains they had 
 made, they brought out several other articles for which 
 they wanted exorbitant prices, but, finding we did not 
 want them at all, they low^ered their figures until it 
 seemed as if they would give them away, so anxious 
 were they to have us take them. 
 
 This Mexican room was very different from those 
 
 in the Indian houses, resembling one that might be 
 
 seen in the poorer quarters of any town. There was 
 
 a rag carpet on the floor (the rooms in the Indian 
 
 houses are not even boarded), and, besides several 
 
 91 
 
Bmong tbc pueblo ITnJMans. 
 
 chairs and a table, there was a bedstead with a gaud}' 
 blanket of Mexican manufacture for a covering. The 
 walls were covered with a cheap paper, and what 
 struck us as being very peculiar were two frames, the 
 faces of which were turned toward the wall. They 
 were looking-glasses, which in the case of a death in 
 a family are always turned toward the wall for one 
 year. 
 
 A daughter of the old Mexican woman had died a 
 few months previous to our arrival in the pueblo, 
 where her funeral had been celebrated with great 
 pomp, and it was for this girl the family were mourn- 
 ing. 
 
 At an Indian residence near the Mexican house a 
 squaw standing in the doorway beckoned us to enter. 
 She had in a store-room, back of the living-room, 
 some small images of lava or malpais which she wanted 
 to sell. They had been made, she said, by her hus- 
 band and son, who chopped them out of the porous 
 stone with a small hatchet. They represented the 
 black bear, dogs, swans and geese, which are still 
 worshipped by some of the old women of the pueblo, 
 
 who generally keep them in hiding in the back rooms 
 
 92 
 
COCHITI INDIAN. 
 
Sfcjbtsscefng. 
 
 of their houses, though sometimes they are seen on 
 the little mantels over the fireplaces. 
 
 There was also quite an assortment of articles which 
 had collected for years. Flintlock guns used by 
 the ancestors of the present owners, and many stone 
 implements such as spear, arrow, axe heads, and old 
 mortars and pestles cut out of lava. There were also 
 drums and gourds and saddles of Navajoe work, cov- 
 ered with leather and ornamented with brass-headed 
 tacks. Besides these there were saddles made in the 
 pueblo, similar to our roping saddles, having pommels 
 and rolls. 
 
 Having bought some of the stone implements from 
 the woman, we started, laden with these and the 
 saints, for the little adobe store, to get some necessary 
 supplies previous to leaving Cochiti on the morrow. 
 There are two of these stores in the pueblo, both 
 kept by Mexicans, who supply the villagers with gro- 
 ceries, canned goods, cheap calico, harness, and other 
 articles, which are always bought in small quantities, 
 for no one, Indian or Mexican, has much money with 
 which to purchase these luxuries, as they are consid- 
 ered. We bought c^uite a quantity of provisions, and 
 
 95 
 
ainotifl tbc pueblo flnMans. 
 
 were gazed at with interest all the while by the usual 
 loiterer, probably on account of the unheard-of large 
 sale the storekeeper had made to the strangers in the 
 pueblo. 
 
 Returning heavily laden to our room, there came 
 toward us into the pueblo a large bunch of burros 
 driven by two Indians, who were bringing the animals 
 into the village corral for the night. Raising burros 
 is one of the principal occupations of the Indians in 
 Cochiti. The animals are all herded together, and 
 each person owning any in the bunch has a special 
 day assigned on which it is his duty to care for the 
 lot. The horses are cared for in the same way. 
 
 The Pueblos get most of their horses from the 
 Navajoes, who make a special Imsiness of horse-raising 
 and travel from village to village with droves of 
 Indian ponies or cayuses, which they trade for beads 
 that the Pueblo Indians make in great quantities. 
 Four of these strings of beads will buy a horse. Five 
 dollars will also buy a horse; but, strange to say, five 
 dollars will not buy the beads. This method of finan- 
 ciering was quite contrary to any we had ever heard 
 
 of, but it seemed to suit the Indians, who place a 
 
 96 
 
SigbUeeeing, 
 
 much higher value on beads than they do on money. 
 This is probably owing to the fact that to manufacture 
 them necessitates a great deal of tedious and hard 
 labor. They are made of shells obtained from the 
 traders, and are strung after holes have been bored in 
 them with hand drills, then all together are ground in 
 a circular form with a stone used for the purpose. 
 
 Our last day at Cochiti was spent taking a farewell 
 look at the place, and in company with Mrs. Grozier 
 we visited some Indian families. In a house not far 
 from the school were two squaws seated on the floor, 
 shelling peas, which the Indians eat raw, as we do 
 fruit; they consider them a great luxury. The room 
 itself had a very neat appearance. The mattresses 
 and blankets which had been used to sleep on, the 
 night before, had been rolled up against the side wall 
 and were being used as a settee. In front of this 
 were several old buffalo skins with very little fur left 
 on the surface, showing that they had been trampled 
 upon for many years. In the centre of the room, 
 from the roof timbers, was suspended, by raw-hide 
 rope, a papoose cradle, in which was a sleeping baby. 
 The Indians are very fond of children, and especially 
 
 97 
 
Bmoiuj tbc ipucblo fln^tans. 
 
 of boys. When a woman is asked the sex of her 
 child, if a boy, she will promptly answer "hombre," 
 meaning man. If the little one happens to be a girl 
 the mother is very slow to say so. 
 
 On the walls of the room were bows and arrows, 
 some in course of construction, while others looked 
 as if they had been used in killing birds and rabbits, 
 a sport of which the Indian boy is very fond. They 
 all handle the bow and arrow with great skill. The 
 familiar Winchester and a belt of cartridges, together 
 with little trinkets, such as beadwork necklaces, 
 medicine bags and eagle feathers, hung on wooden 
 pegs on the wall. Along one side of the room a long 
 poL was suspended from the ceiling by a rope at each 
 end, and over it were hung the bright-colored, zigzag- 
 designed blankets which are obtained by trading shell 
 bead'-work with the Navajoes. The black squaw 
 dresses, also of Navajoe manufacture, and buckskin 
 leo-crins, and moccasins covered with beadwork and 
 colored with ochre, were hung over one end of this 
 pole. From the ceiling were suspended ten or eleven 
 drums, which the Indian considers sacred. 
 
 The beating of the drum is not an uncommon sound 
 
 98 
 
Sigbtsseelng. 
 
 at any hour of the night in the pueblo, whether at a 
 sacred meeting in the estufa or a gathering m the 
 plaza. The Indian is very reluctant to sell these 
 drums. In fact, we could not buy one at any price 
 although we tried at several places. When an Indian 
 will not sell his blankets, pottery, beadwork, or dance 
 costumes, it shows that he has plenty to eat and is 
 thoroughly prosperous. Under these circumstances, 
 if he should give a price on any of his possessions, one 
 feels he ought to have a mortgage on the man's house 
 before paying it. 
 
 At another house three squaws were making pottery 
 in their skilful although crude way, by working the 
 clay into shape by hand, guided only by the^'eye. 
 The jars, after being rubbed and worked i^nto shape, 
 are allowed to dry slowly before baking, which is 
 done in the bake oven in front of the house. These 
 ovens are made of stone and adobe mortar and resem- 
 ble in shape the old beehive. Many of the jars were 
 artistically decorated with odd conventional designs, 
 and one which we purchased had on the inside two 
 broods of game-chickens and two game-cocks. The 
 rooster figured quite prominently on much of the 
 
 lOI 
 
"Bmong tbe ipueblo llnOtans. 
 
 pottery, probably owing to the fondness the people 
 have for the game of "gallo." 
 
