THE SCALP HUNTERS alifornia gional 3ility REID THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES GIFT THE SCALP HUNTERS. A THRILLING TALE OF ADVENTURE AND ROMANCE IN NORTHERN MEXICO BY CAPTAIN MAYNE REID AUTHOR OF "THE RIFLE RANGERS" NEW YORK THE FEDERAL BOOK COMPANY PUBLISHERS Copyright 1899 BY S. C. ANDREWS College Library PR R2.CPS CONTENTS. ^ a CKArTBK I. The Wild West ............ . ...................... 5 II. The Prairie Merchants ............................. 12 III. "The Prairie Fever" .............................. 18 IV. A Ride upon a Buffalo Bull ....................... 23 V. In a Bad " Fix " ................................... 3 2 VI. Santa Fe ......................................... 4* VII. The Fandango .................................... 49 VIII. Seguin the Scalp Hunter ........................... 6t IX. Left Behind ....................................... 68 X. The Del Norte .................................... 75 XI. The " Journey of Death," .......................... 81 XII. Zde ......... ' ..................................... 91 XIII. Seguin ........................................... 100 XIV. Love ............................................. 105 XV. Light and Shade .................................. 112 XVI. An Autobiography ................................ 119 XVII Up the Del Norte ................................. 130 XVIII. Geography and Geology ........................... 138 XIX. The Scalp-Hunters ................................ 145 XX. Sharpshooting .................................... 1 56 XXI. A Feat a la Tell .................................. 167 XXII. A Feat a la Tail ................................... 174 XXIII. The Program ...................................... 181 XXIV. El Sol and La Luna. ... ........................... 188 XXV. The War-Trail .................................... 195 XXVI. Three Days in the Trap ............................ 207 XXVII. The Diggers ...................................... 218 XXVIII. Dacoma .......................................... 223 XXIX. A Dinner with Two Dishes ...................... 232 XXX. Blinding the Pursuer A Trapper's Ruse ............ 245 XXXI. A Buffalo " Surround " ............................ 255 XXXII. Another " Coup " ................................. 265 XXXIII. 'A Bitter Trap ..................................... 273 iii 1060579 IV CONTENTS. CHATTI*. XXXIV. The Phantom City 281 XXXV. The Mountain of Gold XXXVI. Navajoa XXXVII. The Night Ambuscade 301 XXXVIII. Adele.... 307 XXXIX. The Whue Scalp XL. The Fight in the Pass .3:9 XLI. The Barranca 3^1 XLII. The Foe XLIII. New Misery 3^4 XLIV. The Flag of Truce 361 XLV. A Vexed Treaty 368 XLVI. A Conflict with closed Doors 377 XI. VII. A Queer Encounter in a Cave 3^4 XLVIII. Smoked out 392 XLIX. A Novel Mode of Lquitation 397 I,. A Fast Dye 401 LI. Astonishing the Natives 407 LIT. Running Amuck 414 LII1. A Conflict upon a Cliff 422 LI V. An Unexpected Rencontre 432 I .V. The Rescue 440 LVI. El Paso del Norte 446 LVII. Touching the Chords of Memory 452 THE SCALP-HUNTERS. lAI'Tl-.R I. 'I 1! K \v I I. U \v i; ST. ;nap, at of ( > the wild sun, away bcy-nd many a meridian, k- i'.-m where golden ri .unong peaks that carry the eternal snow. Rest them \'. You are looking upon a land whose features are unfurrowed hy human hands, still bearing the marks of the Almighty mold, as upon the morning of creation ; a region whose every object wears the impress of nbient spirit lives in the silent grandeur of its mountains and speaks in the roar of its mighty rivers : 6 THE SCALP- HUNTERS. a region redolent of romance, rich in the reality of ad- venture. Follow me, with the eye of your mind, through scenes of wild beauty, of savage sublimity. I stand in an open plain. I turn my face to the north, to the south, to the east, and to the west ; and on all s hold the blue circle of the heavens girdling around me. Nor rock, nor tree, breaks the ring of the horizon. What covers the broad expanse between? Wood? water? grass? As far as my eye can range, it rests only on flowers, on beautiful flowers ! 1 am looking as on a tinted map, an enameled picture brilliant with every hue of the prism. Yonder is golden yellow, where the helianthus turns her dial-like face to the sun. Yonder. s ; then . but one vast expanse of living verdure. From north to Vouth, from east to we>t, stretch' :irie inc.: ;i a> an emerald, and as the surface of a sleeping lake. wind is upon its bo ping the silken blades. , are in motion ; and the verdure is dappled into lighter and darker shades, as the shadows of summer clouds flitting across the sun. The eye wanders wii! it en- counters the dark hirsute forms of the buffalo, or tracer the tiny outlines of the antelop l.ance it follows, in (1 wonder, the far-wild gallop of a snow-wh This is t! u prairie," the bourn: : ure of the bison. ******* The scene changes. The earth is no longer level, but jss and verdant as ever. Its surface exhibits a siu of parallel undulations, here and there swelling into smooth round hills. It is covered with a soft turf of bril- liant greenness. These undulations remind one of the < after a mighty storm, when the crisped foam has died upon the . :d the big swell comes bowling in. They look as though they had once been such waves, that by an omnip- t mandate, had been transformed to earth, and suddenly stood still. This is the " rolling prairie." ******* Again the scene changes. I am among greenswards and bright flowers ; but the view is broken by groves and clumps. 8 THE SCALP- HUNTERS. of copse-wood. The frondage is varied, its tints are vivid, its outlines soft and graceful. As I move forward, new landscapes open up continuously : view spark-like and pic- turesque. " Gangs " of buffalo, " herds " of antelope, and " droves " of wild horses, mottle the far vistas. Turkeys run into the coppice, and pheasants whirr up from the path. Where are the owners of these lands, of these Hoc ks and fowls ? Where are the houses, the palaces, that should ap- pertain to these lordly parks ? I look forward, expecting to i lie turrets of tall mansions spring up over the groves. But no. For hundreds of miles around no chimney sends forth its smoke. Although with a cultivated aspect, this region is only trodden by the mocassined foot of the hunter, and his enemy, the Red Indian. These are the " mottes " the " islands " of the prairie sea. ******* I am in the deep forest. It is night, and the log fire throws out its vermilion glare, painting the objects that sur- round our bivouac. Huge trunks stand thickly around us ; and massive limbs, gray and giant-like, stretch out and over. I notice the bark. It is cracked, and