closet door to take out some dish, when clatter! bang! down fell the
bread-pan, and a shower of other tin ware, and before I could fairly get
my breath, out jumped two young squaws and without deigning to glance
at me they darted across the kitchen and leaped out the window like two
frightened fawn.

They had on nothing but their birthday clothes and as I was somewhat
startled at the sight of them, I stood transfixed, my eyes gazing at the
open space through which they had flown.

Charley, the Indian, was in the corral, filling the ollas, and, hearing
the commotion, came in and saw just the disappearing heels of the two
squaws.

I said, very sternly: "Charley, how came those squaws in my closet?" He
looked very much ashamed and said: "Oh, me tell you: bad man go to kill
'em; I hide 'em."

"Well," said I, "do not hide any more girls in this casa! You savez
that?"

He bowed his head in acquiescence.

I afterwards learned that one of the girls was his sister.

The weather was now fairly comfortable, and in the evenings we sat under
the ramada, in front of the house, and watched the beautiful pink
glow which spread over the entire heavens and illuminated the distant
mountains of Lower California. I have never seen anything like that
wonderful color, which spread itself over sky, river and desert. For an
hour, one could have believed oneself in a magician's realm.

At about this time, the sad-eyed Patrocina found it expedient to
withdraw into the green valleys of Lower California, to recuperate for a
few months. With the impish Jesusita in her arms, she bade me a mournful
good-bye. Worthless as she was from the standpoint of civilized morals,
I was attached to her and felt sorry to part with her.

Then I took a Mexican woman from Chihuahua. Now the Chihuahuans hold
their heads high, and it was rather with awe that I greeted the tall
middle-aged Chihuahuan lady who came to be our little son's nurse. Her
name was Angela. "Angel of light," I thought, how fortunate I am to get
her!

After a few weeks, Fisher observed that the whole village was eating
Ferris ham, an unusual delicacy in Ehrenberg, and that the Goldwaters'
had sold none. So he suggested that our commissary storehouse be looked
to; and it was found that a dozen hams or so had been withdrawn from
their canvas covers, the covers stuffed with straw, and hung back in
place. Verily the Chihuahuan was adding to her pin-money in a most
unworthy fashion, and