CHAPTER XVIII.
THE STRANGE HABITATIONS OF THE ZUNIS.
Both of the others of course heard all that Donald said. Adrian onlysmiled, and nodded his head, as though the idea rather took his fancy;but Billie put up his broad shoulders in a way he often did when in soredoubt.
If his two chums made up their minds to try and invade the secretquarters of that hideous old medicine man, in the heart of the SacredMountain, why, Billie realized that he would have to accompany them.This would not be because they insisted on it, but on account of hisnever being of a mind to find himself left out, when an enterprise wasplanned, as though he might not be equal to the strain, for Billie wasvery touchy, and proud, for a good-natured boy.
This being the case he shuddered to imagine himself dangling at the endof a rope, far down the face of that sheer hundred and more foot cliff,with a drop beneath, in case the rope slipped, or broke, sufficient toinsure a smash that was going to end his pilgrimage in this world.
But then Billie had learned that it was folly to cross a bridge beforeone came to it. While his comrades might lay great plans, there wasalways a chance that something would happen, making it impossible to tryand carry the same out.
What was the use in borrowing trouble, anyway? To-morrow had not come,and wasn't his good mother always telling him that old maxim "sufficientunto the day is the evil thereof?"
So Billie concluded he would live in the present, and let the futuretake care of itself.
They were heading for the queer Zuni village right now, and before longhe expected to get busy with his camera, taking all sorts ofentertaining snapshots that later on must astonish and delight hosts offriends in the faraway East, after he returned home.
That they were now drawing very close to the Zuni settlement all of themknew to a certainty. Plenty of signs pointed that way--they could hearloud voices, and the laughter of children, just as though they might beapproaching a village of white people; for after all, children do notdiffer very much, whether they be white, black, copper-colored oryellow; it is only when they grow older and copy the characteristics oftheir parents that they change, and follow the groove of their species.
"I can see the cliff, all right!" announced Billie, in some littleexcitement, as he stretched his fat neck to a dangerous degree,"rubbering," as he himself described it.
"Yes," said Adrian, "that's the top row of homes we see yonder; and ifthings are anything like I expect, from what I've heard we'll find adozen other rows of holes in the rock most all the way down the cliff."
"But not near the bottom," corrected Donald; "because, you see, the onlyobject that ever made these people, away back many hundreds of yearsago, build their homes in this way was to feel free from their enemies,whoever they might be; and so far as I've been able to find out, nobodyreally knows who they were afraid of."
"P'raps the Injuns got on the warpath every little while; and made araid, looking for scalps and plunder?" suggested Billie, quickly.
"You might think so," Adrian told him; "but it's been agreed on thatwhen these same old cliff-dwellers held out in these valleys, makingtheir homes high up in the air, and digging them out of the solid rockin certain places where it was easy to do the job, why, there were noIndians. That was long before the time of the red man, as we know him inhistory. So there you are, Billie."
"All of which is true," added Donald; "so think it over, Billie, andsome time let us know what sort of an explanation you get to. Look,there are several more lines of holes in the rock, and you can see themany crazy ladders that lead up and down, like the lines of a puzzle."
"Sure thing," declared Billie, excitedly, "and there are some peopleclimbing and coming down right along. Hurry up there, Jupiter, and quityour poking. I'm all of a quiver to get right in, and see these sightsat close range. Oh! mebbe it ain't going to be in clover for me, withthis jolly little kodak of mine. Won't I be able to snap off some of thefunniest pictures you ever saw, with fat squaws and papooses ahanging tothem ladders in all sorts of ridiculous positions? Well, let me tell youbefore we go any further, boys, I'm real glad I came."
"In spite of the scare you had when you fell into that rattlesnake den,eh, Billie?" ventured Adrian.
"And no matter if you did get lost on the desert, while a nasty sandstorm was raging?" added Donald, mischievously.
"With the wolves keeping you awake all night in the bargain; can you saythat, remembering all these things that have happened, Billie?" Adrianconcluded.
The fat boy placed one hand in the region of his heart.
"Really and truly I'm glad right now," he went on, "and I'll be a dozentimes more so before long, I'm thinking. All the things you mentionbelong to past history; and what's the use crying over spilt milk?"
"Hurrah for you, Billie!" cried Adrian.
