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JUJ ADVENTURE WITH THE INDIANS. 
August 4th and 5th, 1875, 
From My Field notebook 
(JljL. V* ^ A Kj V ' 
August 4th. Moved 14 miles down the San Juan Talley, 
in southwestern Colorado, within a few miles of our western 
line (109° 30* )♦ Passed by the mouth of the Montezuma, a deep 
valley with a dry bed but bordered by many cottonwoods. Met an 
outfit of Indians consisting of four men and five squaws. The 
two younger fellows were impudent, devil-may-care fellows. The 
two older were quieter and more polite. The oldest was a tall, 
slender man of say 50 years with a sober, composed countenance 
and a mouth of un-godly width. He shook hands and called me 
"Ml Amigo"(my friend) said also that they were Navahoes. They 
drove some 20 or 30 sheep and goats and indicated that their 
"wickiup" would be made at the Junction of Montezuma and the 
San Juan. One of the Indians who rode by my side asked to 
see my rifle, which, as usual, was slung across the fron^b of 
my saddle, but I declined the favor as it might have been a 
difficult matter to recover it in case he should be triclcy. 
My outfit soon came up and I took them to camp four miles be¬ 
low the mouth of the Montezuma. Chittenden ( George B), 
topographer, had crossed at the wagon trail ford and was making 
a station south of San Juan river. The Indians advised him 
to "piqua" (get out) up the river, but Chittenden didn't "pike". 
The night following was destined to be one of unusual excitement 