clings in broad scales crisping outward. Long snake-like parasites creep from tree to tree, coiling the trunks as though they were secpents, and would crush them ! There are no leaves overhead. They have ripened and fallen ; but the white Spanish moss, festooned along the branches, hangs weeping down like the drapery of a death-bed. Prostrate trunks, yards in diameter and half-decayed, lie along the ground. Their ends exhibit vast cavities, where the porcupine and opossum have taken shelter from the cold. My comrades, wrapped in their blankets, and stretched upon the dead leaves, have gone to sleep. They lie with their feet to the fire ? and their heads resting in the hollow THE WILD WEST. 9 of their saddles. The horses, standing- around a tree, and tied to its lower branches, seem also to sleep. I am awake and listening. The wind is high up, whistling among the twigs, and causing the long white streamers to oscillate. It utters a wild and melancholy music. There are few other sounds, for it is winter, and the tree-frog and cicada are silent. I hear the crackling knots in the lire, the rustling of dry leaves " swilled " up 1-y a .-:;; v gust, the " coo-whoo-a " of the white owl, the bark of the ,md, at intervals, the dismal howling of wolves. These are the nocturnal voices of the wi/; sounds ; yet there is a chord in my bosom that vibrates under their in- fluence, and my spirit is tinged with romance as I lie and listen. ******* The forest in autumn ; still bearing its full frondage. The leaves resemble flowers, so bright r.re their hues. They are red and yellow, and golden and bro e woods are warm and glorious now, and the birds flutter among the laden branches. The eye wanders delighted down long vistas and over sunlit glades. It is c.. die Hashing of gaudy plumage, the golden green of the paroquet, the blue of the jay, and the orange wing of the oriole. The red- bird flutters lower down in the coppice of green pawpaws, or amidst the amber leaflets of the beechen thicket. Hun- dreds of tiny wings ilit through the openings, twinkling in the sun like the glancing of gems. The air is filled wi nf love. The bark of the squirrel, . ives, the " rat-ta- ta " of the pecker, and the constant and measured chirrup oftheci' all ringing together. High up, on a top- most twig, the mocking-bird pours forth his mimic note, as though he would shame all other songsters into silence. ******* 10 THE SCALP-HUNTERS. I am in a country of brown barren earth and broken out- lines. There are rocks and clefts and patches of sterile soil. Strange vegetable forms grow in the clefts and hang over the rocks. Others are spheroidal in shape, resting upon the surface of the parched earth. Others rise vertically to a great height, like carved and fluted columns. Some throw out branches, crooked, shaggy branches, with hirsute oval leaves. Yet there is a homogeneousness about all these vegetable forms, in their color, in their fruit and flowers, that proclaims them of one family. They are cacti. It is a forest of the Mexican nopal. Another singular plant is here. It throws out long thorny leaves that curve downward. It is the agave, the far-famed mezcal-plant of Mexico. Here and 'there, mingling with the cacti, are trees of acacia and mezquite, the denizens of the desert land. No bright object relieves the eye ; no bird pours its melody into the ear. The lonely owl flaps away into the impassable thicket, the rattlesnake glides under its scanty shade, and the coyote skulks through its silent glades. I have climbed mountain after mountain, and still I be- hold peaks soaring far above, crowned with the snow that never melts. I stand upon beetling cliffs, and look into chasms that yawn beneath, sleeping in the silence of desola- tion. Great fragments have fallen into them, and lie piled one upon another. Others hang threatening over, as if waiting for some concussion of the atmosphere to hurl them from their balance. Dark precipices frown me into fear, and my head reels with a dizzy faintness. I hold by the pine- tree shaft, or the angle of the firmer rock. Above, and below, and around me, are mountains piled on mountains in chaotic confusion. Some are bald and bleak ; others exhibit traces of vegetation in the dark needles of the pine and cedar, whose stunted forms half-grown, half- hang from the cliffs. Here, a cone-shaped peak soars up till THE WILD WEST. II it is lost in snow and clouds. There, a ridge elevates its sharp outline against the sky ; while along its sides lie huge boulders of granite, as though they had been hurled from the hands of Titan giants ! A fearful monster, the grizzly bear, drags his body along the high ridges; the carcajou squats upon the projecting rock, waiting the elk that must pass to the water below ; and the bighorn bounds from crag to crag in search of his shy mate'. Along the pine branch the bald buzzard whets his filthy beak ; and the war-eagle, soaring over all, cuts snarply against the blue field of the heave; These are the Rocky Mountains, the American Ancles, the colossal vertebrae of the continent ! ****** * Such are the aspects of the wild west ; such Is the scenery of our drama. Let us raise the curtain, and bring on the characters. CHAPTER IT. THE PRAIUIK MERCHANTS. "New Orleans, April 3d, 18 EAR ST. VRAIX, " Our young friend, M. Henry Haller, goes to St. Louis in ' search of the picturesque.' See that he be put through a ' regular course of sprouts.' " Yours, " Luis WALTON. " Charles St. Vrain, Esq., Planters' Hotel, St. Louis." With this laconic epistle in my waistcoat pocket, I de- barked at St. Louis on the loth of April, and drove to the Planters'." After getting my baggage stowed, and my horse (a favorite I had brought with me) stabled, I put on a clean shirt, and, descending to the office, inquired for M. St. Vrain. He was not there. He had gone up the Missouri River several days before. This was a disappointment, as I had brought no other introduction to St. Louis. But I endeavored to wait with patience the return of M. St. Vrain. He was expected back in less than a week. 12 THE PRAIRIE MERCHANTS. 