USA > Arizona > The marvellous country : or, Three years in Arizona and New Mexico, the Apaches' home > Part 8
USA > New Mexico > The marvellous country : or, Three years in Arizona and New Mexico, the Apaches' home > Part 8
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Bethinking himself of some pitch-pine which was in his luggage, he proceeded to light a splinter, that he might see its effect upon the rocks and cliffs and fissures, which tow- vered far above, and surrounded him on all sides.
The sight terrified even the doctor, who no longer won- dered at Jimmy's frantic prayers to the Virgin, when he
140
ARIZONIAN HADES.
saw the lurid glare reflected upon the broken sides and ragged edges of this terrible abyss.
The sounds now indicated the near approach of the In- dians, and Jimmy's voice was distinctly heard, at one moment uttering prayers for protection, and the next cursing roundly
JIMMY REFUSES TO "INTER " THE CRACK.
those who had him in charge; for, as he afterwards said, "I tho't shure that they wus a takin' me straight down to hell, without aither the absolution of the praste, or the sat- isfaction of dyin'."
The loud cries of Jimmy, as he was forced down the steep
141
JIMMY'S BRAVERY.
and rugged path, were terrifying in the extreme; so much so, that even the usually quiet animals manifested symptoms of intense fear, so that it required all the attention of the - doctor and his Indian allies to keep them from stampeding.
Jimmy finally made his appearance, escorted by the In- dians, in a most pitiable condition, as much by reason of his exertions to escape from his captors, as from the terror which the strange and gloomy surroundings had inspired within him.
On reaching the bottom, the sight of Dr. Parker emerg- ing from behind a huge rock, with a torch in his hand, so far reassured him, and he declared, "that the only satisfac- tion he filt in comin' to hell, wus in findin' the docthor there before him."
Resuming their journey, he grew much bolder, asserting, with real Irish bravado, that he had only been "tistin' the narves of thim bloody Injuns. An' by the powers, I think them intirely narvous, shure."
But I have no intention of giving you a detailed account of our journey back to the Apache Pass. Suffice it to say, we crossed the cañon safely, passed over the same desert waste, hemmed in by lofty mountains, and guarded by gro- tesque and misshapen forms, that stood like grim and silent sentinels keeping watch and ward in these solitudes.
It was not until the afternoon of the fifth day that we arrived at the Pass.
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FAREWELL TO COCHISE.
After a hearty supper, and a good night's rest, Cochise and his braves were dismissed, laden with many presents, not one of which, however, was intended for Mangus Colo- rado. Cochise received the lion's share, and left me with many assurances of his esteem and regard.
Of late years Cochise has taken to the war-path, and has proved a most formidable and dangerous enemy to the white man in Arizona, in avenging the treacherous manner in which the chief of the Apache tribe, Mangus Colorado, met his death at the hands of the white men in 1863.
Although quite conscious of the failure of my diplomatic interview with Mangus Colorado on the mule question, still I console myself with the thought, that it was entirely owing to the evident mulish disposition of the Apaches, rather than to any lack of talent on my part; and if afterwards I became convinced that Cochise stole my mule, I lay the flattering unction to my soul, that it was by the express order, and for the sole use and behoof of Mangus himself, and that the idea did not originate with my old guide, Cochise.
At the present time, I am more than satisfied with my trip and its results, when I reflect that, without doubt, I am the only white man who ever visited the rancheria of the Pinal and Tonto Apaches, near the head waters of the Gila, and escaped to tell the tale.
CHAPTER X.
lise taken from Sacred spring at Zuni
REST of two days at the Apache Pass, and we started on our trip to Tucson, and the silver mines in that vicin- ity. I do not propose to enter into the details of the journey, for had it not been enlivened by Jimmy's adven- tures, it would have been utterly devoid of incident or interest. No more dreary and uninteresting country can be found under the sun, than that lying between the Apache Pass and Tucson.
The principal features of the landscape have a marked similarity. The peaks of the Santa Rita and Cerro Colorado Mountains loomed up in all their gloomy majesty on our right, and the wonderful purple haze with which the dis- tance clothed them, was a grateful relief to the brassy
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CHEAP FUEL.
sky above our heads, and the gray alkali of the plains around us.
On our left the peaks of the Chiricahui and the Three Sisters lined the horizon, while far, far before us a faint line of blue, almost indistinguishable from the azure of the summer's sky, betrayed the location of the San Ignatio Mountains of Sonora.
