“Yes, somewhere not a great distance off we can expect to run across the canyon where the rock houses that are really caves, were cut out, hundreds of years ago by the ancient cliff dwellers,” Adrian went on to say. “And,” added Donald, “it wouldn’t surprise me if we ran across some of the Indians any old time now, because this must be their stamping ground. Get your cayuse, Billie, and we’ll be off. Course you feel rocky after not getting any sleep last night, but it’ll wear away. Don’t I know what it is, after night wrangling the saddle band of horses, when there were cattle rustlers hanging around, ready to stampede the herd, so the boys couldn’t set out after them? All ready to start, Adrian? Then here we go!” So the three of them set out, with the pack mule bringing up the rear, as unwilling to move as ever, and having to be half dragged along, until the fit of stubbornness wore away. Donald remembered all that he had been told concerning the ground they were now passing over and accordingly laid his course toward the northeast. Sometimes they were surrounded by rocks, and then again trees would add a pleasing change to the landscape. “There’s the first Indian!” remarked Donald, suddenly, as he reined in _Wireless_, and pointed ahead. “Whatever do you s’pose he’s adoing there, a-bending down, and hunting like he’d lost something precious?” Billie wanted to know. “They don’t pick up diamonds around here, now, I shouldn’t think, do they, Donald?” “Well, the diamondbacks are found in another part of the country,” replied the other, with a laugh; “but these smaller prairie rattlers are just as poisonous, I’m told, even if they don’t look so terrible.” “Oh! do you mean that warrior is ahunting rattlesnakes?” demanded Billie, with a shiver; for, as we happen to know, he had lately found reason to conceive a great aversion for the scaly reptiles, one and all. “Looks like it to me,” replied Donald. “You see, their big dance comes along soon now, and as they need a lot of the wrigglers to show off before the people who come here just to see them do their stunts, why, of course they’ve got to hustle, and call in every one that lives around this section.” They slowly advanced toward the spot where the Zuni brave was bending down, and with a stick tickling a coiled snake, in order to induce him to straighten out, so there would be little danger of his striking when he was snatched up; for it is a peculiarity of the rattlesnake that he cannot defend himself unless coiled, which is the reason they instantly throw themselves that way when alarmed. “Oh! a heap of people believe they draw out the poison fangs, and the little sack that holds the green fluid, so that there ain’t no danger after all,” remarked Billie, in rather a loud voice, as they halted close by to watch the Zuni finish his risky task.