13 Day after day I mounted my horse. I rode up to the " Mounds " and out upon the prairies. I lounged about the hotel, and smoked my cigar in its fine piazza. I drank " sherry cobblers " in the saloon, and read the journals in the " reading-room." With these and such like occupations I killed time for three whole days. There was a party of gentlemen stopping at the hotel, who seemed to know each other well. I might call them a clique ; but that is not a good word, and does not express what I mean. They appeared rather a band of friendly, jovial fellows. They strolled together through the streets, and sat side by side at the tahle-d'hbte, where they usually remained long after the regular diners had retired. I noticed that they drank the most expensive wines, and smoked the finest cigars the house afforded. My attention was attracted to these men. I was struck with their peculiar bearing ; their erect, Indian-like carriage in the streets, combined with a boyish gaiety, so characteris- tic of the western American. They dressed nearly alike : in fine black cloth, white linen, satin vests, and diamond pins. They wore the whisker full, but smoothly trimmed ; and several of them sported mus- taches. Their hair fell curling over their shoulders ; and most of them wore their collars turned down, displaying healthy-looking, sun-tanned throats. I was struck with a resemblance in their physiognomy. Their faces did not resemble each other ; but there was an unmistakable simi- larity in the expression of the eye : no doubt, the mark that had been made by like occupations and experience. Were they sportsmen ? No : the sportsman's hands are whiter ; there is more jewelry on his fingers ; his waist- coat is of a gayer pattern, and altogether his dress will be more gaudy and super-elegant. Moreover, the sportsman. 14 THE SCALP-HUNTERS. lacks that air of free-and-easy confidence. He dares not assume it. He may live in the hotel, but he must be quiet and unobtrusive. The sportsman is a bird of prey ; hence, like all birds of prey, his habits are silent, and solitary. They are not of his profession. " Who are these gentlemen ? " I inquired from a person who sat by me indicating to him the men of whom I have spoken. " The prairie men." " The prairie men ! " " Yes : the Santa Fe' traders." " Traders ! " I echoed, in some surprise, not being able to connect such Elegants with any ideas of trade or the prairies. " Yes," continued my informant. " That large, fine-look- ing man in the middle is Bent Bill Bent, as he is called. The gentleman on his right is young Sublette ; the other, standing on his left, is one of the Choteaus ; and that is the sober Jerry Folger." " These, then, are the celebrated prairie merchants ? " " Precisely so." I sat eyeing them with increased curiosity. I observed that they were looking at me, and that I was the subject of their conversation. Presently, one of them, a dashing-like young fellow, parted from the group, and walked up to me. " Were you inquiring for M. St. Vrain ? " he asked. " I was." Charles ? " " Yes, that is the name." I am " I pulled out my note of introduction, and handed it to the gentleman, who glanced over its contents. " My dear friend," said he, grasping me cordially, "ex- tremely sorry J have not been here* I came down the river THE PRAIRIE MERCHANTS. 1 5 this morning. How stupid of Walton not to superscribe to Bill Bent ! How long have you been up ? " " Three days. I arrived on the loth." " By Jove ! you are lost. Come, let me make you ac- quainted. Here, Bent I Bill 1 Jerry ! " And the next moment, I had shaken hands with one and all 'of the traders, of which fraternity I found that my new friend, St. Vrain, was a member. " First gong that ? " asked one, as the loud scream of a gong came through the gallery. " Yes," replied Bent, consulting his watch, " Just time to 'licker.' Come along 1" Bent moved towards the cafe', and we all followed, nemine dissentiente. The spring season was setting in, and the young mint had sprouted : a botanical fact with which my new acquaintances appeared to be familiar, as pne and all of them ordered a " mint julep." This beverage, in the mixing and drinking, occupied our time until the second scream of the gong sum- moned us to dinner, " Sit with us, Mr. Haller," said Bent ; " I am sorry we didn't know you sooner. You have been lonely." And so saying, he led the way into the dining-room, fol- lowed by his companions and myself. I need not describe a dinner at the " Planters'," with its venison steaks, its buffalo tongues, its " prairie chickens," and its delicious frog " fixings " from the Illinois "bottom." No ; I would not describe the dinner, and what followed I am afraid I could not. We sat until we had the table to ourselves. Then the cloth was removed, and we commenced smoking regalias and drinking madeira at trcch'C dollars a bottle ! This was or- dered in by some one, not in single bottles, but by the half- dozen. I remember thus far well enough : and that, when- l6 THE SCALP-HUNTERS. ever I took up a wine-card or a pencil, these articles were snatched out of my fingers. I remember listening to stories of wild adventures among the Pawnees, and the Cumanches, and the Blackfeet. until I was filled with interest, and became enthusiastic about prairie-life. Then some one asked me, would I not like to join them in " a trip ? " Upon this I made a speech, and proposed to accompany my new acquaintances on their next expedition ; and then St. Vrain said I was just the man for their life ; and this pleased me highly. Then some one sang a Spanish song, with a guitar, I think, and some one else danced an Indian war-dance ; and then we all rose to our feet, and chorused the " Star-spangled Banner ; " and I remember nothing else after this, until next morning, when I remember well that I awoke with a splitting headache. I had hardly time to reflect on my previous night's folly when the door opened, and St. Vrain, with half a dozen of my table companions, rushed into the room. They wort- followed by a waiter who carried several large glasses topped with ice, and filled with a pale amber-colored liquid " A sherry cobbler, Mr. Haller," cried one ; " best thing in the world for you : drain it, my boy. It'll cool you in a squirrel's jump." I drank off the refreshing beverage as desired. II Now, my dear friend," said St. Vrain, " you feel a hun- dred per cent, better I But, tell me, were you in earnest when you spoke of going with us across the plains ? We start in a week; I shall be sorry to part with you so soon." " But I was in earnest. I am going with you, if you will only show me how I am to set about it." " Nothing easier : buy yourself a horse." " I have got one." " Then a few coarse articles of dress, a rifle, a pair o( pistols, a " THE PRAIRIE MERCHANTS. 