Show the old settler my Dearl dearsan San Jua ners in our journey through the different regions of earth we may become aware of something or somebody not yet in sight but soon to appear appeal for somehow we know they are there they are an inseparable feature of the setting we look for them we are disappointed if we fail to find them when I 1 first became aware that such things could happen it was when I 1 saw the phantom image of a girls face alq and heard the silent echo of her voice among the trees and flowers where I 1 was sure she would soon appear though I 1 had never seen nor heard of her but that story is not to be told here I 1 am re fering 0 to it but as an illustration tra tion it is a long time since I 1 first came down hammond canyon I 1 came to the creek by the big birches where the fish dart about in the clear stream and from there down through the tangle of wild roses and into the tall rabbit brush I 1 was strangely 0 aware ot somebody there in that wild remoteness mot inot eness somebody who was native to its rugged rocks as the fish were native to its sparkling water when we came around a point of the cliff and found the piute diute chief mancos jim standing by the trail with a long gun in his hands it was as natural as coming to a sheep herd when you have seen tracks and heard them bleating for miles old mancos was as much a part of that canyon as its blue jays its rabbits and its els from n that time alm forward I 1 looked for theold chief as one of the most interesting features of the canyon when he had defied the united states and andl everybody in general who beed begged 09 of him or commanded him to leave the canyon for another reservation and when he had laid his old bones ri right ht down there with his fathers as he swore he would do his son george toola his place as na as one generation of birds succeeding another george was about my age the disparity of years which had been somewhat of a barrier between me and the old chief was not between me and his son in his day I 1 went with more frequency to the canyon and sat often with him in his while he initiated me into the feelings and emotions and hopps hopes and fears of his people I 1 had never before guessed that any of his wild tribe had the fine sentiments and cherished the lofty hopes that he expressed geoge was an indian brave so far as the bravery goes but along with his courage he had good sense and never once made a fool of himself in all the seventy years of disagreement between his people and the new settlers he had a big heart I 1 know of two deserted children that he took over and treated them as kindly as if they were his own george was for me the greatest charm in hammond canyon to go there and not see him was a disappointment appointment Is the longer I 1 knew him the more interesting he became when I 1 called to see him before I 1 started for the navajo reservation last summer I 1 foud him feeling very miserable and he hung onto me as he never had done before and had much that he wanted to say but it depressed him to talk and besides that I 1 was rushed to meet an appointment I 1 hated to leave him there in his under the big cotton woods but that is where he wanted to be and had taken much trouble to get there when I 1 returned from continued on page 7 the old settler continued from page pae 13 1 tarizona lAr arizona izona later in the sumer burner he had laid down his bones in the sacred soil of his fathers I 1 have been to the canyon only once since that time I 1 have no wish to go there again I 1 think often of geor george geore 0 e in what to hint him was the happy happ y hunting grounds and wonder if in a few months or years when I 1 go traveling doerk one of its canyons I 1 will first be income aware of and then meet the old aiutes who were sleeping sree ping pin over more and more into my regard during our here ALBERT K R laima |