The plains around us were covered with an abundance of cactus, wild sage, grease wood, and mesquit chaparral, at once the curse and blessing of the Arizona rancheria; for while it offers an almost impenetrable barrier to travellers over the plain, it furnishes them with the only fuel to be found. The wood-chopper of Arizona uses only a spade, or mattock, in laying in his winter supply of fire-wood, for the roots of the mesquit alone furnish it.
The second day of our trip gave the doctor and myself the most amusement, as well as the most vexation, of any day during the journey.
It was nearly noon. Jimmy had ridden on ahead of the doctor and myself, who were leisurely driving along, enjoy- ing the shade afforded by the canvas covering of our Con- cord wagon, when the doctor called my attention to a Lorseman far away to our right, riding at breakneck speed, in a course which I knew was taking him directly into one of the worst alkali plains on the whole route.
Wondering who it was, and what the man's object could
.
145
" GREENHORN'S LAKE."
be, for we knew by his manner of riding he must be either a Mexican or an American, the doctor and myself dreamily and vaguely speculated upon his probable fate, until, on arriving at the top of a slight eminence, we discovered, far beyond the solitary figure of the horseman, a mirage of the "Greenhorn's Lake."
There it was, sparkling and beautiful in the bright sun- shine, with its white-capped waves lapping the shores, skirted by a light growth of forest trees, its deep, blue waters affording a refreshing relief from the dusty plain and glaring sunlight with which we were surrounded, when suddenly it occurred to us that it was Jimmy, who was thus galloping frantically over the plain in pursuit of the lake, which to all appearance was only a mile or so distant.
We immediately discharged our revolvers, hoping that the sound would attract his notice, and induce him to return. Thinking that he might see the wagon, and give up his fruitless chase, we waited for him some time. As he did not appear, we finally decided to drive on slowly, keeping a sharp lookout in the direction in which we had last seen him. It was not, however, until nearly five o'clock in the afternoon, that we discovered him slowly following us.
As he came up with us, his air of utter dejection told us more effectually than words could have done, that Jimmy was sadly disappointed and completely disheartened. After overtaking us, he rode beside our wagon for some distance,
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146
A WILD-GOOSE CHASE.
before a word was spoken by either of us, when I remarked,
"Well, Jimmy, where have you been, and what did you go after?"
His reply was, "Shure, sir, I don't know."
"Who gave you permission to ride my mule as I saw you riding it this morning ?"
"Shure, sir, I don't know."
"Where were you going ?"
"Shure, sir, I don't know."
"How far did you ride ?"
"Indade, sir, I don't know."
"Well, Jimmy, what is the matter, and what do you think ?"
"Indade, sir, I don't know." Nor could other answer than this be obtained from him to any question we might ask.
In truth, Jimmy seemed so utterly dazed and bewildered, that I decided to say nothing more on the subject, well satisfied that erelong he would voluntarily unburden his pent-up feelings.
It was quite six o'clock in the afternoon when we came to the dry, sandy bed of an aroya, that seemed to come directly from the range of Picatchos, about three miles away to our left. As the grass was good, and the banks very high and steep, we concluded to encamp for the night, and not attempt to cross it before morning.
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ARTIFICIAL WELLS.
Our mules were soon enjoying the sweetness of the grass around us. Our supper had been eaten, and we were ready for our blankets, when I chanced to think that I had been annoyed all day by the rattling of the spokes in the wheels of our wagon. Knowing that the hot sun and excessively dry weather had caused the wood to shrink, I called Jimmy, and told him to go down into the bed of the aroya, and dig some holes in the sand, which would soon fill with water; and after watering the animals, to bring some up and wet the wheels thoroughly, and keep them wet for an hour or so, or until they were sufficiently swollen to become tight again. This he promised to do; and about half-past eight o'clock the doctor and myself "turned in," leaving Jimmy to attend to the wagon before retiring. I soon fell into a sound sleep, and must have slept some hours, when I was awakened by what seemed to be the roar of a mighty torrent.
Hastily rising, I proceeded to the bank of the aroya, where a sight met my gaze that for a moment astounded me. The aroya, which but a few hours before was parched and dry, was now filled nearly to the top of its banks with a torrent of dark, muddy water, rushing along at the rate of ten miles an hour, overturning immense rocks, and bear- ing upon its black and seething bosom trees, bushes, and stumps without number.
