The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1885-05-28
Visit to a Pueblo in New Mexico. a

Passing on, we soon entered labyr<
lnth OF dry, red sandstone hills, which
seemed to jostle one another in endless
confusion, and came at length to q
stand in valley of horseshoe shape,
larger than the rest. 1t was an arid.
inhospitable place, growing nothing
but few dry cactus bushes. A cotton
tail rabbit rose as we halted, and hop
ping away to a neighboring cactus, sat
watching us from behind its friendly
shelter.
The red sandstone cliffs positively
blazed in the sunlight. The strong
blue sky seemed to come down and
touch their SUBMITS with burning fin
gers, and where they met there was q
pale pink fire. All around near the
skyline these cliffs were perforated
with hundreds of little blackened holes,
like SO many swallows nests in sand
hill. These were the doors and win
dows of the cliff-dwellings. Most of
them were entirely inaccessible, being
from two to three hundred feet up the
sheer side of the cliff. In few places
great quantities of debris had fallen
enough to allow a venturesome climb
er TO reach the apertures; but Buckskin
Joe, who knew the ways of the place.
led us to a stairway which had been
cut in the rock by the prehistoric in
habitants.
Eleanor, who was the first to enter
one of the little black doorways, reap
peared almost Immediately with shud-.
der and little scream. !
'Ohi you mustn't go in there" she
cried. lit is all full of horrid things"
Notwithstanding the earnest nature
of the warning, | ventured in, dislodg-
ing as did so two large lizards and q
horned toad, which came scampering
out, indignant at being disturbed.
Joe, who had meanwhile entered am
other doorway, came out offering
human skull to one of the ladies. Then
ensued general stampede in search of
relics. We found arrow-heads, bits of
decorated pottery, small agates, and
some broken bones. In one room we
found some fresh-looking corn cobs.
which had been preserved, who could
say how many centuries, in this won-
derful dry atmosphere. In another we
came upon millions of butterflies
wings. They strewed the floor in rich
layers-a wonderful carpet-and fiut-
tered like living things as we moved
about. We could find no spiders or
other deadly insects to account for
their presence. Why the beautiful lit
tie creatures had come away up there
to die, none but the god of butterflies
could tell. Some of the rooms We.
found in a state of perfect preserva-
ton, the whitewash on the plastered
walls as fresh as the day, centuries ago,
that it was laid on. The dwellings,
consisted generally of only one room,
with door, 4 window, and chimney
reaching up to the top of the cliffs
above. In one case, though, we found
as many as four rooms connecting one.
with another. Occasionally two dwell
ings would be connected together by q
low dark passage. While l was ex-
ploring one of these holes an incident
occurred which had nearly brought our
junketing to melancholy conclusion.
When about halfway through, a dark
object suddenly appeared in front of
me, shutfiing and breathing heavily. I
instantly jumped to the conclusion that
a bear or some other wild animal had
made his lair at the further end of tha
passage. The situation was unpleas-
ant. and my heart fiuttered disagreea-
bly, as pulled and cooked large IL
Colts revolver. L was about to fire,
when an answering click came from
the mysterious figure.
Don't shoot, | cried.
"Wa'al," said Buckskin Joe-for it
was he-''if didn't take you for cin-
namon bearr'
We both of us kept out of those holes
for the remainder OF the day.-Birge
Harrison, IN Harper's Aagazias for
Aag