 Returning to the school-house, we had lunch; and 
 when the wagon had been loaded and the team 
 hitched, we started out of the pueblo, Mrs. Grozier 
 and the school-children standing in the doorway 
 
 waving to us. 
 
 On the road beyond the river we met some Indian 
 boys driving a herd of sheep and goats into the 
 pueblo. As our supply of fresh meat was out, Juan 
 selected a young lamb, intending to carry it in the 
 back of the wagon, alive, until our arrival at Santo 
 Domingo. He made the purchase, and the boys 
 went on to the pueblo with the remainder of the 
 
 Hock. 
 
 A little further along the road was a tent filled with 
 bales of alfalfa and used as a store for the benefit of 
 the freighters who were hauling provisions and min- 
 ing machinery from Wallace, a railroad town, to 
 Eagle, a silver- and gold-mining camp west of Cochiti, 
 in the mountains. In front of the tent were scales, 
 on which two Mexicans weighed the bales before 
 sellino-. When but a short distance from the tent 
 
Sigbtsgeelng. 
 
 the lamb, not being fixed in very securely, fell to the 
 ground, where one of the wheels passed over its neck, 
 and Juan was obliged to get it ready then and there 
 for the provision bag. 
 
 Pena Blanca, a little Mexican town, with neat-look- 
 ing adobe houses along the one street of the village, 
 was just south of the alfalfa tent on the road to Santo 
 Domingo. The single store the place boasted of con- 
 tained a United vStates post-office, and around the door 
 of the building a crowd of idle young Alexicans had 
 congregated. The most prominent object in the little 
 town was the old church, in front of which was the 
 graveyard enclosed by a low wall. From the centre 
 of the enclosure rose a large wooden cross almost as 
 high as the edifice itself. 
 
 As we journeyed toward the south and compared 
 the country with that further north, a great difference 
 was perceptible. The country grew more and n^iore 
 barren the farther we travelled, and, although on all 
 sides in the distance could be seen lofty mountains 
 with beautiful coloring rising majestically into the 
 clear blue dome above them, yet we missed the trees 
 that further north had made such a fine foreground 
 
 105 
 
Bmonc} tbe pueblo IliiDians. 
 
 for the ever-changing picture. On the way down we 
 
 passed several freighters, and often old Mexicans 
 
 driving two or three burros laden with wood were 
 
 seen slowly plodding along the dusty road. 
 
 io6 
 
III. 
 LirE AT SANTO DOAMNGO. 
 
LIFE AT SANTO DOMINGO. 
 
 THE distance between 
 Cochiti and vSanto Domingo 
 was not so great as we im- 
 agined, and we neared the 
 latter pueblo before sunset, 
 passing Wallace, the railroad 
 town, on our way to the In- 
 dian village. The green 
 lields of corn and alfalfa sur- 
 rounding the pueblo were in 
 fine condition and indicated great prosperity among 
 the natives. On the outskirts of the pueblo was the 
 corral, where a large number of horses were being 
 fed by two or three Indians. 
 
 We went to the home of an Indian whom we had 
 met in vSanta Fe, and who lived in the second story of 
 a little house near the river bed. His room, which 
 
 was nicely ventilated, had at one side an open firc- 
 
 109 
 
among tbc ipucblo IFnDians. 
 
 place large enoiig-h to have three meals cooked in it 
 at one time. In the centre of the room our friend's 
 wife was standing, swinging a papoose cradle in 
 which a tiny baby was sleeping, while sitting around 
 on the piled-up blankets were several sa^uaws with 
 little ones in their arms. We waited among this 
 group until our friend returned from work in the 
 fields, and told us he had a vacant house a little way 
 up one of the streets. 
 
 Unlike the pueblos of vSan Ildefonso and Cochiti, 
 where the houses face on a plaza or square, Santo 
 Domingo is laid out in streets running parallel to 
 each other. In the centre is one main thoroughfare, 
 which the houses on all the other streets on either 
 side of it face. 
 
 Reaching the house in question, we prepared our 
 evening meal. In a short time several of the old 
 bucks of the village called, and sat around, curiously 
 looking at us as they talked with each other. Among 
 our visitors was a young man, a cousin of the owner 
 of the house in which we had located. He could 
 speak a little English, and we gladly seized this op- 
 portunity of learning from him something about our 
 
%itc at Santo ©omincio. 
 
 surroundings. After taking out the little square of 
 glass that formed the one window of the room (the 
 Indians have windows for light, not ventilation), we 
 questioned the young buck about the house, why 
 such a nice-looking place was vacant, when so many 
 people in the pueblo were huddled together in one 
 room. He told us that about a year ago his cousin 
 had died in the very room in which we were sitting, 
 and that the place had been uninhabited since. On 
 inquiring the cause of the man's illness, the fellow 
 said, pointing to his chest, "He was sick here, and 
 coughed all the time." 
 
 Not sharing with the Indian any superstitious an- 
 tipathy to the place, but fearing there might still be 
 some germs of the disease in the room that had been 
 closed for so long, we decided to sleep once more in 
 the wagon rather than to run any risk of infection. 
 
 Accordingly our bed was made up as it had been 
 before. The night was very noisy, more so than any 
 we had spent in Cochiti, for all the dogs (and Santo 
 Domingo is noted for possessing hundreds of them) 
 kept up a furious barking, seemingly selecting our 
 street as a place to give vent to their feelings. We 
 
 113 
 
Bmoncj tbc ipueblo 1ln?ian6. 
 
 slept very little during the night, and when at last the 
 place partially quieted down the first faint streaks of 
 dawn were visible through a hole in the wagon cover. 
 Awakening at sunrise we were greatly surprised to 
 see several pairs of eyes gazing at us under the can- 
 vas, from all directions. Seeing our covered wagon 
 in one of their streets had, no doubt, aroused the curi- 
 osity of the villagers, and it was in this way they 
 sought to satisfy it. How long we had been the cen- 
 tre of attraction is hard to say, but probably for some 
 time; and even the fact that we were awake, and 
 motioning them to go away, had no effect whatever 
 upon them. In a few moments, however, Juan came 
 up and told the crowd to stand by. 
 
 During the morning the men loitered around our 
 doorway? talking and smoking. We were about to 
 go around the pueblo, when, coming toward us from 
 The river, were six bucks representing goblins. They 
 were stripped, with the exception of a flannel breech- 
 cloth and moccasins. They wore false heads, per- 
 fectly cvlindrical in form from the shoulders up, and 
 with holes in front for the eyes. Four of them were 
 painted bkick with white spots down their backs, and 
 
 114 
 
Xifc at Santo 5)omlnc}0. 
 
 the remaining two, yellow with black spots. They 
 wore armlets of rawhide in which were stuck corn 
 husks. Some carried corn husks in their hands, while 
 others had loaves of bread or tortillas. Thus arrayed 
 they appeared in the village streets. They were sup- 
 posed to have come from the river to make the men 
 work on the bridge, which had been washed away by 
 the spring freshets. The goblins ran through the 
 pueblo from house to house, frightening in their 
 march the children, who ran for protection to their 
 mothers. They chased the bucks to the river, pointed 
 out the place where they were to work, and made them 
 commence the new bridge at once. The river bed at 
 this point was fully a mile in width, while the stream 
 itself was not over a hundred feet wide and the water 
 at the deepest point reached about to a man's waist. 
 The bridge consisted of quadrupods, made from the 
 trunks of cottonwood trees, in which were placed 
 faced logs, spanning from one to the other, crossing 
 the river. The stream being so shallow the abut- 
 ments were put in place without much difficulty by 
 eight or nine of the strongest bucks, who waded into 
 
 the water and put in place the timbers which the other 
 
 117 
 
I-lniono tbc pueblo UnMane. 
 
 men passed to them. The bridge was completed late 
 in the afternoon, and on the return of the bucks 
 to the village a large camp fire was started, around 
 which, until a late hour, the men collected, resting, 
 and evidently comparing their ideas of bridge con- 
 struction. 
 
