One is most impressed, perhaps, by the infinite vastness of the landscape, and especially at eventide 



When the dinner hour found us far from 

 the store we often went to some near-by 

 hogan, and joining the circle around the 

 sagebrush, fire invited ourselves to dine with 

 the family. Usually the dinner was of mut- 

 ton, broiled over the coals on a gridiron im- 

 provised from pieces of heavy wire; ears of 

 green corn roasted before the fire, and a 

 kind of ash-cake made from corn ground 

 with stones into a coarse meal, mixed with 

 water and salt, wrapped in green husks 

 and cooked in the ashes. Often the Indians 

 were like a group of children ; jokes passed 

 back and forth and every one laughed — be- 

 tween mouthfuls. Some merriment over a 

 remark that seemed to have concerned me 

 led me to ask for a translation : "The woman 

 says that one of the dogs has been carrying 

 that stick you are using as a fork around in 

 his mouth." There was a single knife, and a 

 family spoon did stirring duty in many cups; 



but the forks, being fingers, were individual. 

 An Indian seated opposite me, with grave 

 expression and dignified demeanor, seemed 

 like a character from one of Cooper's tales. 

 I looked for the passing of a pipe of peace 

 and an Indian oration, but when this noble 

 red man lifted his hand it was to reach for- 

 ward and tickle with a feather one of the 

 children. He then quickly resumed his 

 former attitude and assumed an expression 

 of outraged innocence when accused by the 

 tickled child. 



Attempts to straighten out relationships 

 often disclosed two sets of children in one 

 family, with two mothers living and present 

 on mutually cordial terms with everybody, 

 which commonly suggested to us the pro- 

 priety of a change of topics. 



It may be appetite and environment alone 

 that gave flavor to the mutton of the Arizona 

 plains and sweetness to the Indians' corn, 



