Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1886-08-06
tnasssassso <fAAss .-slss 1880 ~ NJ
A WONDERFUL STORY,

by S. w. Coggens the author mentions an old
Zuni Indian who spoke of the intrepidity and
courage shown by the Zunis in resisting the
attacks of the Spanialds as well as of the
Apaches and Navajoes; until, warming with
the subject, he insisted upon accompanying
and showing 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 author goes on:
"Tho old inan seemed so anxious that We
should once more visit the site of old H,ni
and in his company, that the doctor and nv
self, nothing loath to again witness its bcautiua
accepted the invitation. only requiring that
the visit should be prid curing the afternoon,
a. on the morrow we hal determined to start
for th" Rio Grlnde.
Ii was late in the afternoon when we started,
in company VIII tie cacique, to view the place
which $40 years before little handful of Span
iards had SO calamity assaulted and carried by
storm-the ancient city of Cibola, where, us the
cacique Informed us, the Iunis had won a
name for then lives that would never be for
gotten
Passing the Sacred spring. and down
through the narrow rocky gorge at the foot
of the mesa, we commenced to climb tho
steep and rugged path that led to the height
above us.
We made our first halt upon terrace, or
ledge, about 30 feet above the plain. Around
the outer edge OF this terrace formerly had
been constructed II wall of rock. traces of
which were plainly disccrnible, and must have
afforded complete protection against any as
saulting party, so perfectly did it command
the only means OF approach. Indeed, it
seemed to us that a dozen men might have
successfully held it against 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 fclled
to the earth by ono of them, and of blood flow
ing like water.
Indeed, the old man seemed never TO tire of
the subject and us we slowly made our way
up the difficult path, listening to the earnest
and impressive traditions regarding the
vaor of his ancestors, | could but sympa-
thize with him when he said, "rhe Zunis
We're Il happy and prosperous people until
the Spaniarls came amoug them; they warred
for the protection of their hos.os and for the
honor of their women, it is true, but the
strife was never of their own seek
ing; they only fought when obliged to;
then they fought honestly, man TO man; there
was no nation that could stand against the
Zunis
"MontcNuma 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
hocks and herds, TO build houses to live inl
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
Spaniarls came. Then all was changed
From the day that those people came they
had been cursed. Montezuma no longer re-
garded them with his former love; the
Spaniards had made his heart cold
towards them; but the Great Spirit would
again lindle the flame in his heart. 1t must
be n punishment that he had sent upon them,
because they, his children, had permitted the
sacrct flame to burn dimly that he had
! kinded with his own hands upon the altar of
the estufu,; but they relied upon the promise he
| had made them, that he would one day re-
| turn and lead them, II of old-tor was not
Montezuma the very embodiment of truth ?
/ In this garrulous, simple manner the old
/ man entertained us rs we tOied up the steep,
| precipitOus sides of the mesa, enchanting our
attention so completely, that we gave heed to
puV N'l'e tiSc' anu hao "cVu'HS "SceiueIi Tue
h6noSt VI the '"itr terraces oc'"Ic was
aware tii''' we were S,"hu'iiS upon H'iIo"
shrH surrey '"cNc "rlrS III "P''n'
altn.NiSh ooo i'''' above 'he pam
men al lth-,h re"IAeu l'e la''' was
liueci s'.'rVP' aI 'he mover ana perlou'
SITUATION III "hlch we iouiii ouISoNe'' nor
were my Tears Ill 1le lcaSt allayeu ny ho'iclhs
Tue nervous anu eAclted ihaiier WIFI
which Ion h'i"ei, WIN S'tilie" ever
on thc aI'tt Ior our SAFETY called our alteh-
tioh 10 'he laSt growing darkness, as lie
urseu Us 10 az once commence the descent
pom our Il' was huse wall Oh rock ana
EARTH towering nearly ooV leet above oui
heauS, ana apparently SO smooth rs not 70
uioru roofing Tor IlVlnS creature "hilt
upon our rlSht Tor nearly soo leet below wa
empty space,
Inc uHAy ielSHtS III when we s'o''l' th'
narrow pain before us, the vast abyss neIoW
the growing uilrkhesS, the danger Oh tle ue
scent all seemed TO nave been forgotten IL
! the desire TO near the Old man, VINO SUN KEPT