USA > Arizona > The marvellous country : or, Three years in Arizona and New Mexico, the Apaches' home > Part 21
USA > New Mexico > The marvellous country : or, Three years in Arizona and New Mexico, the Apaches' home > Part 21
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He told of the number of enemies whose manly forms had been hurled to the dust by the prowess of his own good right arm; of their age, wisdom, position, and rank; of the grief of those who had mourned their loss, and the sorrow and misery which their tribe had felt at their death. Then he rehearsed, by pantomime, the attack, the defence, the struggle, the death, and the final triumph; after which he burst forth into a sort of chant, or pæan of praise to =
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396
JIMMY'S COMMENTS.
himself, which he recited in a high, falsetto voice, and in the most extravagant and ferocious manner, ending . by an appeal to each brave in the circle to substantiate his state- ment; till, as Jimmy facetiously remarked, "B' gorra, yer'd jist think the mon wuz atin' thim, wouldn't yer, docther?"
After the braves had separately assured him that every word he had uttered was truth, that he neither spoke with a "forked tongue," or babbled like a woman, but, on the contrary, had spoken like a brave, and that the slain of his enemies were more numerous than the fallen leaves of the forest, he retired from his position, with the air of a con- quering hero, giving place to the next oldest brave, who recounted, in his turn, his deeds of valor, and the distin- guished part he had borne in the fray; and after receiving the same assurances as had his predecessor, and with quite as much satisfaction to himself, he retired, and gave place to a third; and thus the dance went on until each brave had enjoyed the opportunity thus offered to relate to his own satisfaction a history of his many valiant deeds and gallant bearing.
In short, the "brave man's dance" proved to be the as- sembling together of a body of Indians who evidently be- longed to a "mutual admiration society," and their proceed- ings soon grew so tiresome that none of us save Jimmy cared to remain longer, especially as we could not discover that any provision had been made for us to tell of the fields
397
CONGRATULATIONS.
we had won; so we retired to camp, and to bed. I lay for more than an hour listening to the sound of the tombe, ac- companied by the clear, ringing voices of the braves as they recounted their exploits, until its monotony lulled me in( ) a sound slumber, from which I did not awake until the day was far advanced.
Breakfast over, the doctor and myself, after lighting our pipes, talked over the events of the past few days, and de- cided that they afforded reason for congratulation in that, at least, we had effectually gotten rid of Jimmy's Zuni sweet- heart, and thus escaped the annoyances and vexations that might have ensued had she remained in the peublo. Our experience at both Acoma and Zuni had convinced us that it would have been a difficult task to prevent Jimmy, with his lamentable susceptibility, from contracting a "mathrimo- niahl alliance," had not the girl so providentially been re- moved from our immediate vicinity ; and as we were to start on our return to the Rio Grande the following morning, provided the Zunis should get back with our rifles, we did not anticipate that Jimmy, in the short time that remained of our stay, would discover any new object upon which to lavish the "wilth of his affictions;" and there was no proba- bility that Don Santiago would succeed in recapturing the "gurl," who by this time was far in the interior of the Navajoe country.
No one having intimated to us that any suspicion rested
398
NOT OUT OF THE WOODS.
upon Jimmy as being in the slightest degree instrumental in the girl's capture, we had allowed ourselves to believe that his agency in the matter was unknown to any one save our- selves. Imagine, then, our surprise at being disturbed in the midst of our reflections by the appearance of the ca- cique himself, dressed in his robes of office, accompanied by two of the most woe-begone, dilapidated-looking speci- mens of Zuni manhood we had yet seen. Their faces were daubed with mud and ochre pigment, their clothing perfectly filthy, and resembling in quantity the original fig-leaf pat- tern. With these two braves was a woman, whom I at once recognized as the mother of the girl from whom I had taken Jimmy's presents. I immediately arose, and proffering the cacique a seat, asked to what fortunate occurrence. we were indebted for the honor of a visit; for I had learned enough of the manners and customs of the Zunis to know that when the cacique paid a visit dressed in his robes of office, it meant business.
Seating himself upon the proffered stool, and drawing his elegantly embroidered blanket more closely around him, he turned to me with great dignity, and stated that he desired a few moments' conversation with our Don San- tiago (meaning Jimmy).
I have rarely seen a more interesting study than was Jimmy's countenance, when informed by Don Rafael that the cacique desired his presence.