 During the evening we visited some of the people, 
 who most cordially received us and showed us their 
 possessions. In many houses Navajoe blankets were 
 hanging around, also buckskin suits, and quivers 
 made of mountain lion skin. Before turning in for 
 the night we purchased two Navajoe blankets, and 
 wrapping these around us, so that the dogs of the vil- 
 lage would think we were Indians and not molest us, 
 returned to the wagon. There was the usual barking 
 of dogs together with a parade that moved through 
 the village streets, making great commotion. The 
 sound of the bugle, the governor shouting, and the 
 beating of an old army drum, could be heard all at 
 one time. The procession moved up and down the 
 streets of the village, the sound becoming louder, 
 then softer, and louder again, as its distance from us 
 
 varied. Finally the little company approached us, 
 
 ii8 
 
IN HOLIDAY ATTIRE. 
 
Xtfc at Santo Doniincio. 
 
 and when passing we could distinguish by aid of the 
 starlight a drummer on either side of the bugler, and 
 all three marching in front of the governor, who was 
 shouting at the top of his voice. They passed us; 
 then, having gone the rounds, returned to their 
 homes. This parade announced to the people that 
 gallo was to be played in the main street the follow- 
 ing afternoon. The drummers and the bugler were 
 to attract the attention of the people while the gov- 
 ernor made the announcement. 
 
 Leaving Juan to cook breakfast next morning, we 
 went to one of the largest houses in the pueblo, where 
 several families lived together. They had just com- 
 menced eating, and asked us to partake with them. 
 Accepting the invitation, they handed us small stools, 
 and we joined the circle. In the centre of the group, 
 on the floor of the room, were two flat baskets, one 
 containing dried beef and the other tortillas. We 
 helped ourselves to these, and were each handed a 
 cup filled with a black sour liquid called, by the 
 Indians, coffee. 
 
 In our own room Juan awaited us with a well-cooked 
 breakfast, which was thoroughly enjoyed, onr appe- 
 
2lmoii{j tbc ipucblo flnJMans. 
 
 tites not being in the least impaired by the first 
 course eate^n with the Indians. 
 
 After breakfast we went with our landhird to buy 
 another blanket and some pottery. One buck on 
 whom we called had several pieces, including a large 
 jar decorated in conventional design, for which he 
 wanted three dollars. Visiting several other places 
 in quest of a piece with bird ornamentation, we found 
 that figure decoration was not characteristic of the 
 Santo Domingo Indians. On making this discovery 
 we hastened back for the piece before chosen, and 
 imagine our surprise to find that during our absence 
 the jar had increased in value one dollar and that the 
 man would not for an instant consider his first-named 
 price. This trait the Indians probably develop by 
 coming in contact with traders who visit the Indian 
 villages and buy pottery, blankets, and other articles 
 of Indian manufacture, giving the poor, tmsuspecting 
 creatures about one-third the value of the articles in 
 beads. 
 
 Having learned a lesson from our last transaction, 
 we went in search of a blanket to a house not far 
 from the one where the pottery had been made. 
 
Xife at Santo Domingo. 
 
 There were several blankets hanging around, but, as 
 the owner wanted as much again for them as they 
 were worth, he did not make the sale. Our inter- 
 preter told us that three strings of beads, such as the 
 traders take into the pueblos, would buy a blanket. 
 These beads we subsequently priced in Santa Fe, and 
 to our amazement found that three strings cost just 
 one-fourth the price the man had named for a blanket. 
 
 It had been our intention, at the start, to travel as 
 far west as Laguna, a pueblo having a population of 
 about one thousand Indians, and, being so far from 
 vSanta Fe, one very seldom visited by the whites, but 
 the horses began to show signs of o-ivinof out, makincr 
 this impossible. Had they been good ones we would 
 have remained in Santo Domingo a week longer, to 
 witness a large dance to take place at that time, and 
 afterward travel further west. 
 
 Greatly disappointed at being obliged to shorten 
 
 the trip, we returned to the house to prepare for our 
 
 departure, and found Juan sitting on the back of the 
 
 wagon, which he had loaded, talking with three young 
 
 bucks with whom he had become acquainted during 
 
 our stay in Santo Domingo. One of the group espe- 
 
 125 
 
Bnioncj tbc pueblo IFnMans. 
 
 cially attracted our attention. His straight black 
 hair hung below iiis waist, around which he wore a 
 Navajoe belt of oval silver discs. The silver buttons 
 on his buckskin leggins were also made by the Nava- 
 joes. We levelled the camera and were preparing to 
 take a picture of the group, when Juan informed the 
 little company they were about to be photographed. 
 This they would not have, and were walking away, 
 when we handed them a picture of an Indian. Im- 
 mediately they were all attention, and as they gazed 
 at the picture the button was pressed unknown to 
 them. 
 
 At the corral some bucks were getting the horses 
 ready for the games of the afternoon ; and as we 
 passed along the road leading from the pueblo, wagon- 
 loads of Mexicans were coming from the neighboring 
 settlements and from Cochiti to Santo Domingo to be 
 present at the celebration. 
 
 We drove on through Wallace, hoping to reach 
 
 Cerrillous, about ten miles beyond, by night; but this 
 
 was not possible, as, travelling until sundown, our 
 
 usual hour for striking camp, Wallace was still within 
 
 sight. We drew the wagon up beside a little stream 
 
 126 
 
TLitc at Santo Soiningo. 
 
 — Cerrillous Creek — the bed of which was covered 
 with a limv substance, and found the water not (jood 
 to drink, being full of alkali. After boiling, however, 
 it did very well in coffee. 
 
 While preparing supper a young fellow rode up 
 and entered into conversation with us. He had just 
 left the mining camp at Eagle and was in search of 
 work. Our meal was shared with him, and, inviting 
 him to take breakfast with us on the morrow, we 
 retired. Next morning our friend was nowhere in 
 sight. He had probably taken advantage of the early 
 mornir.g light and ridden off on his lonely journey. 
 
 After breakfast we broke camp and proceeded np 
 the road, which follows the railroad for about two 
 miles; then, leaving the plain, we ascended the hill 
 and were once more on the mesa. Looking backward, 
 the road over which we had travelled from the Indian 
 village could be plainly seen, and in the distance 
 stood Santo Domingo Mountain, enveloped in a thin 
 mist, but clearly distinguishable against the southern 
 sky. 
 
 After travelling slowly for many hours, a little min- 
 ing camp, with its derricks and shafts, appeared up in 
 
 127 
 
Hmonc; tbc ipucblo ITnMans. 
 
 the hills. This proved to be tlie mines of Waldo, 
 that supply the vSanta Fe Road with coal. Here it 
 was that we received our first information about the 
 great strike that had tied up most of the western 
 railroads, and on account of this strike the mines 
 were not being worked. 
 
 Across the ridge, not far from the mines, was the 
 little town of Waldo, a well-laid-out village with rows 
 of neat-looking houses, the residences of the miners. 
 Farther down the hill was the general store, which is 
 under the management of the railroad company and 
 supplies the people with everything in the line of 
 groceries, dry goods, etc. We were greatly surprised 
 to find such a store in a little mining settlement up in 
 the hills of New Mexico, and also at the quantity and 
 quality of the stock. 
 
