ass of plant few can have ever looked on before. The prickly pear
"nopal" was the most common, and bore delicious, juicy and refreshing
fruit. Indeed, being out of water and short of "chuck," we were glad to
accept Nature's offering, but at a dreadful cost, for in a little while
our mouths and tongues were a mass of tiny, almost invisible spines,
which the most careful manipulation of the fruit could not prevent. But
the most astonishing of these growths was the pitahaya (correct name
saguarro), or gigantic columnar cactus, growing to a height of thirty to
fifty feet, bearing the fruit on their crowns; a favourite fruit of the
Pima Indians, though by what means they pluck it it would be interesting
to know. Besides an infinite variety of others of the cactus family,
there were yuccas, agaves and larreas; the fouquiera and koberlinia,
long and thorny leafless rods; artemisias and the algarrobbas or
mesquite bean-trees, another principal food of the Indians and valuable
for cattle and horses. The yucca when in full bloom, its gigantic
panicles bearing a profusion of large white bells, is one of Nature's
most enchanting sights. Besides all these were massive biznagas, cholas,
bear-grass or palmilla, and the mescal, supplying the principal
vegetable food of the Apaches. Never in Texas, Arizona, or even Old
Mexico, have I seen such a combination of varieties of such plants
growing in such profusion and perfection; but being no botanist, and
quite incompetent to give a proper appreciation of these wonders, we
will return to the trail.

At one place, hidden in a canon, we ran on to a stone-built and
fortified butchering establishment, but without sign of life around.
Continuing, we finally came to Clifton, the copper-mining town, then
perhaps the "hardest" town in Arizona. The townspeople appeared pleased
to see us. Martial law was prevailing, and they seemed to think we were
a posse deputized to assist in restoring order. Anyway, the sheriff
informed us that nearly thirty men had left the town that day for their
camp, a fortified position some ten or fifteen miles away. They were all
rustlers, and somehow or other had heard of our coming. Mr Sheriff was
also kind enough to advise us that we were not nearly strong enough to
tackle them; so adopting his advice, after securing supplies, we rode
off, and by travelling all night and working round avoided the enemy's
"position." Next day we unexpectedly ran on to a large bunch of ou