" OCCASIONALLY WE WOULD MEET A YAQUI INDIAN." 



and then settle down to a sort of " cussin' 

 silence." 



Occasionally we would meet a Yaqui 

 Indian, or a Mexican driving a pair of pack 

 burros, or a burro pack-train, loaded down 

 with salt or other merchandise, on its way 

 to the mines. In passing these pack-trains, 

 all we could see, in the great cloud of dust 

 that surrounded them, was the faint out- 

 lines of the little animals patiently plodding 

 along. We could hear the patter of the 

 many hoofs and occasionally the tinkle of 

 the bells which hung about the necks of the 

 leaders, and above all the voices of the 

 burrerros, or drivers, as they ran among the 

 animals, distributing blows right and left 

 and yelling like so many fiends. 



About 2 o'clock we pulled up to one side 

 of the trail, dismounted and unsaddled the 

 ponies, allowing them to seek the shade of 

 a small mesquite tree; while Carl and I, 

 after smoking a cigarro or 2, went to sleep 

 in spite of the heat and flies. Our nap was 

 but a short one; still the animal's backs 

 had cooled off, and so, resaddling, we 

 struck into the trail once more. 



About us the chaparral and cactus were 

 covered with dust kicked up by the many 

 passing hoofs, and far away on all sides the 

 mountains were faintly discernible, their 

 purple outlines softly blending with the in- 

 tense blue sky. Everything seemed to 

 quiver in the heat, and the handle of my 

 6-shooter was so hot it burned my hand. 



A mile or so ahead we could see evi- 



dences of the ubiquitous pack-train, ap- 

 parently an unusually large one. Gradually 

 we neared it, and. in passing, drew off to 

 one side to avoid the dust. When amid the 

 confusion a slight opportunity offered, I 

 called to the capitan, one Jose Valdez, and 

 asked if his outfit were going to Las 

 Cruces. " Si senor," he answered. " And 

 when do you expect to get there, to-day or 

 to-morrow? " " Lo mas pronto que posible " 

 (as soon as possible) was the reply, at the 

 same time taking out a package of cigarros 

 and passing it to us. Lighting one with a 

 " media," ignited with flint and steel, we re- 

 sumed conversation, which touched on 

 the heat, the drought, on rumors of raiding 

 Apaches and numerous other things. I 

 interpreted the gist of it into English, for 

 Carl's benefit. 



Presently, looking up, Jose realized that 

 his charge was gradually dwindling to a 

 speck in the distance, so, saying a hurried 

 " Adios senores" he dug his spurs into his 

 horse's flanks and tore away, while we fol- 

 lowed more leisurely. Nevertheless before 

 long be were close on the heels of the out- 

 fit. 



" Confound the dust," Carl said, " lets 

 get out of this," and, suiting the action to 

 the word, spurred his pony forward at a 

 lope, while I followed. We had gone but 

 a few rods when I thought I heard a child's 

 voice, as if in pain, and reining in. I called 

 to Carl to pull up. Riding into the cloud 

 of dust, from whence came cries of " per- 



437 