399
JIMMY ARRAIGNED.
A man about to receive sentence of transportation for life, or of death at the hands of Judge Lynch, could not have appeared more hopelessly bewildered than did Jimmy at this summons; and for a moment I really expected to see him turn, and ignominiously run for the plain.
Not so, however. Jimmy was created of sterner stuff. Having made up his mind to meet the issue, he approached the cacique with the air of a man determined to bear his fate like a hero; just such an air as I fancy the lamented John Rogers wore, who was burned at the stake in Smithfield, England, as he bade adieu to his "wife with nine small children, and one at the breast."
In one thing Jimmy possessed a decided advantage. The cacique was obliged to talk through an interpreter, and that interpreter was, perforce, Don Rafael, Jimmy's friend, who knew just enough of diplomacy to shape his replies so as to please the ear of the august personage in whose presence we were.
As no one but ourselves knew aught of the moonlight stroll, the interview must have reference to the presents that Jimmy had so inconsiderately given the "gurl," and which I had required her to return; or perhaps to the draught that Jimmy had quaffed, in the presence of the cacique himself, from the Sacred Spring. In the latter case, we could not calculate with certainty the result of the investigation which it was very evident was about to be instituted; but if the
400
THE CHARGE.
former was the cause, I relied upon my own ability to sat- isfactorily explain the circumstances.
Taking this view of the subject, imagine our surprise to hear the cacique turn to Don Rafael, and say :-
"These men with me are the uncles of this woman's
JONNANDREM-BON
GUILTY, OR NOT GUILTY ?
daughter, and charge Santiago, there, with enticing her from her home, upon the night that it was supposed she was captured by the Navajoes. The braves who returned from the Navajoe country this morning brought with them a prisoner, one who was with the party that made the raid
401
THIE PLEA.
upon the Pueblo. This prisoner states that the party captured no female whatever, and did not even sce the girl. I have come here to see you at their request, to ask Santiago what became of the girl with whom he was walk- ing that night!"
I was thunderstruck. The whole thing was no secret, known not only to the girl's relations, but to the cacique himself. What would be the result! How was it all to end ?
While Don Rafael was interpreting the above speech to him, I carefully watched Jimmy's face, to ascertain if pos- sible the result of the request, so politely made, upon him; but he betrayed no uneasiness, nor did he seem in the least disturbed by the situation.
I don't think I have ever been able to correctly ana- lyze my feelings, upon hearing Jimmy, for a reply to the above direct interrogatory, so clearly propounded by the cacique, as directly and positively deny that he was with or saw the girl upon the night in question; while at the same time he asserted that he was not only in camp during the entire night, but was "figthin' the divils all the time, right 'long side ov the gintilmin there," pointing to the doctor and myself, to whom he appealed to corroborate the statement.
Here was a dilemma: unfortunately the close resemblance I bear to the great and good G. W. (a resemblance recog- nized only by myself) has always prevented me from lying;
51
402
THE CACIQUE'S JUDGMENT.
while to state the truth would only consign Jimmy to the rigor of a Zuni prison. I therefore determined to leave the doctor to explain matters as best he might.
While in this state of uncertainty and doubt as to what could be said, I was still more confounded to hear the cacique, after listening to Don Rafael's explanation of Jimmy's most barefaced assertion, say to the men, after a moment's pause, "Well, you have heard what Santiago says. I told you before that this thing was impossible. He was here in camp, fighting bravely by the side of his friends, against our enemies. He says so, his friends say so, and it must be so, for the white men do not tell lies."
A statement that I am sure the reader will sustain me in attributing entirely to the old man's ignorance of the "white man's" character, as well as of the customs prevailing among them. I did not attempt to dispel this charming illusion that the old man's fancy had conjured up, for I thought, at that time, at least, that, -
" Where ignorance is bliss, 'tis folly to be wise."
After addressing a few words of reproof to the men for the presumption they had evinced in making so preposterous a charge against the "brave Santiago," the cacique, in :he most peremptory manner, bade them begone, and never more refer to the subject upon pain of incurring his serious dis- pleasure. Upon which the whole party arose, and slowly left
403
CENSURE.
the camp, looking anything but pleased at the result of the interview, and without doubt quite as much surprised as were the doctor and myself.
