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Camp ai ..;,,i,,, ... ... .,.,...1, on tlie Rio Puerco. — Around tlie base of the high rock are traces of 



about ninety small villages, while the round hump on top indicates the ruin of a village of some size, 

 to which tlie valley dwellers probably retreated in time of trouble. Access to the top is fairly difficult and 

 could easily be barred. The only spring for miles around is situated just to the left of the tents 



of ground and looked over on wliat ap- 

 peared as an oa.sis in the desert. A lit- 

 tle white cliurcli stood in the midst of 

 a group of adobe houses, while apple 

 orchards and great cottonwoods shaded 

 the whole. Just beyond, the new bridge 

 spanned the stream that winds its way 

 througli the town. We hastened on 

 our way. and were soon resting in a 

 room in the cool depths of the rambling 

 adobe structure where Sehora Davis, 

 mother-in-law of the only English- 

 speaking resident of the place, the mer- 

 chant, puts up chance wayfarers. From 

 this vantage point we began to explore 

 the surrounding country for ruins, be- 

 ing ably assisted by a Mexican driver 

 whose name, An ay a, soon became 

 twisted into Ananias on account of the 

 casual way in which he used the truth 

 when an extra five dollars for a day's 

 work was in sight. 

 104 



Mrs. Davis' hospitable al)ode was 

 soon afterward exchanged for the open- 

 air existence which was followed until 

 the snows fell. Sometimes the twelve 

 by sixteen foot tent was our complete 

 apartment, forming sleeping and living 

 rooms as well as kitchen and dining 

 rooms ; while at other places we made 

 use of rock shelters, green-covered ar- 

 bors, or real caves, to supplement or 

 entirely supplant it. From using a 

 two-burner gasoline stove in cooking 

 during our first summer, we were 

 reduced to the open camp fire in the 

 last expedition, where the nightly 

 change of camping site made it nec- 

 essary to do away with everything but 

 actual necessities. Sleeping cots were 

 discarded for the ground, and a board 

 on a box replaced the usual camp table 

 — demonstrating the uselessness of too 

 great luxurv. 