A moment's reflection convinced me that this aroya must
148
JIMMY IN TROUBLE AGAIN.
be the natural outlet from the mountains, and the rain which had undoubtedly fallen in them during the evening, had collected in the water-courses and gullies upon their sides, and finally found vent through this channel to the plains below.
I hastily awoke Dr. Parker and Jimmy, whose astonish- ment at the sight equalled my own.
The doctor understood the phenomenon at once. Not so Jimmy, however, who, the instant he heard the roar of the rushing waters, and saw the turbulent flood surging so madly by us, fell upon his knees, and with terrified coun- tenance commenced a prayer to the Virgin, interrupted only by loud and frantic cries for a "praste."
Then he bewailed the sad fate that had induced him to enlist in the service of a man who travelled in such "God- forsaken counthries," and begged most piteously to "be sint right strate out of the divilish place."
The doctor and myself did our best to pacify him, tell- ing him that no harm could possibly come of it; that it was simply the water from the mountains finding its way to the lake he had tried to reach the day before.
At this explanation, Jimmy regarded us with no small amount of suspicion, and merely remarking "that he should ' think there was a divil of a lake somewhere," he turned away; but the doctor, thinking it a good time to learn the history of Jimmy's expedition of the day before, questioned
149
HE RELATES HIS ADVENTURE.
him respecting it, whereupon he gave us the following account :-
"Shure," said he, "I was a-ridin' along peaceably and quietly enough, till I looked up, and there, right before me, was a beautiful lake, with its blue waters a-dancin' in the sunshine like spangles on the driss of a play-actor, and I jist thought I'd ride down to it, and give the poor baste a sup of wather; and bedad, the farther I rode, the farther off I was from it, but I kept on ridin' and ridin', until by and by it jist sunk right into the ground, and disappeared in- tirely out of me sight; and when I got to the place where I saw it wid me own eyes, it wasn't there at all, and the ground under it was as dhry as the powther in me gun. Shure, Judge, it was the divil's own lake, and that's some of the wather of it down there. Sir, I'll die if I stay in this hathenish counthry another day; you must send me straight home."
Here noticing, for the first time, that the wagon was without wheels, I said, -
"Jimmy, where are the wheels ?"
His reply, "I think they are gone to the divil, shure," did not in the least add to my amiability, and I again , said,-
"Jimmy, where are the wheels of the wagon?"
"Indade, sir, I don't know," was the only answer I could obtain.
150
A WAGON WITHOUT WHEELS.
After much coaxing, Dr. Parker succeeded in eliciting the information, that after we had retired he had taken the wheels off, and carrying them down into the bed of the aroya, had put them to soak in the hole he had dug for the mules to drink from, intending to rise carly enough to
THE WHEEL SCENE,
put them to the wagon before the doctor and myself should awake; and, added the doctor, "If we may judge from the ease with which the stones are rolled over by the force of the current, we shall probably find those wheels 'Rocked in the cradle of the deep,' sometime to-morrow."
151
FOR WHEEL OR WHOA?
Here was a fix; for a wagon without wheels on the plains is a somewhat useless encumbrance, and we had no other means of transporting our supplies for the trip.
I was thoroughly vexed at Jimmy's disobedience of orders, as well as at his carelessness, and am somewhat afraid that I then and there indulged in the use of language that would hardly have been deemed proper by members of Orthodox churches "in good and regular standing."
I reflected, however, that this loud talk would do no good, and that we must wait until the waters subsided, which they did, almost as suddenly as they had appeared.
About ten o'clock, the doctor and Jimmy started out to search along the bottom of the aroya for the wheels, while I remained in camp to look after our treasures there. It was three o'clock in the afternoon before they returned, bringing with them two of the wheels, which they had recovered about four miles below ; the others they were unable to find. Another day must be spent in the search. About noon one more was found, nearly six miles from our camp; and on returning with it, the last was discovered, partially buried in the sand, with a ponderous stone resting upon it. Jimmy had the pleasure of digging it out; and upon re- covering it, we were glad to find that, though somewhat damaged, it would still answer its purpose.
Jimmy, though rather reticent on the subject, was heard to say that, "If the Blissid Virgin would bring him safe
152
HOW THEY MAKE WHISKEY.
to a civilized counthry once more, the divil shouldn't kape him from returnin' to ould Ireland by the first stamer," to which remark the doctor responded,-
"Well, Jimmy; if we lose the wheels again, you'll have to pack it, I'm afraid !"
The next morning found us once more on the road. We travelled all day without seeing any object worthy of note, and just at night came to a distilling camp, near which we pitched our own.