 Cerrillous, a small settlement beyond Waldo, is a 
 typical railroad town, with its small hotels and restau- 
 rants, billiard and pool rooms, saloons and stores. 
 On our arrival in town several freighters whom we 
 had niet on the road further down were hanging 
 around the feed store, talking over the news of the 
 
 day with some of the townspeople. 
 
 128 
 
X(fe at Santo Domingo. 
 
 As we had for the past two weeks heard absolutely 
 nothing of the events taking place in the outer world, 
 even this local gossip was welcome. 
 
 The most important topic under discussion was the 
 scarcity of beer. The supply had given out several 
 days before, and, on account of the strike, had not 
 been replenished, causing a beer famine. Two 
 trucks, however, had been sent to Santa Fe, and it was 
 expected that relief would soon be at hand. In the 
 course of conversation it was learned that the deputy 
 sheriffs were organizing a posse to go to Raton to 
 help move the mail trains that the strikers were hold- 
 ing back. This caused unusual excitement, and the 
 figure of an armed deputy passing through the street 
 was the signal for further speculation on the great 
 issue at stake. Other and less important subjects fol- 
 lowed these all-absorbing ones until our departure 
 from the town, which was witnessed by a large pro- 
 portion of the inhabitants, who had gradually collected 
 in the vicinity of the store. 
 
 The cafion through which the road out of Cerrillous 
 
 runs is very rough, large stones and deep gullies 
 
 sometimes lying in the direct path of the traveller. 
 
 129 
 
Bmong tbe ipueblo UnOians. 
 
 The condition of the road and the horses prevented 
 our going far, and we were obliged to camp for the 
 night when only half a mile from town. 
 
 Realizing that the horses would never reach Santa 
 Fe at this rate, Juan went to a little house, next morn- 
 ing, near the roadside, a short distance up the caiion, 
 to see if he could procure a horse to take the place of 
 our old black, which was nearly played out. He re- 
 turned with the information that the people, who 
 were Mexicans, would give us no assistance, although 
 they had several horses grazing near the house. 
 However, they told him that an American family 
 lived a little way back from the road, over the hill. 
 Trusting they would help us out, we walked in the 
 direction named, and found a small cottage in among 
 the trees. It was the home of one of the Waldo 
 miners, who, being out of work, was glad to be of 
 assistance to us. He hitched his team of sturdy mus- 
 tangs to the wagon, and, with the wrecks tied on be- 
 hind, the journey was continued up the caiion, which 
 became narrower and steeper as we proceeded up the 
 mountain. 
 
 The mustangs did good pulling over this, one of the 
 
 130 
 
Xife at Santo 5)ominc;o. 
 
 worst stretches of road in the country, and wc realized 
 that the change had been made none too soon, for 
 the cripples, being unable to keep up with the mus- 
 tangs, began to hang back. vSeeing that this was in- 
 terfering with our progress, Juan cut the ropes and 
 led them up more slowly. At the top of the hill it 
 was found the black horse could go no further. So, 
 tying him to a cedar tree near by, we left him, our 
 driver promising to get the animal on his return 
 next day and care for him until sent for by the 
 owner. 
 
 Through Carmensville, a once prosperous but now 
 deserted village, we passed. It was a desolate-look- 
 ing place, its buildings gradually crumbling away by 
 exposure to the elements and from want of repair. 
 
 From the top of the hill the old town of vSanta Fe, 
 our starting-point, was visible across the plain many 
 miles away. The place appeared like a small dot at 
 the foot of the mountains, and, looking toward it from 
 our position on the hilltop, the winding road we were 
 about to pass over could be easily traced across the 
 sweeping plain. 
 
 The famous turquoise mines of New Mexico next 
 
 ^33 
 
 ^\ iHn Hn 
 
Bmong tbe ipucblo flnOlans. 
 
 came in sight, and tlio mountain containing them 
 was resplendent in the sunlight that enveloped it. 
 
 At Bonanza, a little settlement of three houses at 
 the foot of the hill, we partook of the last meal of 
 the trip; then wc started across the plain, and as the 
 sun was sinking below the western hills we drove by 
 the Indian school on the outskirts of the town and 
 
 entered Santa Fe. 
 
 134 
 
IV. 
 
 TAOS. 
 
FROM SANTA FE TO TAOS. 
 
 OUR entertainment by 
 glimpses of Indian life, dur- 
 ing the past two weeks, in- 
 duced us to spend more time 
 among the Pueblos before 
 leaving New Mexico. Ac- 
 cordingly, Taos was selected 
 as being a place of more than 
 usual interest, both on ac- 
 count of its buildings and of 
 the battle that had been fought at the pueblo during 
 the insurrection of 1847, when the United States 
 troops avenged the murder of Governor Bent. 
 
 Our plans were made during the following two 
 days to visit Taos up in the mountains, seventy miles 
 north of Santa Fe. We concluded to make this trip, 
 
 not with a team as before, but by rail, on the Denver 
 
 137 
 
Bmong tbe ipucblo ITn&ians. 
 
 and Rio Grande narrow-gauge road to Embudo, and 
 thence to Taos in the mail wagon. 
 
 With our blankets in the mail bag, the cameras, 
 six-shooters, and a hand-satchel, we arrived at the 
 station as the train drew up to the platform. The 
 cars appeared very small, and the little wood-burning 
 locomotive seemed to do a great deal of puffing, con- 
 sidering the slow rate of speed at which it travelled. 
 
 Our fellow-passengers were mostly Mexicans wdio 
 kept up a steady flow of conversation in their foreign 
 language, making it almost impossible to realize we 
 were within the borders of the United States. 
 
 Travelling toward San Ildefonso, we had, from time 
 to time, glimpses of the road so recently passed over, 
 and in two or three places the exact spots of our 
 camps could be distinguished. 
 
 At the rio the track entered the caiion, and fol- 
 lowed the stream, which at this point flowed very 
 swiftly over its bed of gravel. An old freight car, 
 removed from its trucks and supported on piles, 
 formed the station of wSan Ildefonso. It was situated 
 some distance from the pueblo, which could be plainly 
 
 seen from the car window. The sight of the little 
 
 i3« 
 

 •^^«S- 
 
 
 
3From Santa ffc to tlaoe. 
 
 village brought back many recollections of our stay in 
 the place, of the people, and especially of Juan, our 
 late travelling companion, who would have enjoyed 
 so much our present outing. 
 
 Passing the pueblo of Santa Clara, we stopped at 
 Espaiiola, a railroad town, where quite a congregation 
 of Indians and Mexicans had collected around the sta- 
 tion. They were seated on the platform, conversing; 
 the Indian women surrounded by pieces of pottery, 
 which they tried to sell to the train's people. At the 
 general store and post office, several teams and sad- 
 dle horses were hitched. The store was filled with 
 people, who evidently expected the train would bring 
 the mail that had been for the past two weeks delayed 
 on account of the strike. 
 
 x\t Espaiiola, several passengers boarded the train, 
 
 which, as it moved in and out around ledges of rock, 
 
 followed the irregular course of the stream. The 
 
 river had the appearance of a clear mountain brook, 
 
 of a beautiful greenish color, whirling around in deep 
 
 holes, then bounding over large stones on its way 
 
 down the rough rocky canon. The roadbed here, 
 
 where the spring freshets sweep away everything be- 
 
 141 
 
Bmoncj tbc pueblo ITnDfans. 
 
 fore them, is proteeted by breastworks of piles, to 
 prevent it from being washed away. 
 
