fires, you bet."

They also bought a couple of rough blankets each, a spare shirt, and two
or three pairs of stockings, a couple of long bowie knives, and two
broad-brimmed felt hats.




Chapter V.--The Search For The Canyon.


Ten days later the party took passage in a large boat going up the river
to Santa Fé. It had come down freighted with hides, and the odor still
hung about it. However, by this time they had become accustomed to the
smell, and scarcely noticed it. The boat was manned by six Mexicans, who
sometimes poled it along, sometimes, when the stream was rapid, got
ashore and towed from the bank.

It took them six days to arrive at Santa Fé. Although just inside the
United States frontier, the population was almost entirely Mexican.
There were, however, a few American stores, containing European goods of
all kinds, for the use of the natives, and such articles as miners or
prospectors going up among the hills would require. Here they had no
difficulty in purchasing horses. Five rough, serviceable ponies for the
carriage of the baggage were picked up at twenty dollars a piece, and
five well-made and wiry horses for their own riding. Mexican saddles,
with very high pommels and cantles, heavy and cumbersome to look at, but
very comfortable for long distances, were also obtained without
difficulty. At the stores were bought two sacks of flour and two sides