1 7 " Stop, stop ! I have all these things. That is not what I would be at, but this : You, gentlemen, carry goods to Santa Fc. You double or treble your money oh them. Now, I have ten thousand dollars in a bank here. What should hinder me to combine profit with pleasure, and invest it as you do ? " Nothing; nothing! A good idea," answered several. ' Well, then, if any of you will have the goodness to go with nie, and show me what sort of merchandise I am to lay in for the Santa Fe market, I will nay his wine bill at dinner, and that's no small commission, I think." The prairie men laughed loudly, declaring they would all go a-shopping with me; and. after breakfast, we started in a body, arm-in-arm. Before dinner, 1 had invested nearly all my disposable funds in printed calicoes, long knives, and looking-gla- etc., leaving just money enough to purchase mule-wagons and hire teamsters at Independence, our point of departure for the " plains.' 1 A few day after, with my new companions, I was steam- ing it up the Missouri, on our way to the trackless prairies of the " Far West." Vaqueros Lassoing Wild Horses. CHAPTER III. THE PRAIRIE FEVER." FTER a week spent in Independence buying mules and wagons. we took the route over the plains. There were a hun- dred wagons in the " caravan," and nearly twice that number of teamsters and attendants. Two of the capacious vehicles contained all my " plunder " ; and, to manage them, I had hired a couple of lathy, long-haired Missourians. I had also engaged a Canadian voyageur named Gode' as a sort of attendant or compagnon. Where are the glossy gentlemen of the Planters' Hotel ? One would suppose they had been left behind, as here are 18 "THE PRAIRIE FEVER." 19 t)ne but men in hunting-shirts and slouch hats. Yes ; but rder these hats we recognize their faces, and in these rude shirts we have the same jovial fellows as ever. The silky black and the diamonds have disappeared, for now the traders flourish under the prairie costume. I will endeavor to give an idea of the appearance of my companions by de- scribing my own ; for I am " tricked out " very much like themselves. I wear a hunting-shirt of dressed deerskin. It is a garment more after the style of an ancient tunic than anything I can think of. It is of a light yellow color, beautifully stitched and embroidered ; and the cape, for it has a short cape, is fringed by tags cut out of the leather itself. The skirt is also bordered by a similar fringe, and hangs full and low. A pair of " savers" of scarlet cloth cover my limbs to the thigh ; and under these are strong jean pantaloons, heavy boots, and big brass spurs. A colored cotton shirt, a blue neck-tie, and a broad-brimmed Guayaquil hat, complete the articles of my every-day dress. Behind me, on the cantle of my saddle, may be observed a bright red object folded into a cylindrical form. That is my " Mackinaw," a great favor- ite, for it makes my bed by night and my great coat on other occasions. There is a small slit in the middle of it, through which I thrust my head in cold or rainy weather and I am thus covered to the ankles. As I have said, my compagnons de voyage are similarly attired. There may be a difference of color in the blanket or the leggings, or the shirt may be of other materials ; but that I have described may be taken as a " character dress." We are all somewhat similarly armed and equipped. For my part, I may say that I am " armed to the teeth." In my holsters I carry a pair of Colt's large-sized revolvers, six shots each. In my belt is another pair of the small size, with five shots each, In addition, I have a, light rifle, oaak- 20 THE SCALP-HUNTERS. ing in all twenty-three shots which I have learnt to de- liver in as many seconds of time. Failing with all these, I carry in my belt a long shining blade known as a " bowie knife." This last is my hunting knife, my dining knife, and, in short, my knife of " all work/' For accouterment.s I have a pouch and a flask, both slung under the right arm. I have also a large gourd canteen, and haversack for my rations. So have all my companions. But we are differently mounted. Some ride saddle mules, other bestride mustangs, while a few have brought their favorite American horses. I am of this number. I ride a dark-brown stallion with black legs, and muzzle like the withered fern. He is a half Arab, and of perfect proportions. He is called " Moro," a Spanish name given him by the Louisiana planter from whom I bought him, but why I do not know. I have retained the name, and he answers to it readily. H is strong, fleet, and beautiful. Many of my friends fancy him on the route, and offer large prices for him ; but these do not tempt me, for my Moro serves me well. Every day I grow more and more attached to him. My dog Alp, a St. Bernard that I bought from a Swiss emigre in St. Louis, hardly comes in for a tithe of my affections. I find on referring to my note-book, that for weeks we traveled over the prairies without any incident of unusual in- terest. To me the scenery was interest enough ; and I do not remember a more striking picture than to see the long caravan of wagons, the " prairie ships," deployed over the plain, or crawling slowly up some gentle slope, their white tilts contrasting beautifully with the deep green of the earth. At night, too, the camp, with its corralled wagons, and horses picketed around, was equally a picture. The scenery was altogether new to me, and imbued me with impressions of a peculiar character. The streams were fringed with tall groves of cottonwood trees, whose column-like stems sup- "THE PRAIRIE FEVER." 21 ported a thick frondage of silvery leaves. These grovea meeting at different points, walled in the view, so dividing the prairies from one another that \ve seemed to travel through vast fields fenced by colossal hedg- We crossed many rivers, fording some, and floating our wagons over others that were deeper and wider. Occa- sionally we saw deer and antelope, and our hunters shot a few of these ; but we had not yet reached the range of the buffalo. Once we stopped a day to recruit in a wooded " bottom," where the grass was plenty and the water pure. Now and then, too, we v. ere halted to mend a broken tongue or an axle, or help a M stalled " wagon from its miry bed. I had very little trouble with my particular division of the caravan. My Missourians turned out to be a pair of staunch hands, who could assist one another without making a des- perate affair of every slight accident. The grass had sprung up, and our mules and oxen, instead of thinning down, every day grew fatter upon it. Moro } therefore, came in for a better share of the maize that I had brought in my wagons, and which kept my favorite in fine traveling condition. As we approached the Arkansas, we saw mounted Indians disappearing over the swells. They were Pawnees ; and for several days clouds of these dusky warriors hung upon the skirts of the caravan. But they knew our strength, and kept at a wary distance from our long rifles. To me every day brought something new, either