The party gone, the cacique turned to me, and said he was "indeed glad for Santiago's sake that the matter had been so satisfactorily explained, for the brutes had even had the impudence to say, after they had learned that the girl had not been captured by the Navajoes, that Santiago had secreted her for the purpose of carrying her with him to his home on the Bravo, as he called the Rio Grande.
To Jimmy, who had been standing by, and most anxiously waiting to learn the subject-matter of the conversation, I briefly stated the latter part of the cacique's communication, which drew from him the most positive and earnest denial of the entire charge, to which I listened as patiently as pos- sible. I then told him that he need never expect me to place any confidence in any statement he should make in the future, for after hearing his denial of the cacique's charge, I was satisfied that he would rather lie than do anything else; an opinion that the doctor fully corroborated, after reflecting upon the difficulty which frequently accompanied his exer- tions at rousing Jimmy in the morning.
After listening to my remarks, Jimmy coolly asked,- "An' is it thro' I am wid all this ?"
I said, "Yes, for the present." Upon which he turned away, apparently quite delighted at the thought that he had
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404
INJURED INNOCENCE.
succeeded in lying himself out of the difficulty ; muttering, as he went, "that 'twas a dirthy thing for thim lyin' Nava- joes to thry an' injure his caracture by decavin' the good old bazaque," and intimating that in case he should "ivir mate one ov 'em, he'd tache him bitther manners than to be spakin' disrespectful, or makin' insinooations respictin' him to the bazaque."
I was amused to hear Don Rafael slyly remind Jimmy that he met one alone the other evening, and unfortunately neglected to give him any lesson at that time.
To which suggestion, he replied,-
"That he didn't know at that time that the dirthy divil'd bin lyin' about him, or he'd a given' him a taste ov a swate bit ov shillalah that viry avenin."
Here we were interrupted by the appearance of Don San- tiago and his aid, who, after saluting the cacique and our- selves, respectfully returned our rifles, with many thanks for the kindness that had prompted the loan. They had found the Navajoes so much better mounted than them- selves, that with the advantage they had in the start it would have been quite impossible to have overtaken them before they had reached the very heart of the Navajoe country ; and he did not deem it advisable with his small force, to pursue them to their stronghold. Consequently he had returned without any information concerning the prisoners, who would undoubtedly be offered for ransom before many moons.
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405
SMILES.
. Nor did we ever afterwards hear from the girl; although I have no doubt that she was finally ransomed by her rela- tives, and returned to the pueblo, to learn of the wickedness and duplicity of her Santiago, as well as to refute the theory of the good old cacique, "that white men tell no lies." -
Under the circumstances, I felt that I could not do less than produce the demijohn,- a movement that caused all parties the greatest satisfaction; and many were the excla- mations of delight caused by the skilful manner in which the doctor's concoctions were mixed; while the good old cacique smiled frequently, and enlarged most generously upon his friendship for "los Americanos," seemingly but too happy that his "lines had been cast in such pleasant places," as he glowingly depicted to Don Santiago the bravery that his namesake (Jimmy) had shown in repulsing the attack made upon our camp, until he finally ended by asserting that he "did not doubt but the two Santiagos had together been the means of routing and putting to flight the entire Navajoe force," a statement that, while it caused considerable amusement, convinced us that Jimmy had exalted "his honor" to good purpose, as far as the Zunis were concerned.
From a consideration of Jimmy's brave deeds, the con- versation drifted towards the bravery of the Zunis; and the cacique recounted many of the legends concerning his an-
406
AN EXPEDITION.
cestors, of the intrepidity and courage shown by them in resisting the attacks of the Spaniards as well as of the Apa- ches and Navajoes; until, warming with the subject, he in- sisted upon accompanying and showing me the very spot where the attack had been made by Coronado's army, and which had so nearly proved fatal to that great chief.
The old man seemed so anxious that we should once more visit the site of old Zuni, and in his company, that the doctor and myself, nothing loth to again witness its beauties, accepted the invitation, only requiring that the visit should be paid during the afternoon, as on the morrow we had determined to start for the Rio Grande.
Expressing his regrets at our hasty departure, with many assurances of his respect and good-will, the old man left us, promising to call for us later in the afternoon.
Dinner over, we informed Jimmy of our intention, strictly enjoining upon him the necessity of remaining in camp during our absence, as well as expressly forbidding him to receive or entertain any visitors, to each of which injunc- tions Jimmy promised the most implicit obedience.
