ACROSS THE NAVAJO DESERT 41 



we came on the group of houses — the store, 

 the attractive house of Mr. and Mrs. Wetherill, 

 and several other buildings. Our new friends 

 were the kindest and most hospitable of hosts, 

 and their house was a delight to every sense: 

 clean, comfortable, with its bath and running 

 water, its rugs and books, its desks, cupboards, 

 couches and chairs, and the excellent taste of 

 its Navajo ornamentation. Here we parted 

 with our two wagons, and again took to pack- 

 trains; we had already grown attached to 

 Francisco and Loko, and felt sorry to say good- 

 by to them. 



On August 10, under Wetherill's guidance, we 

 started for the Natural Bridge, seven of us, all 

 told, with jBve pack-horses. We travelled light, 

 with no tentage, and when it rained at night we 

 curled up in our bedding under our slickers. I 

 was treated as "the Colonel," and did nothing 

 but look after my own horse and bedding, and 

 usually not even this much; but every one else 

 in the outfit worked ! On the two days spent in 

 actually getting into and out of the very difficult 

 country around the Bridge itself we cut down our 

 luggage still further, taking the necessary food 

 in the most portable form, and, as regards bed- 

 ding, trusting, in cowboy fashion, to our slickers 

 and horse blankets. But we were comfortable, 



