The Moquis

Colonel James Stevcnson, of the Bureau of Ethnology, has returned to Wasliington after :i sojourn of about six montbs among the Indians of Arizona, bringing a car-load of raro and vuluable curios, illustrative of the social habita, worahip and industries of varióos tribes of which little is known. He was aceompanied in liis travel by Mrs. Stevcnson, and the pair had an adventuro among the Pueblo Indians quito unusual in its charaeter. Having cxplored some newly-discovered caTe villages in the vicinity of FlagstatT, Arizona, tliey gathered a smal] party and struck across the desert to tho northoast for the Moqnl towns, several days' jourucy distant. They arrived safely, and encamped at the toot of a high mesa, upon the top of which stands Oreibe, the largest, westernmost and least known of all tho "Pueblo" towns. lts population is aboul eight hundred and tifty souls, and the vïllage 8 a compact niass of rubble strnctures, standing oHe upon another, a pile of einptv boxea, and with as little regard lo anv general plan of architecture. The people, liko all villago Indians, are comparatively harmless, but, unlike the majority, have a strong aversión to contact with the whites. Some oí the leading men of the town eau i. ¦ down to the camp and, after considerable palaver. gave consent that tlieir village mighl 5e visited, but stipm lateil that no eft'ort should be made to eonvert the people to ( 'hristianity. The next day Mr. and Mrs. Stevenson, aecompanied by their f our friendly Moquis from other villages and as many Navajoes, rode to the top of the mesa, disniounted, walked into the village plaza, and thence elimbed a ladder to the top of the cocique's, or high priest's house. When the presence of the strangers becanie known thero were signa pi excíteme nt throughout the village. Tke neighboring liousetops and the plaza were thronged by excitod barbarians, who chattcd in loud voices and made threatening gestures. One bnrly savag apon a roof Just above the cocique s dangled a lariat suggestively noosed at the end, and loudly demanded that the whites be taken to the estufa, or underground chapel of the village, and there summarily dealt with. One or two demonstrative individuáis volunteered to be the first to apply tho knife. The friendly Moquis stood their ground only a few minutes, and then disappeared, but tho Navajoes, who are made of firmer material, temaincd. Colonel Stevenson says that while the situation was highly interesting, it was probably less alarming than it would bare been to people unacquainted with the natural timidity of the Pueblos. Mrs. Stevenson, who has sojourned with her husband among many wild tribes, and knows tho Indian eharaeter well, created au opportune diversión by shaking her fist in the face of t, hunch-backed savage, whose vindictive eloqnemoe saemed to exert a most mischievous inñuence over his fellows, addressing to him at the same time several brief but vigorous remarks in English and SpamSB, which he was, of course, quite unable to understand. Before the man had recovered his selfposMWion the strangera had baoked down the ladder, and thenslowly made their wav, with the u hole howliu pack, men and wonien, i-hildreii and dogs, ál their heels, to their ponies, mounted and rode down to camp. They found the cook, wlio was the only other white person in the party, congiderably alarmed. He said the camp was surrounded soon after their departure by many friendly Indians, but when the Uoqui deserters reached them and told the story of the proceedings on the mesa all mounted their ponies and made haste to get away. The cook feared his companions had boeu made prisoners - perhaps murdered. The party remained in the neighborhood several days, visiting the other Moqui villages, to all of which they were welcomed, and many times they wero visited surreptitiously at night by people from Oreibe, whobrought curio for salo, which they dared not offer openly. In this way a fair collection was made. Meanwhile the story of the episode in Oreibe was carried to Keam's eanyon, twenty-hve miles distant, the proprietor of which, an English ranchman, has lived in the vicinity many years, and by fair dealing, pluek and iirmness has gaineel an extraordinary influence with both Navajoes and Moquis. Mr. Keam at once organized a party of three or four white men, the only ones living within sixty miles, and a dozen or twenty Navajoes for a rescue. The Oreibes received information af his approach, and the hcad men of their tribo incontinently Üed. Keam sent his Navajoes after them, and the two. including the hunchbackod chief, wero brought in. Keam tied their elbows and took themto his ranch fordiscipline, tho Stevensons accompanying him. The prisoners wore defiant at hrst, but after two or three days' continement under the guardianshipof Navajoe jailers.who beat drums, danced and Lndalged in other terrifying performances, they began to relent and confesied that they hail actcd badly. "Now you ara bcginning to talk reason," said Keam, "and we will sec about letting you po soon." "But," snarled tho hunchback, "we must sro now." "HoM on, my friend, you. aro too fast. You will not be so abrupt, porhaps, to-niorrow." After anothcr night's confinement tho prisoners beftfed their libexty and were joined in iiioir prayeis by a dep tation (rom %ha villige. Thaj promaedgood behaviorin the futuro and oxtended an apparently cordial inriution to Üe Stevenaons to return. "Now." isld Eeam, "youare talkinj; likc men. Wc will koop you anotlior nijrht." The noxtdav they were sotat libcrty, and wet away crestf allen and repentant.- Washitujton Oor. X. T. Times. - H is cstiiiKiicil iliat the annual oo1 (aar the pioking alone of the cotton erop of the Southern States is f 40,000,000. The grnined woodwork should be washed with cold tea.