134 CAVE AND CLIFF DWELLERS. 
lying foothills of the mountains, and then 
by mule-back for one hundred or one 
hundred and fifty miles, to the heart of 
the great range. As this was nearly the 
route we wished to pursue, the first two 
days were passed in outfittingand making 
necessary arrangements. When we were 
informed that the diligence left Chihuahua 
at three o’clock in the morning, we were 
convinced that the Mexicans were by no 
means as indolent as they have been 
reported, especially in the matter of early 
rising, or they would not start out a stage 
at such an early hour. The conveyance 
must of necessity be seldom patronized 
by any persons except the natives ; and 
the calling of passengers at that time for 
a seventy-five or eighty mile drive could 
only be accounted for by a morbid desire 
of the people to be up before the early 