in the incidents of the " voyage " or the features of the land- scape. Code', who had been by turns a royageur, a. hunter, a trap- per, and a coiireur du bois, in our private dialogues had given me an insight into many an item of prairie-craft, thus ena- bling me to cut quite a respectable figure among my new com- rades. St. Vrain, too, whose frank, generous manner had 22 THE SCALP-HUNTERS. already won my confidence, spared no pains to make the trip agreeable to me. What with gallops by day, and the wilder tales by the night watch-fires, I became intoxicated with the romance of my new life. I had caught the " prairic-fcrcr .' " So my companions told me, laughing. I did not under- stand them then. I knew what they meant afterwards. The prairie fever ! Yes. I was just then in process of being in- oculated by that strange disease. It grew upon me apace. The dreams of home began to die within me ; and with these the illusory ideas of many a young and foolish ambition. Died away, too, dead out of my heart, the allurements of the great city, the memory of soft eyes and silken tresses, the impress of amorous emotions, foes to human happiness ; all died away, as if they had never been or I had never felt them! My strength increased, both physically and intellectually. I experienced a buoyancy of spirits and a vigor of body I had never known before. I felt a pleasure in action. My blood seemed to rush wanner and swifter through my veins, and I fancied that my eyes reached to a more distant vision. I could look boldly upon the sun without quivering in my glance. Had I imbibed a portion of the divine essence that lives, and moves, and has its being in those vast solitudes ? Who can answer this ? The prairie fever ! I feel it now ! Whilst I am penning these memories, my fingers twitch to grasp the reins, my knees quiver to press the sides of my noble horse, and wildly wander over the verdant billows of the prairie sea 1 Indian Wampum Belt. CHAPTER IV. A RIDE UPON A BUFFALO BULL. E had been out about two weeks when we struck the Arkansas " bend," about six miles below the " Plum Buttes.'' Here our wagons corralled and camped. So far we had seen but little of the buffalo ; only a stray bull, or, at most two or three together, and these shy. It was now the " running season," but none of the great droves, love-maddened, had crossed us. " Yonder ! " cried St. Vrain ; " fresh hump for supper ! " We looked northwest, as indicated by our friend. Along the escarpment of a low table, five dark objects broke the line of the horizon. A glance was enough : they were buffaloes. As St. Vrain spoke, we were about slipping off our saddles. Back went the girth buckles with a " sneck," down came the stirrups, up went we, and off in the " twinkling of a goat's eye." Half a score or so started ; some, like myself, for the sport ; while others, old hunters, had the " meat " in their eye. We had made but a short day's march ; our horses were still fresh, and in three times as many minutes, the three miles that lay between us and the game were reduced to 23 24 THE SCALP- HUNTERS. one. Here, however, we were " winded." v Some of the party, like myself, green upon the prairies, disregarding advice, had ridden straight ahead ; and the bulls .snuffed us on the wind. When within a mile, one of them threw up his shaggy front, snorted, struck the ground with his hoof, rolled over, rose up again, and dashed off at full sp followed by his four companions. It remained to us now either to abandon the chase or put our horses to their mettle and "catch up." The latter course was adopted, and we galloped forward. All at once we found ourselves riding up to what appeared to be a clay wall, six feet high. It was a stair between two tables, and ran right and left as far as the eye could reach, without the semblance of a gap. This was an obstacle that caused us to rein up and reflect. Some wheeled their horses, and commenced riding back, while half a dozen of us, better mounted, among whom were St. Vrain and my voyageur Gode', not wishing to give up the chase so easily, put to the spur, and cleared the scarp. From this point it cost us a five miles' gallop, and our horses a white sweat, to co:.ie up with the hindmost, a young cow, which fell, bored by a bullet from every rifle in the party. As the others had gained some distance ahead, and we had meat enough for all, we reined up, and, dismounting, set about "removing the hair." This operation was a short one under the skilful knives of the hunters. We had now- leisure to look back, and calculate the distance we had ridden from camp. " Eight miles, every inch ! " cried one. " We're close to the trail," said St. Vrain, pointing to some old wagon tracks that marked the route of the Santa 6 traders. " Well ? " A RIDE LPOX A BTFi-ALO BULL. 2 5 " If \ve ride into camp, we shall have to ride back in the morning. It will be sixteen extra miles for our cattle." " True." " Let us stay here, then. Here's water and grass. There's buffalo meat ; and yonder's a wagon load of ' chips.' \Ye have our blankets ; what more do we want ? " " I say, camp where we are." "And I." \nd I." In a minute the girth buckles flew open, our saddles were lifted off, and our panting horses were cropping the curly bunches of the prairie grass, within the circles of their fabrifstos. \ uystal rivulet, the 1% arroyo " of the Spaniards, stole away southward to the Arkansas. On the bank of this rivulet, and under one of its bluffs, we chose a spot for our bivouac. The bois Jc rw//v w:is >l!ec ted, a lire- was kindled, and " hump steaks," spitted on sticks, were soon sputtering in the blaze. Luckily. St. Yrain and I had our flasks along ; and as each of them contained a pint of pure Cognac, we managed to make a tolerable supper. The old hunters had their pipes and tobacco, my friend and I our cigars, and we sat round the ashes till a late hour, smoking and listening to wild tales of mountain adventure. At length the watch was told off, the lariats were shortened, the picket-pins driven home, and my comrades, rolling them- selves up in their blankets, rested their heads' in the hollow of their saddles, and went to sleep. There was a man named Hibbets in our party, who, from his habits of somnolency, had earned the soubriquet of "Sleepy-head." For this reason, the first watch had been assigned to him, being the least dangerous, as Indians seldom made their attacks until the hour of sourfdest sleep : that be- t'ore daybreak. 