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Show A STARTLING INTERVIEW. 311 Thence, on the afternoon of the 6th, I rode eighteen miles nearly straight west to the first water, and encamped for the night in a rich bunch- grass pasture, dotted with scrubby pines. After bread and tea, I hoppled my horse and slept till Hear daylight, then took a hasty breakfast and canteen of water and was oif for Navajo Wells, thirty miles ahead, and the first place where water could be had. I traveled along the original Navajo trail from the Rio Grande to Southern Ne-vada ; and early in the day commenced the ascent of the Buckskin, a low range of partially- wooded hills, putting out across the plateau nearly to the Colorado. All over this I found good blue- grass, which is very rare every- where in the Rocky Mountains. The grass on the plains here consists of two species of bunch- grass the common yel-low and the white- topped varieties. But neither forms a sod or sward, or gives more than a faint tinge of green to the landscape. My general direction for the day was north- west, working toward the Utah line, though the road at times wound about to every point. West of the Buckskin was a singular flood plain some six miles wide, with rich soil, but no moisture, and nearly destitute of grass. I had trav-eled till 3 P. M., looking closely for Navajo Wells for the last few miles, when I emerged from a rocky ridge scantily clothed with pifions, upon another flood plain, and was at once aware that I had missed the Wells. But soon an Indian overtook me, whom I hailed with " Toh, agua, water!" using the three languages spoken in this re-gion ; but he understood neither. Then I had recourse to pantomime, when he rejoined, " Pah to wicki- up" and directed me to follow. Two miles back and half a mile from the trail was the water- hole, and near by the camp of his tribe, a horribly filthy and repulsive gang of some forty savages. A hole in the sand contained the only water, which was lukewarm, slimy and full of nasty black creatures ; but it was that or nothing, and my horse drank it under protest. For his court-esy I divided my stock of meat and cheese with the chief, who be-came very communicative, preferred a request for tobacco, suggested in pantomime that I camp there for the night, and asked how long since I left the Navajoes. They had at first sight recognized my rig as Navajo, for every tribe in the mountains knows the handi\ vork of every other. The degraded natives of this region are known as the Pi- Utes, the Pi- Edes and the Lee- Biches, and are the very lowest of the race. In summer they fare sumptuously on piflon nuts, roots, grass- seeds and white sage ; but in winter they are reduced to bugs, li/ arcls, grubs and ground- mice, occasionally assisted by donations from the settlements, or the flesh of such Mormon stock as die of |
