192 NEW TEACKS IN NOETH AMEEICA. 



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to let tlie fire "bum out in tlie estufa^ for Avhen tlic time camc^ 

 in Avhich tlie tree should fall, men witli pale faces would ])o\iy 

 into the land from the east and overthrow their oppressors, 

 and he himself would retm^n to build up his kingdom ; tlie 

 earth would again become fertile, and the mountains yield 

 ahundance of silver and gold. Then Montezuma departed 

 and travelled southward, spreading pueblos far and wide, 

 until he reached the city of Mexico, where he lived untd the 

 enemy, in the form of tlie Spaniards, arrived, when he dis- 

 appeared." The Puehlo Indians say that Montezuma's pro- 

 phecy has been literally fulfilled. Soon after Montezimia 

 returned to the Great Spirit, the enemy, in the form of Spaniards, 

 came, conquered, and enslaved them. Although they coidd 

 not shake off the oppressors, still they kept the holy fii-e 

 burning, and tried to dvrell in peace with all men.* The^ 

 Spaniards added many "buildings to the town, and lived there 

 Rmonf]rst them imtil ahout the middle of the last century 



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when the wild Indians of the mountains attacked and desolated 



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Pecos, driving away and murdering its inhabitants. Never- 

 theless, amidst the havoc and plimder of- the place, a faithful 

 few amongst the Indians managed to keep the fire burning in 

 the estufa, until at last the deliverers with ' ' pale faces poiu'cd 

 in from the east," and the tree at Pecos fell to the ground as 

 the American army entered Santa Pe. Then the little rem- 

 nant of the tribe, which in 1808 only numbered 135 souls, 

 left the ruined fortress and brought the sacred fire with them 

 to the pueblo of Jemez, to which place their companions had 

 migrated years before. Here they were kindly received by 

 the Indians of that pueblo, who helped them to build aceqmas 



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A Mr. Vaughan, wto lived near Pecos, at Tagique, for twenty years before ^ 

 the Americang entered the country, told Lieutenant Abbot that he had seen 

 the sacred fire," — Senate docnment, No. 41. Appendix yi, 



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