ope. To
our right lay the cloud mass, which was all in movement, precipitating
itself down the slope into the profound valley. It was a river of
vapors, more than two miles, perhaps, in width, plunging, perhaps, two
thousand feet into the abyss. Niagara, which I have often seen, is a
pigmy cataract in comparison. The cloud mass tossed and heaved, whirled
and poured in one enormous sheet over the precipice, breaking into spray
as it struck against projecting rock masses. Every movement of whirling
and plunging water was there; the rapid above the fall, the plunge, the
whirlpool, the wild rush of whirlpool rapids, all were there, but all
silent, fearfully and impressively silent. We could have stood there
gazing for hours, but night was coming and a stretch of unknown road
still lay before us. At the other end of the valley, in the dusk of
early evening, we saw a second cataract pouring in. From both ends the
cloud rivers were rushing in to fill the valley, along the edge of which
we crept. And presently we plunged down again into the mists; night
fell; our trail was barely visible, and we had to trust to our horses to
find it; the air was cold and penetrating. Long after dark, we rode into
Juquila.

[Illustration: CLOUD CATARACT; NEAR JUQUILA]

[Illustration: DANCERS IN THE DANZA DE LA CONQUISTA; JUQUILA]

The _cura_ had gone to bed; the _meson_ had no room for us and no food
for our horses; our case seemed desperate. We heard, however, noisy
laughter and the loud voices of men drinking. So I begged Ernst to
seek the _presidente_ and tell him our needs while I looked after the
animals. The official was at the _tienda_, drinking with his friends.
Ernst made known our wishes, producing our letter from the governor. At
this, the _presidente_ became furious: "Who is this with orders from the
governor? Let me kill him," and with that he drew his _machete_ and
made at Ernst. Some of his less-intoxicated friends restrained him, and
Ernst, concluding that the moment was not propitious, returned to me.
After other fruitless efforts to get food for ourselves and animals we
resigned ourselves to our fate, and lay down upon the stone floor of
the corridor outside the _meson_, with a crowd of sleeping indians as
companions.

Very early in the morning, all the town officials, except the
_presidente_, came to apologize for the occurrence of the night. They
announced that the _presidente_, realizing what he had done, had taken
to t