Captured by the Navajos

ails of dress were not like those of the Navajos with whom we had recently had a fight; but as the old hunter Cordova had pronounced them Navajos, I gave the matter

o assemble under arms with cartridge-boxes filled. Fortunately, the mail-riders had arrived the previous evening from Santa Fé, so I ord

erta before the Indians could pass through it. I impressed it upon him on no account to fire unless the redmen showed fight, to leave his mules and hor

d Private Tom Clary, who was mounted on Frank's r

whoa and get up? I'm afeared the little baste 'll not unde

Tom. Use your reins, curb,

op, and a spur to go ahead. That's a

rest of the company as soon as they were fairly within th

ng direct for La Puerta. I kept my men out of sight under the rolls of the valley surface, and moved at quick time.

broke into derisive shouts and made gestures conveying their contempt for us. This continued for some time, when they suddenly showed confusion. They dashed at a gallop to the north side of the passage, and s

one and made signs for them to dismount and lay down their arms. They did so, and at anot

result of my strategy, and, after shaking hand

d Private Clary, one of the mounted men, who was

cut uv thim chap

that, Tom," r

s no N

'd as soon expict t

ado, and New Mexico long before I had seen a more savage redman than the indolent, basket-making descendants of the Passamaquod

ach

e of t

te

her

vaj

d, and I moved triumphantly on, satisfied t

k, "Jarge, did ye iver see Nav

wered Hoey,

re Navajos, and were "talking at me." But if not N

e Indians there seemed to be an immediate recognition. He and the chief met and embraced, and conversed for a few moments in a language that was neither

on their present sites when Coronado entered the country in 1541. They form an excellent part of the population, being temperate, frugal, and industrious. They dress in Indi

stolen some of their cattle the previous night. When they first saw Cordova

rs in the valley. When I put the questions, Apache? Ute? Navajo? the chief thought I was asking him if he w

mule, rode up to my cabin late in the afternoon. He introduced himself as a government Indian agent for the Navajos, and handed me a letter from the department commander. It stated that the bearer was on

ad sent their wives and children, with a few old men, to Jemez for safety; that the party of Dominicans which had been recently captured by us, bein

ered to prevent the slaughter of the Navajos they would be considered by

a long journey to undertake a night ride of twenty-six miles. My instructions from the general were to conform my movements to the wishes of the agent, so I very reluctantly and m

ingham asked permission to accompany the expedition, and I allowed

nry was left behind, but Frank accompanied us, mounted on the recently cap

, eroded shelves and caverns, and lunched at noonday beside a dozen boiling sulphur sp

nct murmur, and halted at once. In a moment the murmur swelled into an unmistakab

as rapidly as possible, sticking to the travelled road, and, accompanied by th

n a direct line, over deep, soft earth, frequently crossed by irrigating ditches, while theirs, although nearly treble the di

or three feet of water, to make a difficult scramble up the crumbling wall of the opposite

onsiderable distance to the right. The agent veered away to the opening, but Corporal Frank kept Sancho close behind me, and I gave my good thoroughbred his head and rode sharply at

ok it at a run, and when half-way through saw directly before its inner end, facing the north, a group of old, gray-haired Navajos standing alone with their arms folded, and h

and along the three sides of the square, seemed to be gathe

o the ground. Covered with dust and mud, our horses reeking with foam, Corporal Frank and I burst through the crowd of spectators on the west side of the

I shouted, in Spanish,

ting in his left, looking calmly and resolutely at the hesitating Indians. The blood of three generations of

some of them in arms, who had been reserved-as I afterwards learned-for later shooting, ran into the space and

iculating group, when Sergeant Cunningham and the rest of the men appeared on

he Jemez warriors that they must discountenance any further hostile demonstrations of the Santo Dominicans, and told the latter that unless

overlooking the town, amid the wailing of their women and much ceremonious demonstration by t

orced march from the valleys, I determined to give them a day's rest before making the return trip. Finding Sergeant Cunningham's, Frank's, and my own horses none the worse for their ex

to us by Padre Gutierrez. This trail was almost as straight as an arrow, but led through a section of the country over