t by which we had ascended; and we descended it joyfully
at a swinging trot, with a new life in us that made us break out into
lively talk and laughter that set the echoes to ringing. And presently,
in a very jerky fashion because of his rapid motion, Pablo piped away on
his mouth-organ with "Yankee Doodle"--and this was the first time that
he had had the heart to play upon his beloved "instrumentito" since our
passage of the lake beneath which lay the city of the dead.

In an hour we came fairly down into that bright and lovely valley, where
was the sweet sound of birds calling to each other, and the glad sight
of these live creatures flying through the air. As for the sheep that
Rayburn had killed, he was knocked pretty well into a jelly by his
half-mile or so of tumble down the mountain-side. But we were not
disposed to be over-fastidious, and we quickly had his ribs roasting
over a brisk fire: that yet was not so brisk as was our hunger, for we
began to eat before the meat was much more than warmed through. When our
ravening appetite was appeased a little, Young got out the coffee-pot
and set to making coffee. And then, with meat well cooked and coffee in
abundance, we made such a meal as can be made only by half-starved men
who suddenly have come forth from the dark shadows of threatening death
into the glad sunshine of safety. Of what further perils might be in
store for us we neither cared nor thought. Our one strong feeling was
the purely animal joy bred of deliverance from gloom and danger, and the
packing of our bellies with hearty food.

When, at last, our huge meal was ended, we settled back upon our
blankets, and fell to smoking. Presently Rayburn gave a prodigious yawn
and laid aside his pipe. "I think I'll take a nap," he said. I saw that
Young already was nodding and that Pablo had sunk down into slumber;
while El Sabio, who had come even closer to starving than we had come,
most thankfully rummaged among the rich grass. My eyes were heavy, and I
stretched myself out on my blankets, with the warm sunshine comforting
my stiffened body, and presently sunk softly into delicious sleep.

I partly woke a few minutes later, as Fray Antonio rose, thinking that
we all were lost in slumber, and walked a little apart from us. He alone
had made a meal in reasonable moderation, and I saw now that he had gone
aside to pray. For a moment the thought stirred in me that I would join
him in what I knew was his thanksgivi