294 
FROM ARISPE BACK TO 
We passed many wild cattle to-day. In one place 
a large bull was seen mired by his hind legs, which 
were sunk deep in the mud, while his free legs were 
on hard ground. The poor creature had evidently 
been in this situation several days; and the crows, 
buzzards, and wolves had already marked him as their 
prey. As we approached him the wolves scampered 
off. The buzzards had actually commenced work on 
his flanks, which they had dreadfully lacerated, so that 
the blood was trickling down his haunches. To end 
the misery of the suffering animal, a ball was put 
through his heart by one of the party. About half 
the night was spent in getting our new vehicle ready. 
June 12th. Got an early start, and retracing our 
steps up the valley of the Agua Prieta, reached that 
spring, ten miles distant, at eight o’clock, where we 
stopped to water. Found a wild bull here, which 
appeared to have been wounded in his hind quarters. 
He seemed quite disposed to give us battle ; and fear- 
ing he might charge upon the train, and stampede the 
mules, I thought it the wisest course to give him 
room. Soon after, we struck Cooke’s California 
road, which presented a striking contrast with the 
rough and trackless region we had been traversing 
for more than a hundred miles. It was here perfectly 
smooth ; and from our late gait of a slow walk, we 
were enabled to move off on a trot, thus reaching San 
Bernardino at two o’clock, four and a half hours from 
Agua Prieta. 
June 13th. Starting fresh, we hastened over the 
plateau, and soon entered the canon in the Guadalupe 
Pass, which had so charmed us by its luxuriant vege- 
