“First we’ll have a light luncheon of sandwiches and the milk which I brought in our large thermos bottles,” said Mrs. Vernon, as she had the men unpack the hamper.
Having enjoyed the “bite” they started up the sandy climb to the pueblo. This climb to the natives is nothing more than a city block on a good pavement means to Tenderfeet. But the climb up, and up, and UP, to the scouts, was like going up the side of the Woolworth Building.
Finally, however, they reached the top of the stone steps, and the sandy reaches, and the high places, where shaky ladders have to be used. Once up, the tourists gazed around in interest at the dwellings, tier upon tier, and each tier reached by means of movable ladders.
“No chance for burglaries in those upper flats, if the tenant pulls the ladder up after him,” laughed Mr. Burt.
The entire village was built upon a solid rock. There were pools of clear spring water, enough to supply all the inhabitants and their domestic animals. There were plenty of dogs, and cats, and chickens wandering about on the shelf-like dooryards of the flats, and of these Julie got a fine picture of a hen and her brood clucking about up on the fourth tier of a dwelling.
“What she can find to eat after scratching in that bare adobe is a caution to me!” cried Joan, watching the energetic ambition of the mother-hen.
After visiting the church in Acoma, which took forty years to build, Julie said: “No wonder! with walls ten feet thick.”
Having seen everything and taken photographs of the Enchanted Mesa from every point of view, as well as of the pueblo of Acoma, the scouts voted to return to Laguna. It would be dark long before they could expect to reach camp, but the road was excellent throughout the trip and there was no danger in following it even at night. Perhaps that return trip under the dazzling brightness of the stars, and the shooting of meteors across the heavens, was as enjoyable to the scouts as the eager watching for mirages on the way up in the morning.
However, there were no protests when they had reached camp and the Captain said: “Now, all off to bed at once!”
The following morning, shortly after sun-up, the scouts held a council meeting—nothing formal that would exclude Mr. Burt, but a conference on ways and means, especially ways.