It was late in the afternoon when we started, in company with the cacique, to view the place which three hundred and twenty years before a little handful of Spaniards had so gal- lantly assaulted and carried by storm,-the ancient city of Cibola, where, as the cacique informed us, the Zunis had won a name for themselves that would never be forgotten.
407
RETROSPECTION.
Passing the "Sacred Spring," and down through the nar- row rocky gorge at the foot of the mesa, we commenced to climb the steep and rugged path that led to the height above us.
We made our first halt upon a terrace, or ledge, about two hundred and fifty feet above the plain. Around the outer edge of this terrace formerly had been constructed a wall of rock, traces of which were plainly discernible, and must have afforded complete protection against any assaulting party, so perfectly did it command the only means of ap- proach. Indced, it seemed to us that a dozen men might have successfully held it against a thousand.
Standing upon the narrow ledge, scarcely ten feet in width, the old man depicted in glowing terms the contest, and told us how they had hurled great rocks from the wall upon the heads of the invaders of their homes; how the great chief himself had been felled to the earth by one of them, and of blood flowing like water.
Indeed, the old man seemed never to tire of the subject; and as we slowly made our way up the difficult path, listen- ing to the earnest and impressive traditions regarding the valor of his ancestors, I could but sympathize with him when he said, "The Zunis were a happy and prosperous people until the Spaniards came among them; they warred for the protection of their homes and for the honor of their women, it is true, but the strife was never of their own
408
THE SACRED FLAME.
seeking ;* they only fought when obliged to; then they fought honestly, man to man; there was no nation that could stand against the Zunis.
Montezuma had protected them since the creation of the earth. Had he not instructed them how to manufacture their own clothing; to raise their food out of the ground; to raise flocks and herds; to build houses to live in? Were they not more prosperous than the wild tribes who wandered over the country, but to destroy and lay waste ?
They had always prospered until the Spaniards came. Then all was changed. From the day that those people came, they had been cursed.
Montezuma no longer regarded them with his former love; the Spaniards had made his heart cold towards them; but the Great Spirit would again kindle the flame in his heart. It must be a punishment that he had sent upon them, because they, his children, had permitted the sacred flame to burn dimly that he had kindled with his own hands upon the altar of their estufas; but they relied upon the promise he had made them, that he would one day return and lead them as of old - for was not Montezuma the very embodi- ment of truth ?
In this garrulous, simple manner the old man entertained
* A statement not confirmed by Coronado's report of the condition in which he found the adjoining kingdoms in 1540. See Coronado's report to the Emperor Charles V.
409
WE ASCEND A THOUSAND FEET.
us as we toiled up the steep, precipitous sides of the mesa, enchaining our attention so completely that we gave heed to but little else, and had actually ascended the highest of the three terraces before I was aware that we were standing upon a narrow shelf scarcely twelve inches in width, although eight hundred feet above the plain.
When I at length realized the fact, I was indeed startled at the novel and perilous situation in which we found our- selves; nor were my fears in the least allayed by noticing the nervous and excited manner with which Don Rafael, who seemed ever on the alert for our safety, called our at- tention to the fast-growing darkness, as he urged us to at once commence the descent.
Upon our left was a huge wall of rock and earth, towering nearly three hundred feet above our heads, and apparently so smooth as not to afford footing for a living creature, while upon our right for nearly eight hundred feet below was empty space.
The dizzy height at which we stood, the narrow path before us, the vast abyss below, the growing darkness, the danger of the descent, all seemed to have been forgotten in the desire to hear the old man, who still kept on in his low monotone, utterly oblivious of everything save the Zunis and their history; when, carelessly stepping upon a small stone which rolled under my foot, before I could possibly recover myself I was precipitated over the bluff,
52
410
A TERRIBLE FALL.
and in a moment found myself sliding down its almost per- pendicular side, feet foremost.
In the twinkling of an eye I was far beyond the reach of my companions, who, upon hearing the noise made by my fall, turned towards me, and stood aghast, but powerless to aid me. My first thought was, that I should be dashed to pieces upon the rocks at the foot of the bluff; the next, that I might possibly manage to save myself upon one of the terraces beneath.
