In a ledge of granite rock by the wayside were cut a number of round
holes which the Indians had made and used as mills for grinding their
corn and seeds into meal. Nearby also, were some mescal pits used for
baking the agave, a native plant that is in great demand as food by the
Indians. The spot was evidently an old rendezvous where the marauding
Apaches were accustomed to meet in council to plan their bloody raids,
and to feast on mescal and pinole in honor of some successful foray or
victory over an enemy.
We next crossed several well-worn Indian trails which the Apaches had
made by many years of travel to and fro between their rancherias in the
Mogollon mountains and Mexico. The sight of these trails brought us
back to real life and a conscious sense of danger, for were we not in
an enemy's country and in the midst of hostile Indians? Nearly every
mile of road traveled had been at some time in the past the scene of a
bloody tragedy enacted by a savage foe. Even at that very time the
Apaches were out on the warpath murdering people, but fortunately we
did not meet them and escaped unmolested.
The road now crossed a low hill, which was the signal for more trouble.
The team started bravely up the incline, but soon stopped and then
balked and all urging with whip and voice failed to make any
impression. After several ineffectual attempts to proceed it was
decided not to waste any more time in futile efforts. The horses were
unhitched and the wagon partly unloaded, when all hands by a united
pull and push succeeded in getting the wagon up the hill. After
reloading no difficulty was experienced in making a fresh start on a
down grade, but a little farther on a second and larger hill was
encountered, when the failure to scale its summit was even greater than
the first. No amount of coaxing or urging budged the horses an inch.
They simply were stubborn and would not pull.
Night was approaching and camp was yet some distance ahead. The driver
suggested that the best thing to do under the circumstances was for the
rest of us to take the led horses and ride on to camp, while he would
remain with the wagon and, if necessary, camp out all night. We
reluctantly took his advice, mounted our horses and finished our
journey in the twilight. Aaron, who was housekeeper at the ranch, gave
us a hearty welcome and invited us to sit down to a bountiful supper
which he had prepared in anticipation of our coming. Feeling weary
after our ride we retired early and were soon sound asleep. The only
thing that disturbed our slumbers during the night was a coyote concert
which, as a "concord of sweet sounds was a dismal failure" but as a
medley of discordant sounds was a decided success. The bark of the
coyote is particularly shrill and sharp and a single coyote when in
full cry sounds like a chorus of howling curs.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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