That they were now drawing very close to the Zuni settlement all of them knew to a certainty. Plenty of signs pointed that way—they could hear loud voices, and the laughter of children, just as though they might be approaching a village of white people; for after all, children do not differ very much, whether they be white, black, copper-colored or yellow; it is only when they grow older and copy the characteristics of their parents that they change, and follow the groove of their species. “I can see the cliff, all right!” announced Billie, in some little excitement, as he stretched his fat neck to a dangerous degree, “rubbering,” as he himself described it. “Yes,” said Adrian, “that’s the top row of homes we see yonder; and if things are anything like I expect, from what I’ve heard we’ll find a dozen other rows of holes in the rock most all the way down the cliff.” “But not near the bottom,” corrected Donald; “because, you see, the only object that ever made these people, away back many hundreds of years ago, build their homes in this way was to feel free from their enemies, whoever they might be; and so far as I’ve been able to find out, nobody really knows who they were afraid of.” “P’raps the Injuns got on the warpath every little while; and made a raid, looking for scalps and plunder?” suggested Billie, quickly. “You might think so,” Adrian told him; “but it’s been agreed on that when these same old cliff-dwellers held out in these valleys, making their homes high up in the air, and digging them out of the solid rock in certain places where it was easy to do the job, why, there were no Indians. That was long before the time of the red man, as we know him in history. So there you are, Billie.” “All of which is true,” added Donald; “so think it over, Billie, and some time let us know what sort of an explanation you get to. Look, there are several more lines of holes in the rock, and you can see the many crazy ladders that lead up and down, like the lines of a puzzle.” “Sure thing,” declared Billie, excitedly, “and there are some people climbing and coming down right along. Hurry up there, Jupiter, and quit your poking. I’m all of a quiver to get right in, and see these sights at close range. Oh! mebbe it ain’t going to be in clover for me, with this jolly little kodak of mine. Won’t I be able to snap off some of the funniest pictures you ever saw, with fat squaws and papooses ahanging to them ladders in all sorts of ridiculous positions? Well, let me tell you before we go any further, boys, I’m real glad I came.” “In spite of the scare you had when you fell into that rattlesnake den, eh, Billie?” ventured Adrian. “And no matter if you did get lost on the desert, while a nasty sand storm was raging?” added Donald, mischievously. “With the wolves keeping you awake all night in the bargain; can you say that, remembering all these things that have happened, Billie?” Adrian concluded.