 The train slowly travelled along the up grade until 
 noon, Yvdien we arrived at Embudo, where the rail- 
 road leaves the rio and ascends to the mesa. The 
 mail wagon, in which we were to continue our journey, 
 was at the station, awaiting the arrival of the train. 
 Two mail bags from Santa Fe were thrown on the 
 wagon, and these, together Avith ours well filled with 
 blankets, made it appear that the strike was at an 
 end, and the mails on the way to Taos. 
 
 The wagon was drawn by a pair of fat mustangs, 
 and driven by a young Mexican who travels, under 
 contract with the Government, between Embudo and 
 Taos, a distance of thirty-two miles, and daily carries 
 the luail between the two points. 
 
 We left the station a litile after noon, the sun shin- 
 ing brightly on the surrounding hills. When a short 
 distance up the road, however, a storm could be seen 
 rapidly approaching us down the caiion. The heavy 
 black clouds came nearer and nearer, and grew hea- 
 vier and blacker as they approached, until it seemed 
 
 as if they could no longer hold the water in them. 
 
 142 
 
ffrom Santa 3fe to ^aos. 
 
 Then the rain fell in torrents, loouring in a cloud- 
 burst, and giving us barely time to cover ourselves 
 with the almost empty mail bags before the storm 
 was upon us. This protection, however, was not long 
 necessary, for the fury of the storm soon spent itself, 
 and the clouds, jDassing over the mountains, left the 
 sky clear. 
 
 Rinconado, a little Mexican adobe town, Avas the 
 first stopping-place, and at the general store one of 
 the mail bags was left with the postmaster. 
 
 The road between Embudo and Taos was built by 
 the Government for a mail route, at great expense 
 and with much hard labor, as the country is broken 
 up b) high mountains and deep caiions. For some 
 aistance the road is cut in the mountain that forms 
 the east side of the canon. Above us, the hills, rising 
 perpendicularly from the road, pierced the sky over- 
 head; wdiile on the other side, down in the bottom of 
 the canon, the rio flowed, swiftly eddying as it passed 
 on toward the south. 
 
 The mountain side was almost barren, as, with the 
 exception of some scrub cedar bushes, there was no 
 sign of vegetable life. But what most forcibly strikes 
 
 145 
 
amonci tbe pueblo IfnMans. 
 
 the eye of the traveller is the gorgeous coloring of the 
 soil and rocks in the hills on either side of the stream. 
 The soil blends from a deep red to lighter red and 
 white, then into the greenish tint of the rocks that 
 crop out here and there on the surface of the hills. 
 
 In many places in the sides of the canon were large 
 circular indentations, made at a time when the bed of 
 the stream was much higher than it is to-day, and 
 when a greater amount of water, constantly flowing, 
 caused large boulders to grind these whirl-holes in 
 the hard, solid rocks. 
 
 Leaving the cailon, the road goes over the hills, and 
 along the roadside are mounds of sand, Avhich show 
 by the deep cuts and gullies in them that in time 
 they will be entirely washed away by heavy rainfalls 
 that frequently occur in the vicinity. From the top 
 of one of these hills, the river again came in sight, 
 and beside it, like an oasis in a desert, lay the little 
 town of Cieneguiella, in a fertile valley of green fields 
 and gardens. 
 
 From Cieneguiella we ascended to the mesa, five 
 
 hundred feet above the town, and started over the 
 
 wide plain bounded by distant mountains. Through 
 
 146 
 
FATHER AND SON. 
 
dfrom Santa jfc to XLnos. 
 
 the centre of this vast level plain the canon contain- 
 ing the Rio Grande penetrates, cutting deeply for 
 hundreds of feet below the surface. At the sharp 
 turns and curves of the caiion, the course of the river, 
 which looked like a thread, could be traced. 
 
 Another storm approached, travelling in a mass, 
 and apparently following the course of the caiion. 
 Before it reached us, however, the cloud burst and 
 emptied its contents into the river below. 
 
 As we neared Taos the country became mountain- 
 ous again. The hills were covered with sage bushes, 
 and cedars of a much larger growth than those in the 
 lower country grew side by side with them. AVe 
 were fully eight thousand feet above the level of the 
 sea, and could clearly distinguish the timber line on 
 the mountains around us. 
 
 Just before sundown we drove through the town 
 of Ranches de Taos, by the old church built over a 
 hundred years ago, then on three miles farther into 
 Taos; and as the sun was sinking in splendor behind 
 the hills, our caravan arrived at the post office. See- 
 ing our well-filled mail bag, the postmaster, thinking 
 
 no doubt that the strike was at an end, rushed out to 
 
 149 
 
Bnionc} tbe ipueblo UnMans. 
 
 get it. Explaining to him that we held the key of 
 the bag, and would show him the contents if he so 
 desired, he was convinced it was not the property of 
 the Government. In spite of this he looked quite 
 crestfallen as we drove away to the adobe hotel near 
 by. 
 
 The hotel, the mail carrier told us, was kept by a 
 German, who, he assured us, had plenty of good 
 Sante Fe beer, which, considering the distance it had 
 to be brought, was considered a great luxury. 
 
 The German proprietor proved a most genial host, 
 and, as he ushered us in to supper, soon after our ar- 
 rival, we took the places assigned us at the table, where 
 the other guests of the hotel had already assembled . It 
 was a mixed company that sat around the board. The 
 village doctor, a young man from the East, the black- 
 smith, the editor of the weekly paper Taos Herald, 
 several miners, some gentlemen of leisure about town, 
 our host and his family and ourselves the latest ar- 
 rivals. 
 
 The table was in one corner of a large, bare-looking 
 hall, at the rear of which a space was curtained off 
 for the use of commercial travellers, and as the meal 
 
 150 
 
3from Santa jfc to Caog. 
 
 progressed we could plainly hear them making sales 
 to the storekeepers, who passed in and out through 
 the dining-room on their way to and from the sales- 
 room. 
 
 In front of the hall, beside the bar-room, was the 
 hotel office, separated from the dining-room only by 
 a light partition extending about as high as a man's 
 head. 
 
 The hotel itself is a one-story adobe structure, 
 built, as are most Mexican houses, around a small 
 courtyard, upon which the rooms face. 
 
 Our first glimpse next morning was of the beauti- 
 ful snow-tipped mountains glistening in the sunlight, 
 with Taos Peak, which is twelve thousand feet above 
 the level of the sea, towering above them all. 
 
 We decided to spend the day sight-seeing in the old 
 town, and devote the remainder of our time to the 
 pueblo. Our guide, the editor, told us many interest- 
 ing things concerning the place, and pointed out the 
 several buildings, the most prominent of which was 
 Taos Bank, the only wooden structure in the town. 
 Beyond the bank and near the post office was the 
 house where Governor Bent was assassinated by a 
 
 153 
 
Bmong tbe ipucblo fln&fane. 
 
 body of Mexicans and Pueblo Indians in 1S47. The 
 oldest house in the place, now roofless, was built 
 about seventy-four years ago, and was the home of 
 Kit Carson, whose tombstone in the little American 
 graveyard east of the town marks the spot where he 
 was buried. Opposite the printing-office was the lit- 
 tle church of Our Lady of Guadalupe, with the priest's 
 house and convent beside it. 
 
 In the court-room near by a case was being argued 
 by Mexicans — and although we could not understand 
 a word they said, it could be plainly seen that the 
 affair was creating great excitement. The trouble 
 originated from a quarrel between two Mexicans at 
 a dance the night before, when the defendant had 
 used his knife too freely on the plaintiff. Such cases 
 are frequent in Taos, and are generally decided in 
 favor of the party having the greatest number of 
 
 followers. 
 
 154 
 
fflg } HI 
 
LIFE IN THE PUEBLO. 
 
