CHAPTER IX 



NEAR THE TWIN VOLCANOS 



NE day we reluctantly broke camp and 

 packed over the trail, with mules and 

 horses as before. Mile after mile we went, 

 now galloping across a level jjlain, now 

 plungnig deep down into a tropical harranca. At high 

 noon we reached our objective j^oint — the great 

 Barranca Vueltran, and across its wide chasm the fire 

 volcano loomed near and grand. But Vueltran proved 

 narrow at the bottom, with most precipitous sides — 

 not a good place to walk and Avatcli for animals and 

 birds, so after a lunch of chicken and eggs, to obtain 

 which we searched for the ego-s and killed the chicken, 

 we remounted and turned back upon the trail. 



The sun sank lower and lower, the night loomed 

 black ahead of us, but we rode on and on into a wild 

 and unknown country, overlooked always by the two 

 volcanos of snow and fire. And still we found no j^lace 

 suitable for camping. We Avere lost, and found our 

 path by hardest search, wath only the pale moonlight 

 to guide us. Mexicans — some of whom appeared too 

 much interested in our luggage — passed lis AA'ith drawl- 

 ing ^'Buenas noches, Senores." Weird forms scurried 



'4 170 ^ 



