AN EXPLOIT. 



401 



From the top of the great teocalis we had our 

 first glimpses of these edifices. Following the cam- 

 ino real lo a point about in a range with the tri- 

 umphal arch, there is a narrow path which leads to 

 two buildings enclosed by a fence for a milpa. 

 They are small, and but little ornamented. They 

 stand at right angles to each other, and in front of 

 them is a patio, in which is a large broken orifice, 

 like the mouth of a cave, with a tree growing near 

 the edge of it. My first visit to this place was 

 marked by a brilliant exploit on the part of my 

 horse. On dismounting, Mr. Catherwood found 

 shade for his horse, Doctor Cabot got his into one 

 of the buildings, and I tied mine to this tree, giving 

 him fifteen or twenty feet of halter as a range for 

 pasture. Here we left them, but on our return in 

 the evening my horse was missing, and, as we sup- 

 posed, stolen ; but before we reached tlie tree I saw 

 the halter still attached to it, and knew that an In- 

 dian would be much more likely to steal the halter 

 and leave the horse than vice versa. The halter 

 was drawn down into the mouth of the cave, and 

 looking over the edge, I saw the horse hanging at 

 the other end, with just rope enough, by stretching 

 his head and neck, to keep a foothold at one side 

 of the cave. One of his sides was scratched and 

 grimed with dirt, and it seemed as if every bone in 

 his body must be broken, but on getting him out we 

 found that, except some scarifications of the skin, he 

 was not at all hurt ; in fact, he was quite the reverse, 



Vol. I.— E e e 