Here a party of Mexicans and Papago Indians were en- gaged in distilling mescal, the native whiskey of Arizona.
The maguey, or Mexican aloe, grows in great abundance here, and many come to this vicinity for the purpose of gathering it.
A large pit is first dug, and partially filled with stones ; upon these a fire is built, and kept up until the stones are heated red-hot; then the roots of the maguey which have been gathered, each consisting of a bulb about as large as one's head, are placed upon the stones, and covered with blankets, where they are kept until perfectly soft. Next they are placed in large bags, made of rawhide, and stretched on poles, into which a man climbs, and by tramp- ling upon them, presses out the juice, which runs through small holes in the bottom of the bag, and is caught in pails. This juice is then allowed to ferment, when a liquor is obtained, that, I believe, from Jimmy's appearance when
e
153
TUCSON.
he returned to camp that night, will make a person drunk clear through, in a very short space of time.
Jimmy's excuse that it was "pure mountain dew," was accepted; for in taste and smell it more strongly resembled Irish whiskey than any liquor I have ever seen.
An early start the next morning, and just after noon we entered the town of Tucson, nothing having occurred to relieve the monotony of the journey; for Jimmy mani- fested not the least desire to start on any more expedi- tions in search of either water or information, although he frequently complained that "thravellin' was very dhry wark."
Tucson, at this time, was the capital of the Territory, with a population of about six hundred inhabitants, pearly one-half of which were Mexicans, the balance consisting of a mixture of Apaches, Pimos, Papagoes, and cut-throats. Probably never before in the history of any country were gathered within the walls of a city such a complete assort- ment of horse-thieves, gamblers, murderers, vagrants, and villains, as were to be found in the city of Tucson.
The general appearance of the place gave one the impres- sion that it had originally been a hill, which, owing to an unexpected but just visitation of Providence, bad been struck with lightning; and the dilapidated mud walls, and dismantled jacals, that served as a shelter for the festering mass of corruption that hreathed upon the site, were the
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154
MISSION OF SAN XAVIER.
residuum left in the shape of mud deposits, for not a white wall nor a green tree was to be seen there.
The only objects which met the eye were dilapidated bake ovens, old sheds, broken pottery, dead horses, tumble- down corrals, live dogs, drunken Indians, mules, pigs, and naked children. The sight was such an one as I had never before witnessed within the limits of civilization, and com- pletely filled me with disgust.
There was no fonda, or other house of entertainment; and when one reached the apology that was called the plaza, he stopped, absolutely bewildered, not knowing where to go, or how to get there.
We soon found an unoccupied mud box, that served as a house, spread our blankets on the mud floor, and cooked our food in the mud fire-place; when night came, we brought everything, including wagon, harness, mules, and accompa- niments, into the mud walls, and shut and barred the doors.
The miserable appearance of the city and its inhabitants determined us to get out of the town as soon as possible, and get out we did, early in the morning, Dr. Parker re- marking that "there was little fear of our being salted for looking back, though if there ever was a place closely al' ied to old Sodom, it was Tucson."
We shortly entered the lovely valley of the Santa Cruz; and here, ten miles from Tucson, we came upon the beautiful mission of San Xavier del Bac, built by the
155
SARACENIC ARCHITECTURE.
Jesuits in 1678, and the building would be an ornament to any city in the United States.
It is the most beautiful, as well as remarkable, speci- men of the Saracenic style of architecture to be found in the country; nor have I ever seen a building in such per- fect harmony with its proportions as is this. The moment the eye rests upon it, one experiences a feeling of entire satisfaction, so complete is it in every detail. Its front is richly ornamented with elaborate carving. Standing in niches, and grouped over and around the main entrance, are the remains of the figures of the twelve Apostles, evidently the work of a master's hand. From the front corners rise lofty and beautifully proportioned towers, one of which is surmounted with a most graceful spire. Over the main body of the church, which is cruciform in shape, rises a massive dome; while the walls, both inside and out, are capped by handsome cornices.
Nearly two hundred years have rolled over the walls of this magnificent structure, this splendid monument of the zeal, energy, and civilization of the ancient Jesuits.
It is now but a mere wreck, when compared with its former splendor. Eighty thousand dollars' worth of gold and silver ornamented its altar when the Te Deum Laudamus was chanted within its walls, and the mountain-tops around echoed the sound of the vesper bell, calling the poor Indian to prayer.