26 THE SCALP-HUNTERS. Hibbets had climbed to his post, the top of the bluff, where he could command a view of the surrounding prairie. Before night had set in, I had noticed a very beautiful spot on the bank of the arroyo, about two hundred yards from where my comrades lay. A sudden fancy came into my head to sleep there ; and taking up my rifle, robe, and blanket, at the same time calling to " Sleepy-head " to awake me in case of alarm, I proceeded thither. The ground, shelving gradually down to tlie arroyo, was covered with soft buffalo grass, thick and xlry ; as good a bed as was ever pressed by sleepy mortal. On this I spread my robe, and folding my blanket around me, lay down, cigar in mouth, to smoke myself asleep. It was a lovely moonlight, so clear that I could easily dis- tinguish the colors of the prairie flowers the silver euphor- bias, the golden sunflowers, and the scarlet malvas, that fringed the banks of the arroyo at my feet. There was an enchanting stillness in the air, broken only by an occa- sional whine from the prairie wolf, the distant snoring of my companions, and the " crop, crop " of our horses shortening the crisp grass. I lay a good while awake, until my cigar burnt up to my lips, we smoke them close on the prairies); then, spitting out the stump, I turned over on my side, and was soon in the land of dreams. I could not have been asleep many minutes when I felt sensible of a strange noise, like distant thunder, or the roar- ing of a waterfall. The ground seemed to tremble beneath me. " We are going to have a dash of a thunder-shower," thought I, still half dreaming, half sensible to impressions from without ; and I drew the folds of my blanket closer about me, and again slept. I was awakened by a noise like thunder indeed, like the A RIDE UPON A BUFFALO BULL. 27 trampling of a thousand hoofs, and the lowing of a thousand oxen ! The earth echoed and trembled. I could hear the shouts of my comrades : the voices of St. Vrain and Godd, the latter calling out " Sacr-r-re ! monsieur; // ' * bufflcs ."' I saw that they had drawn the horses, and were hurrying them under the bluff. I sprang to my feet, flinging aside my blanket. A fearful spectacle \vas before me. Away to the west, as far as the eye could reach, the prairie seemed in motion. Black waves rolled over its undulating outlines, as though some burning mountain were pouring down its lava upon the plains. A thousand bright spots flashed and flitted along the moving surface like jets of lire. The ground shook, men shouted, horses reared upon their ropes, neighing wildly. My dog barked and howled, running around me 1 For a moment I thought I was dreaming ; but no, the scene was too real to be mistaken for a vision. I saw the border of the black wave within ten paces of me, and still approaching ! Then, and not till then, did I recognize the shaggy crests and glaring eyeballs of the bufTalo I " Oh, God ; I am in their track. I shall be trampled to death ! " It was too late to attempt an escape by running. I seized my rifle and fired at the foremost of the band. The effect of my shot was not perceptible. The water of the arroyo was dashed in my face. A huge bull ahead of the rest, furious and snorting, plunged through the stream and up the slope. I was lifted and tossed high into the air. I was thrown rearwards, and fell upon a moving mass. I did not feel hurt or stunned. I felt myself carried onward upon the backs of several animals that, in the dense drove, ran close together. These, frightened at their strange burden, bellowed loudly, and dashed on to the front. A sudden 28 THE SCALP-HUNTERS. thought struck me, and, fixing on that which was most under me, I dropped my legs astride of him, embracing his hump, and clutching the long woolly hair that grew upon his neck. The animal " routed " with extreme terror, and, plunging forward, soon headed the band. This was exactly what I wanted ; and on we went over the prairie, the bull running at top speed, believing, no doubt, that he had a panther or a catamount between his shoulders. I had no desire to disabuse him of this belief, and, lest he should deem me altogether harmless, and come to a halt, I slipped out my bowie, which happened to be " handy,' 1 and pricked him up whenever he showed symptoms of lagging. At every fresh touch of the " spur " he roared out, and ran forward at a redoubled pace. My danger was still extreme. The drove was coming on behind with the front of nearly a mile. I could not have cleared it had the bull stopped and left me on the prairie. Notwithstanding the peril I was in, I could not resist laughing at my ludicrous situation. I felt as one does when looking at a good comedy. We struck through a village of " prairie dogs." Here I fancied the animal was about to turn and run back, This brought my mirth to a sudden pause ; but the buffalo usually runs in a " bee-line," and fortunately mine made no exception to the law. On he went, sinking to the knees, kicking the dust from the conical hills, snorting and bellowing with rage and terror. The " Plum Buttes " were directly in the line of our course. I had seen this from the start, and knew that if I could reach them I would be safe. They Were nearly three miles from the bluff where we had bivouacked, but in my ride I fancied them ten. A small one rose over the prairie, several hundred yards nearer than the main heights. Towards this I pricked the A RIDE UPON A BUFFALO BULL. 2f) foaming bull in a last stretch, and he brought me cleverly within a hundred yards of its base. It was now time to take leave, of my dusky companion. I could have slaughtered 5hn as I leaned over his back. My knife rested upon the most vulnerable part of his huge body. No ! I would not have slain that buffalo for the Koh-i-noor. Untwisting my fingers from his thick fleece, I slipped down over his tail, and without as mu ('.ood-night, " ran with all my speed towards the knoll. I climbed up ; and sitting down upon a loose boulder of rock, looked over the prairie. The moon was still shining brightly. My late companion had halted not far from where I had left him, and stood glaring back with an air of extreme bewilderment. There was something so comical in the sight that I yelled with laughter as I sat securely on my perch. I looked to the southwest. As far as the eye could see, the prairie was black, and moving. The living wave came rolling onward and toward me ; but I could now observe it in safety. The myriads of glancing eyes, sparkling like phosphoric gleams, no longer flashed terror. The drove was still half a mile distant. I thought I saw quick gleams, and heard the report of fire-arms away over its left border ; but I could not be certain. I had begun to think of the fate of my comrades, and this gave me hopes that they were safe. The buffaloes approached the butte on which