THE STRANGE HABITATIONS OF THE ZUNIS.
Both of the others of course heard all that Donald said. Adrian only
smiled, and nodded his head, as though the idea rather took his fancy;
but Billie put up his broad shoulders in a way he often did when in sore
doubt.
If his two chums made up their minds to try and invade the secret
quarters of that hideous old medicine man, in the heart of the Sacred
Mountain, why, Billie realized that he would have to accompany them.
This would not be because they insisted on it, but on account of his
never being of a mind to find himself left out, when an enterprise was
planned, as though he might not be equal to the strain, for Billie was
very touchy, and proud, for a good-natured boy.
This being the case he shuddered to imagine himself dangling at the end
of a rope, far down the face of that sheer hundred and more foot cliff,
with a drop beneath, in case the rope slipped, or broke, sufficient to
insure a smash that was going to end his pilgrimage in this world.
But then Billie had learned that it was folly to cross a bridge before
one came to it. While his comrades might lay great plans, there was
always a chance that something would happen, making it impossible to try
and carry the same out.
What was the use in borrowing trouble, anyway? To-morrow had not come,
and wasn't his good mother always telling him that old maxim "sufficient
unto the day is the evil thereof?"
So Billie concluded he would live in the present, and let the future
take care of itself.
They were heading for the queer Zuni village right now, and before long
he expected to get busy with his camera, taking all sorts of
entertaining snapshots that later on must astonish and delight hosts of
friends in the faraway East, after he returned home.
That they were now drawing very close to the Zuni settlement all of them
knew to a certainty. Plenty of signs pointed that way--they could hear
loud voices, and the laughter of children, just as though they might be
approaching a village of white people; for after all, children do not
differ very much, whether they be white, black, copper-colored or
yellow; it is only when they grow older and copy the characteristics of
their parents that they change, and follow the groove of their species.
"I can see the cliff, all right!" announced Billie, in some little
excitement, as he stretched his fat neck to a dangerous degree,
"rubbering," as he himself described it.
"Yes," said Adrian, "that's the top row of homes we see yonder; and if
things are anything like I expect, from what I've heard we'll find a
dozen other rows of holes in the rock most all the way down the cliff."
"But not near the bottom," corrected Donald; "because, you see, the only
object that ever made these people, away back many hundreds of years
ago, build their homes in this way was to feel free from their enemies,
whoever they might be; and so far as I've been able to find out, nobody
really knows who they were afraid of."
"P'raps the Injuns got on the warpath every little while; and made a
raid, looking for scalps and plunder?" suggested Billie, quickly.
"You might think so," Adrian told him; "but it's been agreed on that
when these same old cliff-dwellers held out in these valleys, making
their homes high up in the air, and digging them out of the solid rock
in certain places where it was easy to do the job, why, there were no
Indians. That was long before the time of the red man, as we know him in
history. So there you are, Billie."
"All of which is true," added Donald; "so think it over, Billie, and
some time let us know what sort of an explanation you get to. Look,
there are several more lines of holes in the rock, and you can see the
many crazy ladders that lead up and down, like the lines of a puzzle."
"Sure thing," declared Billie, excitedly, "and there are some people
climbing and coming down right along. Hurry up there, Jupiter, and quit
your poking. I'm all of a quiver to get right in, and see these sights
at close range. Oh! mebbe it ain't going to be in clover for me, with
this jolly little kodak of mine. Won't I be able to snap off some of the
funniest pictures you ever saw, with fat squaws and papooses ahanging to
them ladders in all sorts of ridiculous positions? Well, let me tell you
before we go any further, boys, I'm real glad I came."
"In spite of the scare you had when you fell into that rattlesnake den,
eh, Billie?" ventured Adrian.
"And no matter if you did get lost on the desert, while a nasty sand
storm was raging?" added Donald, mischievously.
"With the wolves keeping you awake all night in the bargain; can you say
that, remembering all these things that have happened, Billie?" Adrian
concluded.
The fat boy placed one hand in the region of his heart.
"Really and truly I'm glad right now," he went on, "and I'll be a dozen
times more so before long, I'm thinking. All the things you mention
belong to past history; and what's the use crying over spilt milk?"
"Hurrah for you, Billie!" cried Adrian.
