The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1896-06-06
THE DUEL Ar LAS SALINAS.
Tow vequero and Comanche
Fought for 8 Girl
Her Fathers Promise 70 the Indian Chlas
Hepudiated ~ Her Lover, ana the
Question settled with BOW and
Mushet and LasYo.

drops abruptly down to the lower lev
els. They were 40 miles east Of the Rio
Grande, and so or GO miles from Afbu-
querque. There lay before them
a wide plain which rose into
low tablelands off to the south
and east. Far to the northwest
lowered the bold, handsome contours
Of the Sandia mountains. Upon the
plain, miles away from the foot Of the
mesa, two large circular spots shone
dazzlingly.white. Don Mariana point
cd them out to his companion.
They are the Salinas he said.
"Now let us look for the wagons. They
should be in sight by this time. An,
there they are. They will get to loading
BIZ noon.'s
Three wagons, drawn each by four
mules, came round a bend of the mesa
at its foot, crawling along toward the
white spots on the prairie. They were
part of Don Mariano's ranch outfit go
ing to the salinas for salt.
Let us ride on to the salinas and
await them there said Don Mariana,
and the two horsemen picked their way
down the rough burro trail to the plain,
then put their horses to a long gallon
which brought them in half an hour to
the salt lakes. for the salinas liter
ally are lake basins packed soIidly with
salt. Part of their surface was smooth
and level like a water surface. Other
places were rough and dug out in great
holes like cellars, showing where salt
gatherers had been at work. Deeply
il trails led to the lakes from the
north, the west and the south, and the
ground about thsm was trodden with
the feet of sheep, horses and cattle and
the wild beasts of the plain, drawn
hither by their hunger for salt.
Going out upon one Of the basins
for a closer examination, the American
found that the pure white. salt seen
upon the surface was only an ~incrusta-
ton a half inch thick, and that beneath
this stratum the salt was darker, as ii.
d~iseolored BY earthly matter.
How came the salt beds here?' he
asked Don Mariana. Are there salt
springs at the bottom of the basin?"
Tire don shrugged his shoulders.
4Quien sabe, he answered. sThey
have always been here. The Spanish col
onists who first came to New-Mexico
300 years ago, got their salt here and.
their descendants have done the same
to this day. Since thesrailfoad am
the salt we nse on our tables, and much
that we use for other purposes. Is
brought from the States. Yet many 81.
the native people still get their salt
from here, as my teams come to-day
TO get the years supply for the stock
upon my ranches. The trails you see
eenetring here are worn by the travel
Of hundreds Of years. And the buffalo
and antelope in old times knew the sa-
linas. All, 1 did o think an antelope
was left so near the Rio Grande."
At the further end Of the further
basin three antelope stood at the edge
eagerly nibbling salt. Their hunger Tor
salt had overcome their fear of man
and they acted as if unaware of the two
who watched the timid graceful
creatures as the don went n
II can remember the time when we
had to have weapons in our hands and
a good-sized party when we came here
tor salt. The Mescalero Apaches and
the Nayajoes were liable to come as far
as the salt lakes, and they were always
hostile. The Comanches were sun-
posed to be friendly with the New Mex
leans, but ever they were not always ia
pc trusted when they met a weak rartv
mt IN The ,olains mL-
good deal of Indian fighting, first and
last, about these basins and the trails
leading to them. There was 4 duel
fought here many years ago that was
very remarkable. It occurred long he
lore I was born, but the story has been
handed down in our family, for nv
grandfather, Don Porfrio, Deigado.w was
present when it occurred. 1t came
about through q foolish promise that a
Mexican made a Comanche chief.
which he thought he would never be
on to fulfill.
THE man was a Comanchero. as we
iay, who went out on the plains every
rear TO trade with the Cornanches. 10
airy through a bargain, or I'd helm
himself out Of some tight place, he
the Indian that he would give
his daughter for a wife when she
lhculd have grown large enough to
marry. He was not called on redeem
is promise. for he was dead when Ire
indian demanded the girl. but ii made
rouhle enough for other people. as YOU
nali hear, Il you care to listen to the
FAA