13S Hunting Trip in Old Mexico 



bear; for that, owing to an impression that 

 had been circulated that some bad Indians 

 made their rendezvous there, and that there 

 were no trails into it, few if any ever de- 

 scended its sides. The following morning 

 early, after our successful deer-shoot, we were 

 standing on the rim overlooking the " hole," 

 fully determined upon taking our outfit down 

 into it for a week's hunt. After examining 

 miles of the rim for a starting place, we at 

 length chose a spot which could hardly be called 

 inviting for such a venture, except by contrast 

 with all other parts; and, dismounting, we 

 made a bold start down the almost perpendicu- 

 lar side. Zigzagging backward and forward 

 between the rocks, leading and pulling upon 

 our animals by a long rope attached to their 

 halters, and fully expecting at times, as we 

 looked back at them almost vertically up the 

 rope, to see them come tumbling down on top 

 of us, we were frequently in doubt as to what 

 the end of the journey would be. Finally, 

 after hours of toil, weary and tired but hope- 

 ful throughout, we reached the bottom in 

 safety. For that night we turned the horses 



