CHAPTER XX. 



A Table-land A dreary View Breaking the Way The San Luis Valley- 

 Rio Grande-del- Norte Facilis descensus Averno" Away down souf" 

 The Third Night The weak Point A Stone Rabbit A Rest Mexican 

 Hospitality The Zazal's Music Arrival at the Fort -Captain B. A 

 Road Party Return to Camp. 



"Two hours of wading and plunging through the snow 

 along the steep mountain-side brought us to the gap, when 

 to our great surprise, instead of looking down on a large 

 valley far below, in front of us was a short gradual descent of 

 a few yards in the hundred, leading to an undulating table- 

 land. A wide, shallow, broken summit valley, bordered with 

 a rim of peaked ridges, lay immediately before us. The top 

 of the range where we were, instead of being a comb, was 

 miles across. Doubtlessly the peaks showing on the opposite 

 side of the table-land were the rim rocks of the range on 

 that side, and through one of the openings between them 

 ran the head of the passage leading down to the San Luis 

 Valley. 



" The view we gazed on was dreary, lonely, and forlorn as 

 the eye of man had ever seen. 



" There were a few groves and fringes of stunted and 