 Next mornin<r we made our first visit to the pueblo, 
 driving- out in a light wagon. On the road north of the 
 town we met several Indians, who had walked over 
 from the pueblo three miles beyond. These Indians 
 bore a marked difference to those in the southern pueb- 
 loes, both on account of their dress, which was purely 
 Indian, without any ^lexican innovations, and also by 
 their features, which resemble more nearly the 
 wilder tribes of the north. This change is, no doubt, 
 the result of intermarrying with the Navajoes and 
 the Apaches, who live but a short distance over the 
 mountains toward the west. So long has this been 
 going on that the Taos Indians have lost much of 
 their Pueblo identity. 
 
 The morning was perfect, the clear atmosphere 
 causing Taos Peak, with its barren top, to stand out 
 boldly in the sunlight. Along the road, which, as 
 we neared the pueblo, became very narrow, were 
 
 157 
 
Bmong tbe ipucblo IfnMans. 
 
 fields of corn and alfalfa, and further along, on either 
 side, was a growth of willows, so dense that even the 
 sky above was not visible; all that could be seen was 
 the side of the large mountain, at the foot of which 
 the pueblo lies. Here and there an esaque crossed 
 the road, carrying the clear water of Pueblo River 
 into the fields of the JMexicans on the outskirts of the 
 town. Leaving the willowy bower, there loomed up 
 before us the two great pyramidal buildings of the 
 pueblo, which, according to the historian, are the most 
 interesting and extraordinary inhabited structures in 
 America. 
 
 We went in search of a young Indian named Lo- 
 renzo, of whom we had previously heard. He was 
 at home, and proved a most efficient interpreter and 
 guide, as well as an agreeable companion. He was 
 a well-educated fellow, having been graduated from 
 Carlisle a year or tv/o before. Since his return to 
 the pueblo, however, he has been looked down upon 
 by the rest of the inhabitants, who consider his 
 knowledge a great disadvantage to them. He told us 
 that on the day of his arrival home, after an absence 
 
 of four years, a meeting had been called in the estufa 
 
 158 
 
Xife in tbe pueblo. 
 
 to consider his case. The principal grievance was 
 that he wore the clothes of a United vStates citizen 
 instead of the buckskins of his brethren. He had 
 been told he must change his manner of dressinsf, 
 and on his steady refusal to accede to their demands 
 they sought to force him to do so. When the council 
 meeting had adjourned a committee was sent to tell 
 him the decision arrived at ; that he must either 
 resign his American garments or be debarred from 
 taking any part whatever in the affairs of the pueblo. 
 He remained firm in his determination, and from that 
 day has had no part whatever in the affairs of the 
 community. There he lives, seemingly happy, m his 
 little room with its modern appointments; bistable 
 well filled w'ith books — his constant companions. 
 
 The two great buildings of Taos pueblo form ir- 
 regular pyramids, being in some parts seven stories 
 high, each tier or story covering a smaller area than 
 the one below, to allow entrance from the roof. In 
 each building over a hundred persons dwell; a whole 
 family sometimes living in a little room near the top. 
 Besides these structures a few small houses are scat- 
 tered around the place, but the majority of the people 
 
 i6r 
 
Bmong tbc pueblo ITnMans. 
 
 live in the two mam buildings. Near the most north- 
 erly of these are the ruins of the old church, with 
 part of the adobe walls, seven feet in thickness, still 
 standing. This church, during the revolt of 1847, 
 was turned into a fortification, and held by Mexicans 
 and Indians while being stormed by the United vStates 
 troops, who marched from vSanta Fe to Taos when 
 the news of the murder of the Governor reached the 
 Capital. 
 
 Concerning this battle Colonel Price, the commander 
 of the American troops, writes as follows : — " Posting 
 the dragoons under Captain Burgwin about two hun- 
 dred and sixty yards from the western Hank of the 
 church, I ordered the mounted men under Captains St. 
 Vrain and vSlack to a position on the opposite side of 
 the town, whence they could discover and intercept 
 any fugitives who might attempt to escape toward the 
 mountains or in the direction of San Fernando. The 
 residue of the troops took ground about three hundred 
 yards from the north wall. Here, too, Lieutenant 
 Dyer established himself with the six-pounder and 
 two howitzers, while Lieutenant Hessendaubel re- 
 mained with Captain Burgwin in command of two 
 
 162 
 
3Life in tbc ipueblo. 
 
 howitzers. By this arrangement a cross fire was ob- 
 tained, sweeping the front and eastern flank of the 
 church. 
 
 " All these arrangements being made, the batteries 
 opened upon the town at nine o'clock a.m. At 
 eleven, finding it impossible to break the walls of the 
 church with the six-pounders and howitzers, I deter- 
 mined to storm the building. At a signal Captain 
 Burgwin, at the head of his own company, and that 
 of Captain McMillin, charged the western flank of 
 the church, while Captain Augney, infantry battalion, 
 and Captain Barbar and Lieutenant Boon, vSecond 
 Missouri Volunteers, charged the northern wall. As 
 soon as the troops above mentioned had established 
 themselves under the western wall of the church axes 
 were used in the attempt to breach it, and, a tem- 
 porary ladder having been made, the roof was 
 fired. About this time Captain Burgwin, at the 
 head of a small party, left the cover afforded by 
 the flank of the church, and, penetrating into the 
 corral in front of that building, endeavored to force 
 the door. In this exposed position Captain Burg- 
 win received a severe wound, which deprived me 
 
 165 
 
Bmong tbc ipueblo IfnMans. 
 
 of his valuable services, and of which he died on the 
 /th inst. 
 
 " Lieutenants Mcllvaine, Royall and Lackland ac- 
 companied Captain Burgwin into the corral, but the 
 attempt on the church door proved fruitless, and they 
 were compelled to retire behind the western wall. In 
 the mean time small holes had been cut in the west- 
 ern wall, and shells were thrown in by hand, doing 
 good execution. The six-pounder was now brought 
 around by Lieutenant Wilson, who, at the distance of 
 two hundred yards, poured a heavy fire of grape into 
 the town. The enemy all this time kept up a de- 
 structive fire upon our troops. About half-past three 
 o'clock the six-pounder was run up within about 
 sixty yards of the church, and after ten rounds one of 
 the holes which had been cut with the axes was 
 widened into a practicable breach. 
 
 "The storming party, among whom were Lieuten- 
 ants Dyer, Wilson and Taylor, entered and took pos- 
 session of the church without opposition. The in- 
 terior was filled with dense smoke, but for which 
 circumstance our storming party would have suffered 
 
 great loss. A few of the enemy were seen in the 
 
 i66 
 
TAOS INDIAN. 
 
Xife in tbe ipucblo. 
 
 gallery, where an open door admitted the air; but they 
 retired without firing again. The troops left to sup- 
 port the battery on the north side were now ordered 
 to charge on that side. 
 
 " The enemy then abandoned the western part of 
 the town. Many took refuge in the large houses on 
 the east, while others endeavored to escape toward the 
 mountains. These latter were pursued by the mounted 
 men, under Captains vSlack and St. Vrain, who killed 
 forty-one of them, only two or three men escaping. 
 It was now night, and our troops were quietly quar- 
 tered in the houses which the enemy had abandoned. 
 On the next morning the enemy sued for peace, and, 
 thinking the severe loss they had sustained would 
 prove a salutary lesson, I granted their supplication 
 on the condition that they should deliver up to me 
 Tomas, one of their principal men, who had insti- 
 gated and been actively engaged in the murder of 
 Governor Bent and others. 
 
