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Updated: June 18, 2025
Tucker finished his triangulation of the lake I told the arrieros to find the shortest road home. They smiled, murmured "Arequipa," and started south. We soon came to the rim of the Maraicasa Valley where, peeping up over one of the hills far to the south, we got a little glimpse of Coropuna.
There were also dried fruits and vegetables, chile, roots of the kamas, and skin-bags filled with pinons and choke-berries. The meat was soon brought together, and several of the men assisted the arrieros in packing it. "There will be barely enough," said Seguin. "Here, Rube," continued he, calling to the old trapper; "pick out your prisoners. Twenty will be as many as we can take.
Another strain up this rugged slope of granite, another pull at the lasso; a leap, a last violent effort, and Viva! we are seized under the arms, dragged up, held upon our feet for a moment, and then we sink exhausted to the ground in the midst of the Tzapotecans, mules, arrieros, guides, and women, who are sheltered from the storm in a sort of natural cavern.
The altitude was now about 16,000 feet, but at the foot of a steep little rise the arrieros stopped again. This time they succeeded in unloading two mules before we could scramble down over the sand and boulders to stop them. Threats and prayers were now of no avail. The only thing that would satisfy was a legal document!
There were a dozen detailed for this first race, young men of all classes, who were, or fancied themselves, "crack" riders. There were rancheros in their picturesque attire, smart arrieros, miners from the hills, townsmen, hacendados of the valley, vaqueros from the grazing-farms, and ciboleros, whose home is for the most part on the wide prairies.
Finally, leaving behind our saddles, ordinary supplies, and everything not considered absolutely necessary for a two weeks' stay on the mountain, we set off. We could easily walk faster than the loaded mules, and thought it best to avoid trouble by keeping far enough ahead so as not to hear the arrieros' constant complaints.
This is one of the Moorish words that have remained fixed like fossils in the language of the conquerors. Its constant use in the mouths of muleteers has given them the name of arrieros. This general admonition being addressed to the team at large, the zagal descended to details, and proceeded to vilipend the galloping beasts separately, beginning with the leader.
Even when passing a plain, our cavalcade was strung out for a quarter of a mile. The atajo followed in charge of the arrieros. For the first day of our march we kept on without nooning. There was neither grass nor water on the route; and a halt under the hot sun would not have refreshed us. Early in the afternoon a dark line became visible, stretching across the plain.
Two other guests ragged, soil-encrusted arrieros were already housed within, but there were at least some advantages in swinging my own net outside from the rafters of the eaves. Pigs jolted against me now and then and before I had entirely fallen asleep I was disturbed by a procession of dirty urchins, each carrying a blazing pine stick, who came one by one to look me over.
I was mustering my Spanish to ask the Mexican who still stood by me for an explanation of all this, when I suddenly became aware of a great bustle in the encampment, and saw every body crowding to meet a number of persons who just then emerged from the high fern, and amongst whom I recognized our arrieros and servants.
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