^68 IN THE OLD WEST 



ficient to prevent speedy traveling; and the moun- 

 taineers, desirous of improving the pace, resolved 

 to pursue a course more easterly, and to endeavor 

 to strike the great Spanish Trail, which is the 

 route followed by the New Mexicans in their jour- 

 neys to and from the towns of Puebla de los An- 

 geles and Santa Fe. This road, however, crosses 

 a long stretch of desert country, destitute alike 

 of grass and water, save at a few points, the 

 regular halting-places of the caravans ; and as 

 but little pasture is to be found at these places at 

 any time, there was great reason to fear, if the 

 Santa Fe traders had passed this season, that 

 there would not be sufficient grass to support the 

 numerous cavallada, after the herbage had been 

 laid under contribution by the traders' animals. 

 However, a great saving of time would be effected 

 by taking this trail, although it wound a consider- 

 able distance out of the way to avoid the impass- 

 able chain of the Sierra Nevada — the gap in 

 those mountains through which the Americans had 

 come being far to the northward, and at this late 

 ^season probably obstructed by the snow. 



Urged by threats and bribes, one of the Indians 

 agreed to guide the cavallada to the trail, which 

 he declared was not more than five days distant. 

 As they advanced, the country became wilder and 

 more sterile, — the valleys through which several 

 small streams coursed alone being capable of sup- 

 porting so large a number of animals. No time 



