Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1890-03-07
N the Canon de Chsco and in the

dences of the civilization and arch
itecturaI skill of the wonderful peo'
Pile who formerly inhabited this
part of the country, were to be
foundin a two.dsys journey to the
southwest. My curiosity was stim'
ulsted, and 1 determined to visit
them. 1 hoped that l might dis
cover something to throw more
light upon the still unsolved prob
lem as to who the people were who
had erected these stupendoas edi'
fees, the ruins OF which lie scat.
tered over this vast wilderness.
About noon on the second day
we had been overtaken by this
snow of which have spoken. We
were at the time crossing the Sierra
Msdre range, IN the heart of the
Navsioe country.
"Wal," said Nat, the following
morning. as he passed out and saw
the ground covered to the depth OF
nearly a foot, aud the snow still
falling, "we was lucky in gittin'
into this place."
eyes, Nat, it's very comfortable"
replied /, "but suppose a party of
Navsioes should conclude to visit
the cave ?"
"There amt much use in reckon
In on so onsartin a calculation as
that, but if they do come, we must
fight 'em the best we cau," replied
Nat. "'TwouI dn't be a very nice
place to git ketched iu, would itV
Breakfast eaten, and the animals
cared for, 1 threw myself upon the
boar skin and prepared to listen to
one of Mats stories. Just then the
thought occurred to me to see what
the roof of the cavern resembled.
selzIng a brand from the fire, l
jumped upou point of the rock
that tjutted out from the wall, when,
to my surprise, a large piece OF 1t
broke off.
This caused me to examine the
piece, and 1 discovered it to be
very soft, aud, upon trial, easily
cut lISe clay.
Calling Mats attention to it, he
took the piece to the light,and, after
a careful examination, pronounced
1t to be the material from which the
Pueblo Indians fashioned their lit
tie family idols. These idols are in
every home, and said he:
This ere's the place where their
medicine men come to make 'em,
as sure as shootin'. For, yer see,
they don't never let the people
know how they git 'em; but they
90 off by themselves, and when
they come back, they alters hev
'em ter order"
The discovery caused us to make
a more careful inspection OF the
walls, which resulted in our fnd
ing many places where the mater
lal had been cut out; and at last
we found on a ledge of the rock a
number of the images themselves
rudely fashioned, but quite hard
having become so by exposure tt
the atmosphere.
In fact, every indication pointed
to the truth of Mats theory. ThiI
really was the place to which tn
| medicine men OF the tribes resorted
for the manufacture of their goods
which were supposed to be sent b.
the Great Spirit to protect and ben
eft their pOssessors.
This discovery did not add ii
the least to our feeling of security
for we now knew that we were liza
ble to receive visit from the med
icine men at any time, especial,
as they generally sought the mos
unpropltious weather for the pre-
duction of their handiwork.
Still we could do nothing bu
" wait 1.-THE result of,future develop
ments.
AS time passed very slowly,
4 amused myself by tashioning wit
. my sheath knit the piece OF ston
= that 1 had broken of. into the sen
- blanceIof human face of full size
- and succeeded 80 well, that at
: little distance it really resemble
the plaster cast of. a head. Ooe e.
pertinent led to another, and
- finally conceived the project of ii
O. ting a piece of the bear skin to tn
i' stone and permitting it to DIR.
~ Upon removing it, l cut holes fC
!" the eyes, nostrils and mouth, an
" found that l had one of the mo
~ hideous-looking masks that con-
10 be imagined, rendered particular
ugly by the long, black hair viii
ry which it wac covered.
Z" AS Nat aud myself we're laughir
over Its terrible ugliness, chance
Ii to think of the many times bs
z" amused myself when boy with
)ack.o'.lantern made from q pun