156
THE PAPAGO INDIANS.
Alas! Time has blackened its frescoed walls, and sac- rilegious hands have defaced its fine statuary and paintings ; but the building itself will stand in its massive strength for a thousand years, and its graceful spire, silently pointing upwards, will not fail to remind the beholder that, hundreds of years ago, upon the deserts of Arizona, the example of the lowly Nazarene was held forth for the guidance of pagan Indians, in obedience to the Divine command, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel."
Does not this magnificent building, with its desert sur- roundings, teach the stay-at-home-and-take-your-ease Chris- tians of the present day a lesson worthy of imitation ?
'Twas an inexpressibly sad sight, this crumbling monu- ment of man's faithfulness and devotion in extending the reign of our Lord Jesus Christ; and as I stood before its altar, my eye vainly striving to pierce the deep gloom of its shadowy aisles and recesses, the sight of a venerable- looking old Indian, devoutly kneeling with uncovered head before a little crucifix, carried my thoughts far back to the day and generation when the choir responded to the solemn mass, "Glory to God in the highest"; and I could almost hear the sweet tones of the priest, as they resounded through the arched and gloomy recesses of the old church, repeat- ing, "And on earth peace, good-will toward men."
Desolation and decay, however, have left their ineffaceable marks upon the building; and as I left its portals it was
SAN XAVIER DEL BAC.
157
OLD JOSE, THEIR CHIEF.
with the reflection that, after all, San Xavier was but a picture of life, drawn by a master's hand, whose outlines time never dims, and whose colors never fade.
The building is in charge of the Papago Indians, who still worship in it. There are about two hundred of these Indians, who reside in this vicinity, and cultivate the rich bottom-lands of the Santa Cruz, raising wheat, rye, corn, and vegetables in profusion. They also grow the most delicious pomegranates I ever tasted.
At the time of my visit, they were very much in need of stock, the Apaches having made a raid upon them only a few nights before, and driven off all their animals.
Old José was the chief of the tribe, and claimed a direct descent from royal blood. He informed us, in a peculiar jargon of Spanish, Papago, and English, that he was one hundred and four years of age, a statement that his appear- ance seemed to substantiate.
Let me attempt a description of him. Imagine, if you can, a short, thick-set person, weighing about two hundred and thirty pounds, clothed in an old-fashioned, snuff-colored dress-coat, the tails of which gracefully swept the ground. Upon one shoulder an old tarnished epaulet; upon his feet a pair of moccasins, richly wrought in silk, and ornamented with tiny bells of solid silver; his legs entirely destitute of clothing, and resembling very closely a pair of old- fashioned clothes-pins. His long, black hair, parted in the
1
1
158
VAIN AND POMPOUS.
middle, was braided in a cue, the end ornamented with gaudy-colored ribbons, which, resting on the top of his high, stiff coat-collar, elevated it to an angle of forty-five degrees, giving his head a very singular aud grotesque appear- ance. The parting of his hair was painted a bright green, while his cheeks were plentifully daubed with ochre and vermilion. In his hand he carried a high-crowned, narrow- rimmed hat, of so small a size that he could, by no possi- bility, get it on his head.
He informed me, with a smile that was intended to be "childlike and bland," and perfectly displaying his tooth- less gums, that he was habited in his best garments, for the express purpose of doing us great honor.
I. could not avoid offering him a slight token of my ap- preciation of his politeness, in the shape of a silver coin, which he seized with an avidity that convinced me that this "venerable descendant of Lis ancestors" had the same over- weening desire for filthy lucre that has ever shown itself in human nature, whether descended from royal blood, or born in the plebeian walks of every-day. life.
Not wishing to be outdone in politeness, I complimented the old fellow upon his fine personal appearance, telling him that Jimmy had remarked, there was about him that majesty and dignity which could be found only among Ireland's most kingly kings, at which compliment the old fellow turned himself slowly around, to give me a better
159
NOVEL MUSIC.
· opportunity to appreciate and admire his elegant dress and majestic bearing; and taking from his capacious pocket a small piece of mirror, he proceeded to take a survey of his ugly features with evident delight and satisfaction, slowly repeating "Si, señor, muy linda, muy linda;" or, Yes, sir; very beautiful, very beautiful.
'The old fellow's antics reminded me more of a fashiona- ble dandy of the present day, than any animal I ever saw; and I came to the conclusion that one could study human nature quite as well in a Papago Indian, as in a Broadway exquisite.
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