“I suppose we shall get an idea from it of the ancient city of Mexico, as described by Prescott,” continued the enthusiastic lady.

“You will discover a few deviations in the ground plan,” returned Coronado, for once ironical.

Aunt Maria’s suggestion with regard to the women and the wounded was adopted.  The Moquis seemed to urge it; so at least they were understood.  Within a couple of hours after the halt a procession of the feebler folk commenced climbing the bluff, accompanied by a crowd of the hospitable Indians.  The winding and difficult path swarmed for a quarter of a mile with people in the gayest of blankets, some ascending with the strangers and some coming down to greet them.

“I should think we were going up to the Temple of the Sun to be sacrified,” said Clara, who had also read Prescott.

“To be worshipped,” ventured Thurstane, giving her a look which made her blush, the boldest look that he had yet ventured.

The terraces, as we have stated, were faced with partially dressed stone.  They were in many places quite broad, and were cultivated everywhere with admirable care, presenting long green lines of corn fields or of peach orchards.  Half-way up the ascent was a platform of more than ordinary spaciousness which contained a large reservoir, built of chipped stone strongly cemented, and brimming with limpid water.  From this cistern large earthen pipes led off in various directions to irrigate the terraces below.

“It seems to me that we are discovering America,” exclaimed Aunt Maria, her face scarlet with exercise and enthusiasm.

Presently she asked, in full faith that she was approaching a metropolis, “What is the name of the city?”

“This must be Tegua,” replied Thurstane.  “Tegua is the most eastern of the Moqui pueblos.  There are three on this bluff.  Mooshaneh and two others are on a butte to the west.  Oraybe is further north.”

“What a powerful confederacy!” said Aunt Maria.  “The United States of the Moquis!”

After a breathless ascent of at least eight hundred feet, they reached the undulated, barren, rocky surface of a plateau.  Here the whole population of Tegua had collected; and for the first time the visitors saw Moqui women and children.  Aunt Maria was particularly pleased with the specimens of her own sex; she went into ecstasies over their gentle physiognomies and their well-combed, carefully braided, glossy hair; she admired their long gowns of black woollen, each with a yellow stripe around the waist and a border of the same at the bottom.

“Such a sensible costume!” she said.  “So much more rational and convenient than our fashionable fripperies!”

Another fact of great interest was that the Moquis were lighter complexioned than Indians in general.  And when she discovered a woman with fair skin, blue eyes, and yellow hair—­one of those albinos who are found among the inhabitants of the pueblos—­she went into an excitement which was nothing less than ethnological.