 " The number of the enemy at the Battle of Pueblo 
 
 de Taos was between six and seven hundred, and of 
 
 these one hundred and fifty were killed — wounded 
 
 not known. Our own loss was seven killed and forty- 
 
 169 
 
Bmonc? tbe ipucblo IfnMans. 
 
 five wounded. Many of the wounded have since 
 died." 
 
 This battle, fought at the old church, was practi- 
 cally the end of the attempt to expel the Americans 
 from the Territory. 
 
 ' In the thick adobe walls of the ruin, indentations, 
 where cannon balls had been embedded, were visible. 
 Lorenzo said that durino' his childhood his principal 
 playthings had been the old balls fired by our troops 
 during the battle. 
 
 From the old we went to the new church, where 
 the Indians of Taos worship at the present time. The 
 church, of course, is Catholic, but, coming less in con- 
 tact with the Mexicans than those in the southern 
 pueblos, the Taos Indians are not such strict followers 
 of the faith. 
 
 The Indian, as a rule, has two religions; his origi- 
 nal, which consists of worshipping the almighty 
 chief, and also the Catholic, which was adopted from 
 the Mexicans. 
 
 Many of the dances performed at the pueblos are 
 
 merely forms of worship, or rather of prayer to the 
 
 almighty chief. The planting dance, for instance, 
 
 170 
 
Xife in tbe pueblo. 
 
 that we had witnessed at San Ildefonso, was a prayer 
 for the success of the crops. The hunting- dance, 
 also, is a prayer that the mountains and streams in 
 the vicinity of the pueblos may abound in game and 
 fish. Thus a sacred rite and an amusement are com- 
 bined; and while the people enjoy it for the pleasure 
 it brings them, they believe it will be the means of 
 their further success. 
 
 The Indians are a very superstitious race, believing 
 in all kinds of signs and workings of supernatural 
 powers; sometimes avoiding contact with the most 
 harmless things imaginable, fearing some evil influ- 
 ence may be exerted upon them. 
 
 A common form of superstition we had noticed was 
 a belief that wearing certain charms would be a 
 means of protection to the possessors. Accordingly 
 many of the bucks wore in their belts smiall leather 
 bags containing meal, in which were stones, carvings 
 of malpais, pieces of turquoise, or old bullets. The 
 meal is supposed to keep the articles pure and clean, 
 and in constantly carrying them the wearer is thought 
 to be proof against disease. 
 
 Lorenzo conducted us up the rickety ladders of one 
 
 173 
 
Bmong the ipueblo UnMans. 
 
 of the great buildings of the pueblo. In front of 
 most of the doors, en the roofs, little children were 
 playing, sometimes perilously near the edge, while 
 others were descending the ladders with great agil- 
 ity. From the top of this wonderfully built structure 
 a fine view of the surrounding country was obtained. 
 The caiion from which the little mountain stream 
 comes bubbling down was before us, while toward the 
 south, across the plain, lay the old tov/n of Taos, 
 with the marble-like peak at its side. All around, 
 the high mountains towered into the azure sky, and 
 at our feet were the fertile green fields in which the 
 country abounds. 
 
 The field north of the building is kept under culti- 
 vation for the priest, who receives the products of the 
 soil in payment for saying mass at the little church 
 near by. The bucks, headed by the governor, were 
 at work in this field, their garments floating in the 
 breeze as they marched in file ploughing between the 
 rows of young corn. When the work was completed, 
 and the priest's acre in good condition, they shoul- 
 dered their implements and marched on to their 
 homes. 
 
 174 
 
Xlte in tbe pueblo. 
 
 Wishing for a glimpse of the natural beauties of 
 the surrounding country, we, with Lorenzo in the 
 back of the wagon, started for the caiion. The morn- 
 ing was beautiful, the sky cloudless, and the bright 
 sunlight, shining on the neighboring hills, harmoni- 
 ously blended the varied tints of the earth with the 
 deep blue of the sky. The road that follows the clear, 
 sparkling mountain stream was very narrow, and the 
 growth of trees on either side so dense that in some 
 places the water, flowing some feet below us, was lost, 
 to sight; then in the clearings, when the brook was 
 again visible, trout could be plainly seen in the clear 
 water that sparkled as the sun shone on it through 
 the leafy bowers overhead. 
 
 A short distance up the caiion we came to a spot 
 by the roadside which had been cleared of the trees 
 that in former times had grown there. The clearing 
 was circular in form, and covered an area of about 
 one hundred feet square. This spot, Lorenzo said, was 
 connected with the hunting dance, which occurs some 
 time during the fall, when the elk are bugling in the 
 mountains. The dancers attire themselves in cos- 
 tumes representing buffalo, deer, and antelope. A 
 
 177 
 
Bmoncj tbe pueblo IfnDians. 
 
 buck and a squaw wear stuffed heads of buffalos. Be- 
 hind them are a pair of deer, who in turn are followed 
 by the buck and doe antelope, and so on. The 
 dancers repair to the mountain, and the dance begins 
 on the circular spot by the roadside. In a short 
 time a band of warriors is organized in the village 
 to hunt the dancers, whom they capture and take 
 down to the pueblo, where the hunters and the 
 hunted join together in the great fall dance. The 
 dance itself must be, from what we were told, simi- 
 lar to the one we had witnessed at San Ildefonso ; 
 the difference being in the costumes of the partici- 
 pants and the preliminary hunt in the mountain. 
 
 As we returned to the pueblo we could distinctly 
 see a storm gathering over the Taos Peak, the top of 
 which is usually of snowy whiteness. Since our trip 
 up the canon, however, it had changed into a grayish 
 tint ; and as we neared the town it seemed suddenly 
 to grow black, as a i^reat dark cloud, edged with 
 feathery foam, came slowly over the top, and, spread- 
 ing across the azure sky, hid from view the sun. 
 Then the vivid flash of the lightning lit up the hea- 
 vens, and, subsiding, seemed to leave them blacker 
 
 178 
 
2Life in the pueblo. 
 
 than before, while the deep roar of the thunder re- 
 echoed throughout the neighboring hills. Then, amid 
 the lightning flash and the rumbling of the thunder, 
 the clouds emptied their contents over the country. 
 Being of great force, the storm was not of long dura- 
 tion, and dispersed as rapidly as it had gathered, 
 leaving the sky without a cloud. This midday rain 
 is characteristic of the country, and during our stay 
 in Taos each day brought a similar storm. 
 
 Next morning was spent visiting some of the peo- 
 ple. Near the little bridge that spans the creek, sev- 
 eral squaws were washing clothes in the clear water; 
 while others were bathing little children, who, when 
 the trying ordeal was over, lingered around, pad- 
 dling in the shallow stream. In a potato field near 
 by, some bucks were hoeing, having just begun their 
 morning's work. They nodded pleasantly to us, as 
 we passed on to one of the large buildings. We en- 
 tered a room in the sixth story, occupied by a young 
 buck and squaw. Besides the usual pictures of the 
 samts, the walls of the room were decorated with 
 bows and arrows; and a rawhide shield hanging on 
 
 the door especially attracted our attention. We had 
 
 i8i 
 
Bmong tbe pueblo flnMans. 
 
 tried to buy a vShield in Cochiti, but without success. 
 After our experience in Santo Domingo, we had 
 taken precaution to purchase some beads that the In- 
 dians farther south valued so highly. 
 
 When Lorenzo told us the man was willing to sell 
 the shield, we offered the beads in payment for it; 
 but to our surprise he shook his head, vSaying he 
 wanted money. All through this pueblo it was the 
 same, and our bead currency proved worthless. We 
 bought the shield at the man's terms ; then, we visited 
 one of the lower rooms, where a whole family were 
 at home. Through Lorenzo we conversed with them, 
 and tried to induce them to have a family group 
 photographed on the little space before their door; 
 but after sfreat urQ^ino', onlv the father and boy could 
 be prevailed upon to face the much-hated kodak. 
 