All this time I was acquiring greater momentum, until it seemed as though I was fairly flying into the very arms of the horrible death which stood staring me so steadily in the face. Not a bush or shrub could I see growing upon the precipitous sides; there was nothing, absolutely nothing, for me to cling to, and the stones and earth which I dis- turbed in my descent were falling in a shower around me.
Convinced that death was inevitable, I became perfectly reconciled to the thought. My mind comprehended in a moment the acts of a life-time. Transactions of the most trivial character, circumstances the remembrance of which had been buried deep in memory's vault for years, stood before me in bold relief; my mind recalled with the rapid- ity of lightning, and yet retained a distinct impression of every thought.
I seemed to be gliding swiftly and surely out of the world, but felt no fear, experienced no regret at the thought; on the
I FALL THREE HUNDRED FEET.
411
MY SENSATIONS.
contrary, rejoiced that I was so soon to see with my own eyes the great mystery concealed behind the veil; that I was to cross the deep waters and be at rest.
I thought I heard the sound of many voices, in wonderful harmony, coming from the far-off distance, though from what direction I could not tell.
My momentum had become so great that I seemed to expe- rience much difficulty in breathing; and I remember that I was trying to explain to my own satisfaction why this should be so, when the heel of my right boot struck the corner of a small stone that chanced to be firmly imbedded in the earth and therefore offered so much resistance to my descent, that upon striking it I was thrown forward upon my face. This stone without doubt saved my life.
I have a clear recollection that as I was thrown forward, I instinctively threw my arms out, whether to act as a 1 protection to my face, or to enable me to grasp some- thing, I do not know; but one of my hands struck against the sharp edge of something, and I grasped it and clung to it with a tenacity that a dying man only can under- stand.
I have always since that day understood perfectly the feeling that induces a drowning man to catch at a straw that he sees floating near him.
How it was that I succeeded in grasping it, or holding it,
412
HOW I WAS SAVED.
or managing to make it afford me a kind of support, I have no idea.
I remember of thinking that I had stopped; of being aware that I was bleeding badly; of wondering if I was dead, and why such an eternity of time had elapsed since my foot had slipped; and then darkness closed around me.
I was aroused by a sharp pain in my left arm, and opening my eyes saw two or three persons standing around me, whom I did not recognize, though I realized the fact that I was not dead, and immediately relapsed once more into a state of insensibility, to be again aroused by a terrible twinge of pain in my arm. 1
Opening my eyes, I saw the doctor with a pair of scissors, which I recognized as my own, in his hand, with which he seemed to be engaged in cutting my coat-sleeve, while a confused mass of something seemed above and around him on all sides. At first I could not seem to understand what it meant, then I knew them to be human faces, and then -
When I next awoke I was lying in my blankets, with, I was sure, a broken arm, and was pretty well convinced by the feeling of my body that I had not a bone in it that was not in some manner injured. The doctor was sitting a short distance from me, complacently smoking his pipe, in the bright light of the camp-fire.
I said to him, "Well, old fellow, you seem to be taking it easy."
413
REST.
He replied: "Yes; and if you know when you're well off, you'll do the same thing. Go to sleep again, and in the morning you shall know about it."
Reader, I obeyed orders, because I couldn't help it. I went to sleep, and in the morning heard the story that I shall relate in the next chapter.
1
CHAPTER XXVI.
Mountain Sheep.
S it likely to die he is, docther?" were the first words that saluted my ears upon awaking, the next morning.
I lay perfectly still, and with closed eyes listened for the doctor's reply.
"Die ? Not he; he'll be all right in a week."
"Faith, an' it's wake anuf now he is," replied Jimmy.
"How long will we be here, docther ?"
"Ten days at least," answered the doctor.
I fancied I could discern a tone of genuine satisfaction in Jimmy's voice in the "Thank yez, sur" with which he responded to the doctor's reply to his inquiry. Opening my eyes, I said, "I'm sorry you told Jimmy that, doctor ; we have been annoyed enough by him, and if he thinks
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415
THE DOCTOR'S STORY.
we are to remain here ten days longer, I fear we shall have more trouble with him."
"Not a bit of it," cheerily replied the doctor. "Jim- my's heart is still sore, and he's not likely to fall in love again, for the present, at least. Do you know that I believe he really had a strong fancy for that girl? Never mind that, however; it was a 'touch and go' with you, old fellow, last night. How's your arm this morning, and how do you feel ?"
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