Chap. VII. . SIXGULAK HOSPITALITY. 297 
of the Jura formation, which separates the Pecos from the 
Rio Grande. The road from Anton Chico to Albuquerque, 
by Galisteo, leads through it ; and we took this road with 
the intention of turning, after a time, on to the plateau in 
a southerly direction. The valley forms an open forest of 
pines and juniper-trees, between sandstone rocks. We 
were obliged to encamp here for the night, unable to find 
water for our animals ; even the quantity reserved for 
ourselves only sufficed to cook our coffee. 
From Anton Chico a man had followed us on foot, who 
now approached our camp-fires and begged permission to 
pass the night under our protection, being afraid of lighting 
a fire for himself alone in the wilderness. The night was 
very cold, and this fellow had scarcely sufficient clothing to 
cover himself. Objections were raised in our camp against 
admitting this stranger : he might be associated with some 
band of robbers, and engaged in plundering our caravan, or, 
at all events, he might run off in the night with one of our 
animals. In order, therefore, to afford protection to this 
man, and guard at the same time our own safety, we 
required that he should let himself be tied to a waggon- 
wheel for the night : to this he assented. Our Mexicans 
brought a cord, and, with all kinds of good humoured ban- 
tering, they tied their countryman fast. The prisoner was 
of course allowed all sufficient comforts for his night's rest. 
They prepared him a warm bed close to the wheel, brought 
him tortillas, frijoles, and coffee, wrapped him in a blanket, 
and then left him till the morning, when he was released. 
Whatever the man may have thought of this hospitalitv, 
he did not show himself again the following day, and our 
generosity was not appealed^ to a second time. We halted 
the next night on a prairie, with juniper-trees growing here 
and there. As I was standing in the moonlight guarding 