 Durino; the evening one of the guests of the hotel 
 
 o o o 
 
 called on us in our room. He was a man who had 
 
 travelled extensively through the West during the 
 
 early part of its history, and the many reminiscences 
 
 of his life in the wilderness were very entertaining. 
 
 At the time of his visit to us he was working a claim 
 
 in Arroyo Hondo, a mining camp about twelve miles 
 
 182 
 
Xite in tbe pueblo. 
 
 north of Taos. He invited, us to take a trip to the 
 mines, offering to let us dig and wash gold to our 
 hearts' content; but as word had arrived that the 
 strike was practically at an end, we decided to leave 
 Taos in a day or two. 
 
 Accordingly our last visit to the pueblo was made 
 the following morning. As we lingered around near 
 the river, waiting for some bucks who had previously 
 agreed to be photographed, there came toward us 
 from the stream a small child carrying in both hands 
 an old tin cup, with which he had been playing. 
 
 We levelled the kodak at the youthful subject, who, 
 on seeing the camera pointed at him, stopped in his 
 line of march and looked in amazement at having his 
 escape cut off. As we stood by, afterward, to let the 
 little one pass, his pent-up feelings gave way, and he 
 cried as if heartbroken. His mother, a fine-looking 
 squaw, at the sound of her child's cries, came from a 
 house near by, seized the youngster by the hand and 
 led him off, casting an angry backward glance in our 
 direction. 
 
 We had previously heard that the governors of the 
 
 pueblos would allow the children to possess but one 
 
 185 
 
Bmong tbc pueblo 1[n&fans. 
 
 dress, and had frequently noted the absence of this, 
 the only wearing apparel of the little ones. On one 
 occasion we came upon a very small boy at play, who 
 was apparently suffering from the effects of a severe 
 cold and sore throat. Not a vestige of clothing 
 adorned the well-developed form of the little fellow 
 save a good-sized piece of red flannel clumsily wound 
 around his neck. 
 
 After i^hotographing the bucks, who with Lorenzo 
 had arrived soon after our encounter with our little 
 friend, we bade all good-by and returned to town. 
 
 Having occasion during the afternoon to enter the 
 plazuela around which the hotel is built, we saw 
 quite a company collected at one end of the court- 
 yard watching a little Indian boy dance. His father, 
 a large buck from the pueblo, was seated in the cen- 
 tre, beating on an old tin pan and singing the usual 
 Indian song, with peculiar nasal intonation. The 
 boy had been dancing for twenty minutes, and after 
 our arrival continued for fully ten more. When at 
 last the dance ended he seemed perfectly exhausted, 
 and fell in the arms of his mother, who was standinp- 
 by proudly watching her boy. 
 
 1 86 
 
HOMEWARD BOUND. 
 
 Our trip to Embudo next morning was enlivened 
 by the antics of a pair of young bronchos with which 
 the journey was to be made. The load, consisting of 
 five people, the baggage and a bale of hay, together 
 with the weight of the wagon, was enough to warrant 
 a slower rate of vSpeed than that with which the young 
 horses dashed off, but they seemed not to mind the 
 weight in the least. At a sharp curve in the road 
 the driver found it impossible to guide the horses 
 around the bend, and the wagon was pulled over an 
 embankment. The horses then started running over 
 the plain, and in crossing a ditch the chain holding 
 the body of the wagon on the truck snapped. Mean- 
 while the men of the front seat pulled on the lines, 
 nearly drawing the wagon body over on the excited 
 animals. When the horses finally quieted down, and 
 the wagon had been pulled on the road, the driver 
 fixed the chain with hay wire, and another start was 
 
Bnioiui tbc pueblo llnDiane. 
 
 made. The horses again rushed off at great speed, 
 breaking the newly-repaired ehain as we were de- 
 scending a steep hill with a rocky incline on one 
 side and a high embankment on the other. The 
 only thing to save us from being dashed to pieces 
 was to run the horses up the embankment, and in 
 doing this we were almost thrown from our seats. 
 Fully realizing that to continue the journey in this 
 way meant certain death to the whole party, the 
 driver returned to Taos for another team, and in 
 about an hour a fresh start was made with a pair of 
 sturdy grays. 
 
 When about ten iniles from Taos three Indians 
 rode toward us, driving a large bunch of cayuces. 
 They stopped as they neared us, and, although we 
 were not familiar with one another's language, they 
 gave us to understand that they were Navajoes on 
 their way to Taos to trade their horses with the In- 
 dians there. They seemed friendly, and were much 
 interested in the kodak we carried, not obiecting to 
 have a picture taken. 
 
 When driving through Rinconado a large shep- 
 herd dog ran out of a house at the horses. Before 
 
 190 
 
IbomcwarO J3oun&. 
 
 he could do any harm, however, one of the six- 
 shooters came quickly into service, and with a yelp 
 the dog whirled around in the road, like a pin wheel, 
 and dropped dead at his master's feet. The man, a 
 Mexican, on hearing the shot, had rushed out only to 
 see his dog breathe its last. He threw both hands in 
 the air and wildly shouted after us ; but as our knowl- 
 edge of Spanish was not very extensive, we could 
 only by his actions gather the drift of his conversa- 
 tion. He was thoroughly excited, and his voice could 
 be heard calling after us until the village was lost to 
 sight. 
 
 Arriving in Embudo, we boarded the little train, 
 and after a pleasant trip down the caiion reached 
 Santa Fe. 
 
 With the mail that had accumulated during our 
 absence was a letter from a ^Mexican lawyer, who had 
 been engaged by the Jew from whom we had hired 
 the old horses to deliver the following notice : 
 
 Santa Fe, New Mexico. 
 Dear Sir: — You are respectfully informed that 
 there has been placed in my hands for collection a 
 claim against you for seventy-five dollars, in favor of 
 
 193 
 
Bmong tbe pueblo UnDians. 
 
 & vSon, of this city, for killing one horse. 
 
 This claim is long overdue, and your creditor insists 
 that the matter must be adjusted immediately, and I 
 trust that you will at once arrange for its payment, 
 saving thereby the trouble and costs consequent to a 
 suit at law. Awaiting an early response, 
 
 I remain, respectfully yours, 
 
 Atty. -at-law. 
 
 This letter was the first intimation we had of the 
 demise of the old black, who in death was so much 
 more valuable than he had been during his life — hav- 
 ing been purchased by his late owner, we were told, 
 five years before, for six dollars. 
 
 Refusing to comply with the polite demands of the 
 Mexican and the jew, we were summoned to appear 
 in court the following week. Business of an urgent 
 nature, however, necessitated our return to the East, 
 and, giving bonds for a representative to appear, we 
 left vSante Fe. A week later we reached New York — 
 our trip a pleasant memory. 
 
 A new interest has been awakened in us by the In- 
 dian ; his marked contrast to his white neighbors, his 
 
 194 
 
1F3omcvvar& JSounD. 
 
 customs, many of which date back to the time when 
 he was the sole possessor of the soil, and the great 
 problem — his future — make him a subject of imiver- 
 sal interest and of deepest thought. 
 
 With the beauty and grandeur of our great West- 
 ern country, we were most forcibly impressed. 
 Great sweeping prairies, majestic hills towering 
 heavenward, and deep fertile valleys, all combine to 
 make a harmonious and sublime picture that fills the 
 beholder with awe and delight, and causes him to 
 realize how wholly inadequate is his power to convey 
 
 in a full sense a true idea of the wonders of the West. 
 
 195 
 
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