tlement,--for the house in question was in no other way
fortified against them. Perhaps its obscure and retired situation
contributed to its security.

It stood somewhat off the road, not near the stream, but back under the
shadow of the bluff; in fact, almost built against the cliff.

It was but a poor rancho, like all the others in the valley, and,
indeed, throughout most parts of Mexico, built of large blocks of mud,
squared in a mould and sun-dried. Many of the better class of such
buildings showed white fronts, because near at hand gypsum was to be had
for the digging. Some of greater pretension had windows that looked as
though they were glazed. So they were, but not with glass. The shining
plates that resembled it were but _laminae_ of the aforesaid gypsum,
which is used for that purpose in several districts of New Mexico.

The rancho in question was ornamented neither with wash nor windows. It
stood under the cliff, its brown mud walls scarce contrasting with the
colour of the rock; and, instead of windows, a pair of dark holes, with
a few wooden bars across them, gave light to the interior.

This light, however, was only a supplement to that which entered by the
door, habitually kept open.

The front of the house was hardly visible from the valley road. A
traveller would never have noticed it, and even the keen eye of an
Indian might have failed to discover it. The singular fence that
surrounded it hid it from view,--singular to the eye of one unaccustomed
to the vegetation of this far land, it was a fence of columnar cacti.
The plants that formed it were regular fluted columns, six inches thick
and from six to ten feet high. They stood side by side like pickets in
a stockade, so close together that the eye could scarce see through the
interstices, still further closed by the thick beard of thorns. Near
their tops in the season these vegetable columns became loaded with
beautiful wax-like flowers, which disappeared only to give way to bright
and luscious fruits. It was only after passing through the opening in
this fence that the little rancho could be seen; and although its walls
were rude, the sweet little flower-garden that bloomed within the
enclosure told that the hand of care was not absent.

Beyond the cactus-fence, and built against the cliff, was another
enclosure--a mere wall of _adobe_ of no great height. This was a
"corral" where cattle were kept, and at one corner was a sort of she