Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1886-09-09
.aai11 ~ eagle
A WONDERFUL STORY.

.,
Zuni Indian who spoke Of the intrepidity and
courage shown by the Zunis in resisting the
attacks of the Spaniards 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:
"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 nv
sell, nothing loath to again witness its beauties,
accepted the invitation, only requiring that
the visit should be paid during the afternoon,
y as on the morrow we had determined to start
for the Rio Grande.
1t was late in the afternoon when we started,
in company with the cacique, to view the place
which $50 years before a little handful of Span
Z iards had SO gallantly assaulted and carried by
s storm ancient city of Cibola, where, as the
.acique informed us, the Zunis had won q
name for themselves that would never be Tor
.9gotten.
Passing the SACRED spring." and down
through the narrow rocky gorge at the 1oo1
sof the mesa, we commenced to cnlnb tne
steep and rugged path that led to the height
sabove u.s.
b. We made our first halt upon terrace, or
\ ledge, about $50 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
tafforded 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
70 ten feet in width, the old man depicted in
{ glowing terms the contest, and told US how
B 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 flow.
ing like water.
Indeed, the old man seemed never to tire OF
the subject: and as we slowly made our way
up the difficult path, listening to the earnest
and impressive traditions regarding the
valor of his ancestors, could but sympa-
thize with him when he said "The Zunis
were happy and prosperous people until
the Spaniards came amoug 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 seek
I ing; they only fought when obliged to-;
y 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
Il flocks and herds to build houses to live ins
n Were they not more prosperous than the wild
tribes who wandered over the country but to
destroy and lay waste?
1 "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 re-
X garded them with his former love; the
E5 Spaniards had made his heart cold
IN towards them; but the Great Spirit would
III again kindle the fame in his heart 1t must
/ be punishment that he had sent upon them,
/ because they, his children, had permitted the
sacrct flame to burn dimly that he had
kipaled with his own hands upon the altar of
4 the estufus; but they relied upon the promise he
4 had made them, that he would one day re-
a turn and lead them, as of old-for was not
j Montezuma the very embodiment of truth!'
Y In this garrulous, simple manner the old
man entertained us as we toiled up the steep,
precipitous sides of the mesa, enchanting our
attention so completely, that we gave heed to
but little else, and had actually assembled the
highest of the three terraces before / was
aware that we were standing upon a narrow
shelf scarcely twelve inches in width,
although 800 feet above the plain.
u When at length realized the fact, was
indeed startled at the novel and perilou:
situation i'm which we found ourselves; mol
were my fears in the least allayed by noticing
the nervous and excited maner will
&c, -l,.1 ,N1v AN-ny
& on the alert for our safety, called our atten
n ton to the fast growing darkness, as III
urged us TO at once commence the descent.
Upon our left was huge wall of rock and
earth. towering nearly 800 feet above oul
+ heads, and apparently SO smooth as not te
B afford footing for living creature, while
upon our right for nearly 500 feet below wa
4 empty space.
Fl The dizzy heights at which we stood, The
4 narrow path before us, the vast abyss below
the growing darkness, the danger of the de
scent. all seemed to have been forgotten il
the desire to hear the old man, who still KEEP
y on in his low monotone, utterly oblivlous o.
everything save the Zunis and their history
& when, carelessly stepping upon small ston'
\ which rolled under my foot, before l coulG
h possibly recover myself, l was precipltatet
+ over the bluff, and in moment found my
a self sliding down its almost perpendicular
side, feet foremost.
In the twinkling of an eye / was far beyond
the reach of my companions. who, upon hear
ing the noise made by my fall turned toward
me. and stood aghast, but powerless to ali
81 me. Nv first thought was that l should b
81 dashed 10 pieces upon the rocks at the foot o
4 the bluff: the next that l might possibl.
manage to save myself upon one of the ter
races beneath
All this time was acquiring greater me
u mentum. until it seemed as though l wa
!. fairly fiying into the very arms of the horr
BILE death which stood staring me so steadil
in the face Not bush or shrub could l sc
growing upon the precipitous sides; there wa
nothing, absolutely nothing, for me to elm
Il to. and the stones and earth which disturbe
in nv descent We're falling in a shower aroun
me.
Convinced that death was inevitable, bt
came perfectly reconciled to the thought NJ
mind comprehended in a moment the acts @
lifetime Transactions of most trivi,
character, circumstances the remembrance c
which had been buried deep in memory's vaul
fc- wears, stood before me in bold relief: m
: mind recalled with the rapidity of lightning
/ ond vet retained distinct impression Of ever
I thought
Iseen,ed to be gliding swiftly and surel
on. of the world, but felt no fea-, experience
no recre. at the thought; on the contrary
reioiced that was SO soon to see with n
own eyes the great mystery concealed oeAih
the veil: that was to cross the deep water
and be ST RESI-.
Thought heard the sound Of many voice:
f.-~cf, ROY