Sullivan republican. [volume] (Laporte, Pa.) 1883-1896, 1891-07-10
A GOOD NIGHTS WORK.


party in Arizonia went into camp one
bright day on the Rio Puerco, very near
the New Mexican line. The tents had
been pitched and the animals sent out to
Craze under strong guard and was
walking before my tent, impatiently
waiting summons to dinner, which |
knew by the strong odor waited from an
adjacent coffee pot would not be much
longer delayed.
We were about ninety miles from the
nearest fort and hundreds from any set
tlement. There was no ranches whatso-
ever in this part, only some cattle and
sheep belonging to Mexicans, which were
herdcd through the Territory. These
were in charge of the Mcxicans, who lived
much the same kind of life as did their
stock. Their blankets were their only
house, and when night came on they
would lie down wherever it might over
take them. For miles around the land
was as level us the bed of billiard
table. Mountains were seen in the dis
tance, which were inhabited by Indians.
But my little command and few rattle
snake and tarantulas were the only liv-
ing things near.
''Dinner is ready, Lieutenant" was
the welcome summons with which my
cook greeted me, and / was soon doing
justice to field dinner of bean soup and
slapjacks.
was in the midst of this savory re-
past when / noticed a stranger approach
ing me. He was well-built, powerful
looking man, about forty years of ago;
his face was intellectual and extremely
handsome; he wore a full beard and
moustache, both of which were iron-gray.
He was coarsely clad, and carried no
weapon. The latter circumstance was
the most remarkable thing of all, for in
those days in Arizona one scarcely
moved without his arms.
Nearing me, he asked, in pleasant,
quiet manner, if were the commanding
officer.
replied that / was.
81 came to see it you could lend me
pistol, or a carbine for few days. he
said.
"You don't mean to tell me that you
are entirely without arms2" / SAID not
unrcasonably astonished.
''Yes; | have nothing of the kind, 3" he
answered. 81 have been annoyed for the
past three months by those internal Cali
fornia lions, and if l had shooting iron
might kill some of them"
care you camping near here9'
asked.
81 live just round the bend of the
river: will you walk down with me?"
Greatly astonished, l asked if he lived
there quite alone.
"Oh, no, he replied, "my wife anu
mother live with me-"
Little dreaming was SO near res
idence, l accepted his invitation, and
filling my pipe and leaving the Sergeant
In charge of camp, l started forth with
my new acquaintance. As we made the
turn in the river l saw large shelving
rock rising from the level prairie. It
was not more than 100 yards from the
rivers bank, and was really quite impos-
ing in its dimensions. 1t struck me as
SO peculiar-so entirely out of place that
expressed my surprise to my companion.
g Yes, he answered. 81 fancy it is
a meteorite. l am under great obliga-
tion to it, whatever it is, and however it
came here, for it has protected me for
months. That rock is my house."
By this time we had reached the nat
ural dwelling. At what might be termed
its opening, the rock was ten feet or
more from the ground, and it sheltered
space about twenty feet in breadth,
gradually sloping backward and down
ward. AS stepped under the protect
ing roof saw two women sitting at
work.
My host presented me to his mother
and wife respectively, and / saw at a
glance that they were Mcxicans; not of
the class, however, known as greaseis,
but representatives Of much higher
grade. Like most Mexicans, they were
disincfned to converse in any language
but their own, but wher they learned
that my knowledge of their tongue was
too slight to enable me to understand
them they overcame their reluctance,
and we chatted quite pleasantly.
| learned that they had been living
there for three months. They came
with the intention of farming, and later
propose,' erecting suitable dwelling.