"Remember what we used to write in our copybooks at school when we were
kids," the fat boy went on, seriously; "mebbe I ain't got the words just
right, but the sentiment is the same: 'The wheel of the mill ain't ever
agoing to run again, with the water that is past.' Them's my sentiments
every time, boys."
"Bully for Willie Winkle!" laughed Donald; "he's better to have along
than any school teacher that ever lived. But here we are, boys; and now
look your fill, both of you, because you'll see sights such as few
people ever get a chance to set eyes on, let me tell you."
And they did.
They had now turned a bend in the trail, so that the whole Zuni village
was before them. It was a bustling scene, too, for there were scores of
persons moving all about on the ground, among the rocks, and in the
central plaza, where doubtless the ceremonial dances were wont to take
place from time to time, according to the customs of these strange
people.
The Zunis are very clannish, and never marry outside of their own
people. They believe themselves to be far and above the common herd, and
can look back to a past that antedates the history of all other tribes.
Some of those wise men who have tried to study out their traditions
associate them with the Aztecs or sun worshippers of Mexico; but they
claim to go back centuries beyond the time of those really modern
people.
Their dress is as picturesque as their mode of living, so vastly
different from that of any Indian tribe in America. They are accustomed
to meeting whites, and in reality shrewdly welcome strangers to visit
their village, because they love to shine in the lime-light; and most of
them are natural-born actors. Besides, they make a great deal of money
in various ways, such as posing for pictures, selling quaintly woven
baskets, pottery made after their tribal custom, and all sorts of
souvenirs such as tourists with fat pocketbooks love to pick up, to
prove that they have journeyed to the land of the "original people,"
known as the Zunis.
"Why, we ain't the only strangers here, after all!" ejaculated Billie,
shortly, as he and his two chums came closer to the scene. "There's a
bunch of palefaces over yonder atalking to that old squaw, who looks
like she might be a gypsy queen, or some sort of fortune-teller."
"Perhaps she is," laughed Adrian, "because these people have gotten so
used to having the whites visit them, especially at this time of year,
that they're on to all sorts of schemes to coax the nimble dollar out of
the pockets of the pilgrims. Am I right there, Pard Donald?"
"You're cleaving close to the line, let me tell you, Chum Adrian; and
you'll find that money talks even among the Zuni and the Hopi Indians,
just as it does, they say, over in Switzerland or Italy, where every
blessed person, young and old, has the itching palm as they call it, so
you can't ask a civil question without fishing around in your pocket for
a tip. But let's forget all that, now, and mingle with the crowd."
"First of all," suggested Adrian, wisely, "don't you think we'd better
be making a camp for ourselves? The ponies will have to have water and
grass; and as we've got a tent, it ought to be stuck up somewhere to
show where the Broncho Rider Boys have their headquarters."
"Right you are, Ad; and here comes the very party we had ought to speak
to, unless I'm mistaken. Now, it happened that Corse Tibbals was able to
do these people a mighty good turn, once upon a time; and he told me if
I mentioned the fact that I was a friend of his, it might make things
pleasant for us; which I expect to spring on this old fellow who's got
our number, and means to find out who we are, and what we want here."
The man who approached them was evidently one of more or less authority
among the Zunis; for his manner, as well as a difference in his style of
dress, told that he must exercise the authority of a chief.
Billie had been wondering what sort of Choctaw or Greek he was about to
hear the Zuni use in addressing them, and how Donald could understand
him. Billie, having once taken a few lessons in the sign language, had
even been trying to brush up his memory, under the faint impression that
he might have to join in the conversation, and assist his chums, when he
heard the other ask in very good English who they were, and why they had
journeyed hither.
Of course it was only a sort of ceremonious way of introducing himself,
because all the palefaces who came to the Zuni country had only one
object in view, which could be set down as an overwhelming curiosity to
see for themselves these wonderful things of which they had heard or
read so much.
Donald gave the name of each of his chums, as well as his own. He told
how they had been down to the copper mines on business; and finding that
they would be in time to witness the famous rattlesnake dance, which
once a year the Zunis indulge in, they had crossed the burning desert in
a sand storm to visit their brothers.
And when he mentioned that Corse Tibbals was a very good friend of his,
and really in the employ of his father, the sober face of the old Zuni
actually lighted up with what seemed to be pleasure.
He and Donald chatted for some little time in an animated way, after
which the old chief took himself off, and the boy returned to his
friends, a satisfied look on his face, that told them things were
"panning out" well.