"Remember what we used to write in our copybooks at school when we werekids," the fat boy went on, seriously; "mebbe I ain't got the words justright, but the sentiment is the same: 'The wheel of the mill ain't everagoing to run again, with the water that is past.' Them's my sentimentsevery time, boys."
"Bully for Willie Winkle!" laughed Donald; "he's better to have alongthan any school teacher that ever lived. But here we are, boys; and nowlook your fill, both of you, because you'll see sights such as fewpeople ever get a chance to set eyes on, let me tell you."
And they did.
They had now turned a bend in the trail, so that the whole Zuni villagewas before them. It was a bustling scene, too, for there were scores ofpersons moving all about on the ground, among the rocks, and in thecentral plaza, where doubtless the ceremonial dances were wont to takeplace from time to time, according to the customs of these strangepeople.
The Zunis are very clannish, and never marry outside of their ownpeople. They believe themselves to be far and above the common herd, andcan look back to a past that antedates the history of all other tribes.Some of those wise men who have tried to study out their traditionsassociate them with the Aztecs or sun worshippers of Mexico; but theyclaim to go back centuries beyond the time of those really modernpeople.
Their dress is as picturesque as their mode of living, so vastlydifferent from that of any Indian tribe in America. They are accustomedto meeting whites, and in reality shrewdly welcome strangers to visittheir village, because they love to shine in the lime-light; and most ofthem are natural-born actors. Besides, they make a great deal of moneyin various ways, such as posing for pictures, selling quaintly wovenbaskets, pottery made after their tribal custom, and all sorts ofsouvenirs such as tourists with fat pocketbooks love to pick up, toprove that they have journeyed to the land of the "original people,"known as the Zunis.
"Why, we ain't the only strangers here, after all!" ejaculated Billie,shortly, as he and his two chums came closer to the scene. "There's abunch of palefaces over yonder atalking to that old squaw, who lookslike she might be a gypsy queen, or some sort of fortune-teller."
"Perhaps she is," laughed Adrian, "because these people have gotten soused to having the whites visit them, especially at this time of year,that they're on to all sorts of schemes to coax the nimble dollar out ofthe pockets of the pilgrims. Am I right there, Pard Donald?"
"You're cleaving close to the line, let me tell you, Chum Adrian; andyou'll find that money talks even among the Zuni and the Hopi Indians,just as it does, they say, over in Switzerland or Italy, where everyblessed person, young and old, has the itching palm as they call it, soyou can't ask a civil question without fishing around in your pocket fora tip. But let's forget all that, now, and mingle with the crowd."
"First of all," suggested Adrian, wisely, "don't you think we'd betterbe making a camp for ourselves? The ponies will have to have water andgrass; and as we've got a tent, it ought to be stuck up somewhere toshow where the Broncho Rider Boys have their headquarters."
"Right you are, Ad; and here comes the very party we had ought to speakto, unless I'm mistaken. Now, it happened that Corse Tibbals was able todo these people a mighty g
ood turn, once upon a time; and he told me ifI mentioned the fact that I was a friend of his, it might make thingspleasant for us; which I expect to spring on this old fellow who's gotour number, and means to find out who we are, and what we want here."
The man who approached them was evidently one of more or less authorityamong the Zunis; for his manner, as well as a difference in his style ofdress, told that he must exercise the authority of a chief.
Billie had been wondering what sort of Choctaw or Greek he was about tohear the Zuni use in addressing them, and how Donald could understandhim. Billie, having once taken a few lessons in the sign language, hadeven been trying to brush up his memory, under the faint impression thathe might have to join in the conversation, and assist his chums, when heheard the other ask in very good English who they were, and why they hadjourneyed hither.
Of course it was only a sort of ceremonious way of introducing himself,because all the palefaces who came to the Zuni country had only oneobject in view, which could be set down as an overwhelming curiosity tosee for themselves these wonderful things of which they had heard orread so much.
Donald gave the name of each of his chums, as well as his own. He toldhow they had been down to the copper mines on business; and finding thatthey would be in time to witness the famous rattlesnake dance, whichonce a year the Zunis indulge in, they had crossed the burning desert ina sand storm to visit their brothers.
And when he mentioned that Corse Tibbals was a very good friend of his,and really in the employ of his father, the sober face of the old Zuniactually lighted up with what seemed to be pleasure.
He and Donald chatted for some little time in an animated way, afterwhich the old chief took himself off, and the boy returned to hisfriends, a satisfied look on his face, that told them things were"panning out" well.