Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-02-20
',voM THE MooUI INDIANS.
col stetenson's Exciting Adventure In
atH .sePuebio Town

a
otH .S&Pueblo Town.
From tie Washington Poet.
-cnJanes Stevenson, OF the Bureau Of
r,Ar1i6gx. has returned to Washington,
.et,r a soiourn OF about six months among
M indians Of Arizona, bringing carload
.rrare and valuable ourios illustrative Of
,bo social habits, workmanship and in
lnstries of various tribes of which little
~ Tnowp. He was accompanied in his
..syels by Mrs. Stevenson, and the pair
h,d an adventure among the Pueblo In
lions quite unusual in its character.
ICING explored some newly-discOvered
,sve-yillages in the vicinity of Flagstaff,
Srig thew gathered small party and
s.rnek across the desert TO the northeast
M the M0qui towns, several days jour
ney distant. They arrived safely and en-
ahmed atthe foot OF high mesa, upon
Inc tor Of which stands Oreibe, the larg-
81 westernaost and least known of all
me Pueblo towns.
lis n0pulation is about $50 souls and
tho village is a compact mass of rubble
structures, standing one upon the other
ito nile of empty boxes and with as lit
tis reGard to any general plan OF architec-
TIRE. The people, like allVillage Indians,
IRE comparatively harmless, but unlike
The majority, have strong aversion to
contact with the whites.
some of the leading men of the town
came down to the camp, and, after con-
siderable smoking aud palaVer. gave con-
sant that their village might be visited,
Int stipulated that no effort should be
made TO convert the people to Christiani-
Nv. The next day Mr.. and Mrs. Steven
son. accompanied by three or four friend
lv Moouis and as many NavajOes, rode to
the ton of the mesa dlsmounted, walked
into the village plaza and thence climbed
a ladder to the top of the CociQue's Tor
nigh priests house. When the presence
offbe strangers became known there were
signs OF excitement throughout the viii
lsge.
The neighbOring housetOps and the pla-
"a we're thronged by excited barbarians
who chartered IN loud voices and made
upon a roof just above the Cocique's house
dangled lariat SUCCESSFULLY nOOsed at
the end, and loudly demanded that the
whites be taken to the estufa, or the un-
derground chapel of the village, and there
summarily dealt with. One or two de-
monstrative individuals volunteered TO be
the first TO apply the knife. The friendly
Moquis stood their ground only few
minutes and then disappeared, but the
NaYaioes, who are made of firmer mate
rial, remained. Col. Stevenson says that
while the situation was highly interest
ing, it was probably less alarming than
it would have been to people unacqualnt-
ed with the natural timidity Of the Pu-
eblOs.
Mrs. Stevenson, who has sojourned with
her husband among many wild tribes and
knows the Indian character well, created
an OppOrtune diversion by shaking her
fist in the face OF the humpbacked savage
whose vindictiVe elOquence seemed to eX-
ert most mischieyOus influence over his
fellows, addressing to him at the same
time several brief but vigorous remarks
in English and Spanish, which he was, of
course, quite unable to understand. Be-
tore the man had recovered his selfpOs-
session, the strangers had backed down
the ladder and then slowly. made their
way, with the whole bowling pack, men,
women, children and dogs, at their heels,
10 their ponies, mounted and rode down
to camp. They found the cook, who W as
the only other white person in the party,
considerably alarmed. He said the camp
was surrounded, soon after their depai-
ture. by many friendly Indians, but when
the Moqul dtserters reached them and
told the story Of the proceedings on the
mesa, all mounted their ponies and made
haste to get away. The cook feared his
companions had been made prisoners,
perhaps murdered.
The party remained in the neighbor-
hood several days, visiting the other Mo.
qui villages, TO all ofwhich they were well
coined, and many times they we're visited
surreptitiOusly at night by people from
Oreibe. who brought curlOs for sale, which
they dared not offer openly. In this way
a collection was made.
hill fRo afn nj 10 mic N
Orelbe was carried to Keam's canon.
twenty-five miles distant, the proprietor
Of which, an English merchant, mas lived
in the vicinity many years, and by fair
dealing, PLUCK and hrmness has gained
an extraordinary influence over both Ma
Yaioes and MOquis. Mr.. Keam at once
organized parry % three or Jour white
men, the only ones living within sixty
miles, and Il dozen or twenty Nayajoes
for a rescue. rne Oreibes received infOr-
nation OF his approach and the head men
Of their tribe incOntlnently fled. Keam
sent bis NavaiOes after them, and two,
Including the hunchback chief, were
brought III. Keam tied their elbows and
took them TO his ranch for discipline, the
StegensOns accompanying him. The
prisoners were defiant at first, but after
TWO or three days confinement under the
guardianship Of Navajo jai1ers, who beat
drums. danced and INDUCED IN other ter
ufying performances, hey began to re-
lent and confessed thi they had acted
badly.
Now you are beginning to talk rea-
son." said Keam, land we will see about
letting YOU 20 soOn."
But" answered the hunchback, "we
must 60 now"
Hold on. my friend; you are too fast.
lou will not be so abrupt, perhaps, to-
morrow
| After another nights confinement the
)Plsoners begged their liberty. and were
joined in their prayers by n deputatiOu
from the village. Taey promised good be.
naNior IN the future, and extended an ap.
parently-cOrdial invitation TO the Steven
sons to return.
The next day they were set at liberty
ana went away crestiallen and repent
ant.
WHERE HOME RULE PREVAILS
he ~.