I was seated ; and, perceiving the obstacle, suddenly forked into two great belts, and swept right and left around it. What struck me at this moment as curious was, that my bull, my particular bull, instead of waiting till his comrades had come up, and falling in among the foremost, suddenly tossed up his head, and galloped off as if a pack of wolves had been after him. He ran towards the outside of the band. When he had 30 THE SCALP-HUNTERS. reached a point that placed him fairly beyond the flank, I could see him closing in, and moving on with the rest. This strange tactic of my late companion puzzled me at the time, 1> a I afterwards learned that it was sound strategy on his part. Had he remained where I had parted with him, the foremost bulls coming up would have mistaken him for an individual of some other tribe, and would certainly have gored him to death. I sat upon the rock for nearly two hours, silently watching the sable stream as it poured past. I was on an island in the midst of a black and glittering sea. At one time I fancied I was moving, that the butte was sailing onward, and the buffaloes were standing still. My head swam with diz- ziness, and I leaped to my^eet to drive away the strange illusion. The torrent rolled onward, and at length the hindmost went straggling past. I descended from the knoll, and com- menced groping my way over the black, trodden earth. What was lately a green sward now presented the aspect of ground freshly ploughed, and trampled by droves of oxen. A number of white animals, resembling a flock of sheep, passed near me. They were wolves hanging upon the skirts of the herd. I pushed on, keeping to the southward. At length I heard voices ; and, in the clear moonlight, could see several horse- men galloping in circles over the plain. I shouted " Halloa ! " A voice answered mine, and one of the horsemen came galloping up ; it was St. Vrain. " Why, Lord bless me, Haller ! " cried he, reining up, and bending from his saddle to get a better view of me, " is it you or your ghost ? As I sit here, it's the man himself, and alive 1 " " Never in better condition," I replied. " But where did you come from ? the clouds ? the sky ? A RIDE UPON A BUFFALO BULL. 31 where ? " And his questions were echoed by the others, who at this moment were shaking me by the hand, as if they had not seen me for a twelvemonth. Code" seemed to be the most perplexed man of the party. " Mon Dieu ! run over ; tramp by von million cussed buffles, et ne pas mort ! 'Cr-r-re matin ! " " We were hunting for your body, or rather, the fragments of it," said St. Vrain. " We had searched every foot of the prairie for a mile round, and had almost come to the con- clusion that the fierce brutes had eaten you up." " Eat monsieur up ! No ! tre million buffles no him eat. Mon Dieu 1 Ha, Sleephead, pe hanged ! " This exclamation of the Canadian was addressed to Hib- bets, who had failed to warm my comrades of where I lay, and thus placed me in such a dangerous predicament. "We saw you tossed in the air," continued St. Vrain, " and fall right into the thick of them. Then, of course, we gave you up. But how, in heaven's name, have you got clear ? " I related my adventure to my wondering comrades. " Par Dieu ! " cried Gods' " un garfon ins-bizarre: une aventure tres-mcrveilleuse ! " From that hour I was looked upon as a " captain " on the prairies. My comrades had made good work of it, as a dozen dark objects that lay upon the plain testified. They had found my rifle and blankets, the latter trodden into the earth. St. Vrain had still a few drops in his flask ; and after swallowing these, and again placing the guard, we returned to our prairie couches and slept out the night. CHAPTER V. IN A BAD " FIX. FEW days afterwards, another " adventure " befel me ; and I began to think that I was destined to become a hero among the " mountain men." A small party of traders, myself among the number, had pushed forward ahead of the caravan Our ob- ject was to arrive at Santa Fe' a day or two before the wagons, in order to have everything arranged with the governor for their entrance into that capital. "We took the route by the Cimmaron. Our road, for a hundred miles or so, lay through a barren desert, without game, and almost without water. The buffalo had already disappeared, and deer were equally scarce. We had to content ourselves with the dried meat which we had brought from the settlements. We were in the deserts of the artemisia. Now and then we could see a stray antelope bounding away before us. but keeping far out of range. They, too, seemed to be unusually shy. On the third day after leaving the caravan, as we were riding near the Cimmaron, I thought I observed a pronged head disappearing behind a swell in the prairie. My com- 3 2 IX A HAD FIX. 33 panions were skeptical, and none of them would go with me ; so, wheeling out of the trail, I started alone. One of the men, for Code' was behind, kept charge of my dog, as I did not choose to take him with me, lest he might alarm the antelopes. My horse was fresh and willing ; and whether successful or not, I knew that I could easily overtake the party by camping-time. I struck directly towards the spot where I had seen the object. It appeared to be only half a mile or so from the trail. It proved mure distant : a common illusion in the crystal atmosphere of these upland regions. A curiously formed ridge, a toutcaii des prairies on a small scale, tr. the plain from east to west. A thicket of cactus covered part of its summit. Towards this thicket I directed myself. I dismounted at the bottom of the slope, and leading my horse silently up among the cacti plants tied him to one of their brandies. I then crept cautiously through the thorny leaves ton -ids the point where I fancied 1 had seen the game. To i iut one antelope, but a brace of those beautiful an i nd; but, alas ! too far off for the range of my rifle. They v/ere fully three hundred yards distant, upon a smooth, grassy slope. There was not even a sage bush to cover me, should I attempt to " approach " them. What was to be done ? I lay for several minutes, thinking over the different tricks known in hunter-craft for taking the antelope. Should, I imitate their call ? Should I hoist my handkerchief, and try to lure them up ? I saw that they were too shy ; for, at short intervals, they threw up their graceful heads and looked inquiringly around them. I remembered the red blanket on my saddle. I could display this upon the cactus bushes ; perhaps it would attract them. I had no alternative, and was turning to go back for, the, 3 34 THE SCALP-HUNTERS. blanket, when, all at once, my