The Indians of the Painted Desert Region: Hopis, Navahoes, Wallapais, HavasupaisJames, George Wharton
Religion
The Indians of the Painted Desert Region: Hopis, Navahoes, Wallapais, Havasupais
James, George Wharton
Indians of North America -- Southwest, New
I was disgusted with my own want of forethought, and generally
disgruntled, when lo! on sight of Spotty the idea occurred as if by
inspiration: "Why not send Spotty for it?" No sooner suggested mentally
than I broached the subject. The round trip was a good fifty-five to
sixty miles, and much of the road up Havasu Canyon, and I must have the
roll within twenty-four hours. Spotty's eye was on the main chance, and
he at once expressed his willingness to go provided there was "enough
in it." "How much you give me?" he inquired. I considered for a while,
and then with a Pecksniffian air of benignant charity offered him "two
dollar!" "Al lite, I go! Maybe so I go quick you catch 'em two dollars
and a half?" he asked. I studied over it awhile before committing
myself, and then queried "When you start, Spotty?" Looking up towards
hue-a-pa-a (the man image) on the upper rim of the near canyon wall,
he pointed. "I go when you see 'em _ha-ma-si-gu-va´-te_ (the evening
star)."
"When you come back?"
"I come back next day all same time you see 'em _ha-la'-ha_ (the moon).
Maybe so I come back sooner you see 'em, you give me two dollar half?"
A twenty-four hours' ride on horseback--nearly sixty miles--through
a solitary country where his only company would be coyotes, mountain
lions, and other wild animals, and a large portion of it ridden
in the dark night, for two dollars, with a bonus of fifty cents if
the trip was made within twenty-four hours--it was not extravagant
pay, so I cheerfully acceded to his request for the bonus. But now
came the difficulty of fully explaining to Spotty what I wanted, and
where he could find it. The tent at Bass Camp was divided into five
compartments,--two small rooms with canvas walls on either side of a
long room which ran through the centre of the tent, its entire width.
Making a plan of the tent on the ground, so, and giving him the compass
points, I showed that my "all same white man's basket made of leather,"
viz., my valise, was in the northeast corner of the southwest room. The
film was in the valise, but I also needed my ruby lamp, so I deemed it
best for him to bring valise and lamp, which latter was separate. Off
he went cheerfully and merrily, and two hours before the moon rose he
was back at the camp with valise and lamp safe and secure. He received
his bonus and we were both happy.
[Illustration]
Like all other Indians, they used to have an abnormal dread of the
camera.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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