. The trail looks very steep. I'm sure you
will need to be relieved occasionally."
They started accordingly and Helen laughingly complimented her cavaliers
as they picked up the cot and after several trials discovered the most
effective way of handling it.
The trail was bounded on one side by the Oraibi cemetery. The recent
rains had washed some of the bodies out of their graves made in the
loose gravel of the steep hill. The trail wound up sharply, disclosing
at every turn some new marvel of the limitless expanse below. A Hopi
came out on a ledge far above them and chanted his song to the sun.
Every step brought the party nearer the queer built houses and the kivas
with their projecting ladders. Other visitors and tourists were on the
trail in front and the progress was slow. Several stops were made and
changes occurred in the order of carriers, but when the top of the rock
was reached, Masters, who with Mrs. Masters and Miss Gray were close
behind the litter, suddenly exclaimed, "There is Talavenka!" pointing to
the roof of the first house fronting the trail. A Hopi maiden,
distinguished by her whorl of hair as unmarried, stood up by the ladder,
smiling down at the party.
Mrs. Douglas, who was walking with Mrs. Masters and who had during the
trip heard of this one Christian Hopi, went over to the foot of the
ladder with her. Paul, who was tremendously interested in all sorts of
Indian lore, went into the house to examine some wedding baskets. The
two Pittsburgh young men suddenly found themselves surrounded with an
Indian group selling curios, Walter sauntered over in the direction of
Miss Gray to ask her about the kivas. Felix stayed jealously for a while
by Helen who was simply carried away with the wonderful sights all about
her, but looking over in Mrs. Douglas's direction and seeing her for a
moment alone, thought his opportunity to speak to her ought to be seized
at once, and went over towards her. And so it happened naturally enough
that for a moment Helen and Van Shaw were left together. The crowd of
tourists, curious, chattering, laughing, careless, flowed up the trail
past them and began scattering over the village seeking curios and
poking their heads into the doors of the little houses. The sun flamed
out in a clear blue sky, the grey rock turned red under its hot stroke,
and Helen, who lay restfully on her litter which had been placed on top
of one of the kivas, indulged her romance loving spirit to
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