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6 If you drove with the wheels exactly on the centre of the trunks the probability would be that you got across all right ---but if the weight of the Buick snapped the other viga there appeared to be no possible chance for car or driver. One could not take it other than slowly since the boards, many of which were short and breaking, had never had a nail in them -- and if one kicked up! Mabel thought it was too great a risk for one Indian dance and I agreed with her -- as far as crossing in the Buick was concerned. Tony did not want to turn back. He walked a long way up the arroyo, which was unusual; a narrow deep cut with no possible chance of crossing to the left and with no approach on the right where the bluffs rose out of it. There was an abandoned car standing headed backward, which some one who would not take the chance, had left with all his goods in it.--- Perhaps they were going to strengthen the bridge but no one knew when that might be. Then two traveling men (one very fat) drove up in their car of the weight of Mabel's, if not heavier. Mabel explained the situation to them arguing against the risk until they also got cold feet. They, Tony and I and Alfred climbed around the bridge for half an hour and suggested and recommended various rather impossible things such as throwing down an overhanging dead pine to supplement the doubtful viga, etc. The fat man got off the loose boards at last, to Mabel's relief,and they turned back. So did we, eventually, after Mabel had asked me if I "would do it", and I said I would drive the Ford over if it was decided to try it, but that I agreed with her that it was a risk with the large car and I would not be responsible for advising in the matter. A couple of wagons coming from the other direction which we watched for many miles trailing down a distant hill, reached the bridge at last. They were driven by Mexicans and drawn by teams of light and skinny desert country horses which knew all about dangerous bridges and leaned close together in the middle as they crossed. The next village was only three miles away, and I would have liked to walk there at least, but Mabel did not feel like walking. Now these drivers had some Angora goats on board, one of which attracted Mabel and she talked of buying it! I reminder her "that she had got rid of all her Angora rabbits--and what would she do with it? And would she carry it home with her in the Buick, since the Ford was full?" (It was, or looked, nearly as large as the horses, tied, standing in the prairie schooner, with its bows, but not its canvas up, white in the sun, with a fine head "like a Greek sculpture" as she said, appealing to me. I saw and admired, but did not weaken. We headed back toward [?]Abiquiu and I know if I had any defined emotion it was one of mild relief, though, of course, it was disappointing to retreat at the last ditch, as it were. A mile or so back we stopped and cooked lunch. To be accurate, Tony made the fire, I opened the cans and Mabel made a good combination of them in the frying pan, ---- and cocoa. While in progress, as the party was divided, in two cars that were trying to keep apart, there was little time for conversation, but on halts like this we might talk. Mabel frequently brought up the labeling of peoples--characters by the date of their birth, which seemed to amuse her. She said I was a "water person" and that she was a "fire person". I thought most of her
