, gathering and rejecting pieces of obsidian that
had probably been gathered and rejected by hundreds of tourists before
us, and we were laughing and having a beautiful time when, for some
reason, I looked back, and down on the point where the road almost
doubles on itself I saw an old wagon with two horses, and standing
by the wagon were two men. They were looking at us, and very soon one
beckoned. I looked all around, thinking that some of their friends must
certainly be near us, but no one was in sight. By that time one man
was waving his hat to us, and then they actually called, "Come on down
here--come down, it is all right!"

Miss Hayes is quite deaf, and I was obliged to go around rocks before
I could get near enough to tell her of the wagon below, and the men not
hear me. She gave the men and wagon an indifferent glance, and then went
on searching for specimens. I was so vexed I could have shaken her. She
will scream over a worm or spider, and almost faint at the sight of a
snake, but those two men, who were apparently real tramps, she did not
mind. The situation was critical, and for just one instant I thought
hard. If we were to go over the small mountain we would probably be
lost, and might encounter all sorts of wild beasts, and if those men
were really vicious they could easily overtake us. Besides, it would
never do to let them suspect that we were afraid. So I decided to go
down--and slowly down I went, almost dragging Miss Hayes with me. She
did not understand my tactics, and I did not stop to explain.

I went right to the men, taking care to get between them and the road
to camp. I asked them if they were in trouble of any kind, and they said
"No." I could hardly control my voice, but it seemed important that I
should give them to understand at once who we were. So I said, "Did
you meet our friends in the army ambulance just down the road?" The two
looked at each other and then one said "Yes!" I continued with, "There
are two very large and heavily loaded army wagons, and a number of
soldiers coming down the other road that should be here right now." They
smiled again, and said something to each other, but I interrupted with,
"I do not see how those big wagons and four mules can pass you here, and
it seems to me you had better get out of their way, for soldiers can be
awfully cross if things are not just to suit them."

Well, those two men got in the old wagon without saying one word and
started on, a