Arizona Sketches | Page 8

great demand as food by the
Indians. The spot was evidently an old rendezvous where the
marauding Apaches were accustomed to meet in council to plan their
bloody raids, and to feast on mescal and pinole in honor of some
successful foray or victory over an enemy.
We next crossed several well-worn Indian trails which the Apaches had
made by many years of travel to and fro between their rancherias in the
Mogollon mountains and Mexico. The sight of these trails brought us
back to real life and a conscious sense of danger, for were we not in an

enemy's country and in the midst of hostile Indians? Nearly every mile
of road traveled had been at some time in the past the scene of a bloody
tragedy enacted by a savage foe. Even at that very time the Apaches
were out on the warpath murdering people, but fortunately we did not
meet them and escaped unmolested.
The road now crossed a low hill, which was the signal for more trouble.
The team started bravely up the incline, but soon stopped and then
balked and all urging with whip and voice failed to make any
impression. After several ineffectual attempts to proceed it was decided
not to waste any more time in futile efforts. The horses were unhitched
and the wagon partly unloaded, when all hands by a united pull and
push succeeded in getting the wagon up the hill. After reloading no
difficulty was experienced in making a fresh start on a down grade, but
a little farther on a second and larger hill was encountered, when the
failure to scale its summit was even greater than the first. No amount of
coaxing or urging budged the horses an inch. They simply were
stubborn and would not pull.
Night was approaching and camp was yet some distance ahead. The
driver suggested that the best thing to do under the circumstances was
for the rest of us to take the led horses and ride on to camp, while he
would remain with the wagon and, if necessary, camp out all night. We
reluctantly took his advice, mounted our horses and finished our
journey in the twilight. Aaron, who was housekeeper at the ranch, gave
us a hearty welcome and invited us to sit down to a bountiful supper
which he had prepared in anticipation of our coming. Feeling weary
after our ride we retired early and were soon sound asleep. The only
thing that disturbed our slumbers during the night was a coyote concert
which, as a "concord of sweet sounds was a dismal failure" but as a
medley of discordant sounds was a decided success. The bark of the
coyote is particularly shrill and sharp and a single coyote when in full
cry sounds like a chorus of howling curs.
We were all up and out early the next morning to witness the birth of a
new day. The sunrise was glorious, and bright colors in many hues
flashed across the sky. The valley echoed with the cheerful notes of the
mocking bird and the soft air was filled with the fragrance of wild
flowers. The scene was grandly inspiring and sent a thrill of pleasure
through every nerve.

While thus absorbed by the beauties of nature we heard an halloo, and
looking down the road in the direction of the driver's bivouac we saw
him coming swinging his hat in the air and driving at a rapid pace that
soon brought him to the ranch house. In answer to our inquiries as to
how he had spent the night he reported that the horses stood quietly in
their tracks all night long, while he slept comfortably in the wagon. In
the morning the horses started without undue urging as if tired of
inaction and glad to go in the direction of provender. They were
completely broken by their fast and after that gave no further trouble.
After a stay of four weeks, learning something of the ways of ranch life
and experiencing not a few exciting adventures, I returned home feeling
well pleased with my first trip to the ranch.

CHAPTER III
THE OPEN RANGE
Arizona is in the arid belt and well adapted to the range cattle industry.
Its mild climate and limited water supply make it the ideal range
country. Indeed, to the single factor of its limited water supply, perhaps,
more than anything else is its value due as an open range. If water was
abundant there could be no open range as then the land would all be
farmed and fenced.
Arizona is sometimes spoken of as belonging to the plains, but it is not
a prairie country. Mountains are everywhere, but are separated in many
places by wide valleys. The mountains not only make