164 CAVE AND CLIFF DWELLERS. 
town where food could be bought, it was 
necessary to open our boxes before our 
dinner could be prepared. Wood and 
water were soon brought, a fire started 
in the fireplace, and our simple meal 
could have been ready in fifteen minutes 
—and would have been anywhere-except 
under the auspices of our Mexican cook. 
We tried to secure chickens and eggs— 
staple articles even on the frontier of 
Mexico—but were told that time would 
be required to get them, and that the 
next day would be the earliest moment 
at which they could be procured. Tor¬ 
tillas, however, were forthcoming, and 
these, with bacon, hard bread, cheese, 
and tea, made an excellent meal. Dio- 
nisio, or Dionysius in English, my cook, 
had been highly recommended to me at 
Chihuahua, and had been brought with 
