128 SADDLE AND CAMP 



save greasewood and sage brush. It was a sea- 

 son of excessive drought, and where normally 

 the traveler might expect to find pasturage for 

 his horses the sand reaches spread out quite 

 bare of nurturing browse. Scarcely a blade of 

 grass indeed was seen, until in mounting Cedar 

 Ridge a bit of fairly good browsing was en- 

 countered on the summit among the straggling, 

 stunted cedars which cover it. Here we turned 

 our famished animals loose to forage. 



Our fire was scarce lighted when a young 

 Paiute buck rode up, dismounted, and in the 

 most matter-of-course way squatted by the fire 

 to await a share of the supper John was cook- 

 ing. When he had eaten his fill he asked for 

 tobacco, as though it were his right. We sup- 

 plied his needs and he sat with us and smoked 

 until dusk. He spoke very good English, and 

 before mounting his pony to gallop away, re- 

 marked: 



"Me plenty tobacco; me money; grub plenty; 

 no poor Indian. White man always give In- 

 dian eat; smoke." 



He was proud and wished us to understand 

 that he was in no sense a beggar, but a visitor. 



Usually the Indians met with by the traveler 

 along this desert trail are Navajos, with an oc- 

 casional Paiute north of Tuba. They are not 