d upon a clay-colored line running across the prairie beyond where the animals were feeding. It was a break in the surface of the plain, a buffalo road, or the channel of an arroyo ; in either case the Y( ry cover I wanted, for, the animals were not a hundred yards from it. and were getting still nearer to it as they fed. Creeping back out of the thicket, I ran along the side of the slope towards a point where I had noticed that the ridge was depressed to the prairie level. Here, to my surprise, I found myself on the banks of a broad arroyo, whose water, clear and shallow, ran slowly over a bed of sand and gypsum. The banks were low, not over three feet above the surface of the water, except where the ridge impinged upon the sin Here there was a high bluff ; and, hurrying round its base, I entered the channel, and commenced wading upward. As I had anticipated, I soon came to a bend where the stream, after running parallel to the ridge, swept round and cammed through it. At this place I stopped, and looked cautiously over the bank. The antelopes had approached within less than rifle range of the arroyo ; but they were yet far above my position. They were still quietly feeding and unconscious of danger. I again bent down, and waded on. It was a difficult task proceeding in this way. The bed of the creek was soft and yielding, and I was compelled to tread slowly and silently lest I should alarm the game ; but I was cheered in my exertions by the prospect of fresh ven- ison for my supper. After a weary drag of several hundred yards, I came op- posite to a small clump of wormwood bushes growing out of the bank. " I may be high enough," thought I ; " these will serve for cover." I raised my body gradually until I could see through the leaves. I was in the right spot. I brought my rifle to a level, sighted for the heart of the IX A BAD " FIX." 35 buck, and fired. The animal leaped from the ground, and fell back lifeless. I was about to rush forward and secure my prize, when I observed the doe, instead of running off as I had expected, go up to her fallen partner and press her tapering nose to his body. She was not more than twenty yards from Ine ; and I could plainly see that her look was one of inquiry and 1>< - wilderment. All at once she seemed to comprehend the fatal truth ; and throwing back her head, commenced uttering the most piteous cries, at the same time running in circles around the body. I stood wavering between two minds. My first impulse had been to reload and kill the doc ; but her plaintive voice entered my heart, disarming me of all hostile intentions- Had I dreamt of witnessing this painful spectacle, I should not have left the trail. But the mischief was now done. " I have worse than killed her/' thought I ; "it will be better to despatch her at once." Actuated by these principles of a common, but to her fatal, humanity, I rested the butt of my rifle and reloaded. \Yith a faltering hand I again leveled the piece and fired. My nerves were steady enough to do the work. When the smoke floated aside, I could see the little creature bleeding upon the grass, her head resting against the body of her mur- dered mate. I shouldered my rifle, and was about to move forward, when, to my astonishment, I found that I was caught by the feet. I was held firmly, as if my legs had been screwed in a vice 1 I made an effort to extricate myself ; another, more violent, and equally unsuccessful ; and with a third, I lost my balance, and fell back upon the water. Half-suffocated, I regained my upright position, but only to find that I was held as fast as ever. 3. T!:e water was two feet in depth. I should drown at once. This last hope left me as soon as formed. I could think of no plan to save myself. I could make no further effort. A strange stupor seized upon me. My very thoughts became paralyzed. I knew that I was going rrrtid. For a moment I was mad ! After an interval my senses returned. I made an effort to rouse my mind from its paralysis, in order that I might meet death, which I now believed to be certain, as a man should. I stood erect. My eyes had sunk to the prairie level, and rested upon the still bleeding victims of my cruelty. My heart smote me at the sight. Was I suffering a retribution of God ? With humble and penitent thoughts I turned my face to heaven, almost dreading that some sign of omnipotent anger would scowl upon me from above. But no ! The sun was shining as brightly as ever, and the blue canopy of the world was without a cloud. 38 THE SCALP- HUNTERS.. I gazed upward, and prayed with an earnestness known only to the hearts of men in positions of peril like mine. As I continued to look up, an object attracted my attention. 1 Against the sky I distinguished the outlines of a large bird. I knew it to be the obscene bird of the plains the buzzard vulture. Whence had it come ? Who knows ? Far beyond the reach of human eye it had seen or scented the slaughtered antelopes, and on broad silent wing was now descending to the feast of death. < Presently another, and another, and many others, mottled the blue field of the heavens, curving and wheeling silently earthward. Then the foremost swooped down upon the bank, and after gazing around for a moment, flapped off towards its prey. In a few seconds the prairie was black with filthy birds, which clambered over the dead antelopes, and beat their wings against each other, while they tore out the eyes of the quarry with their fetid beaks. And now came gaunt wolves, sneaking and hungry, steal- ing out of the cactus thicket, and loping, coward-like, over the green swells of the prairie. These, after a battle, drove away the vultures, and tore up the prey, all the while growl- ing and snapping vengefully at each other. " Thank heaven 1 I shall at least be saved from this 1 " I was soon relieved from the sight. My eyes had sunk below the level of the bank. I had looked my last on the fair green earth. I could now see only the clayey walls that contained the river, and the water that ran unheeding by me. Once more I fixed my gaze upon the sky, and with prayer- ful heart endeavored to resign myself to my fate. In spite of my efforts to be calm, the memories of earthly pleasures, and friends, and home, came over me, causing me, at intervals, to break into wild paroxysms, and make fresh though fruitless struggles. IN A BAD FIX. 39 Again I was attracted by the neighing of my horse. A thought entered my mind, filling me with fresh hopes. " Perhaps my horse I lost not a moment. I raised my voice to its highest pitch, and called the animal by name. I knew that he would come at my call. I had tied him but slightly. The cactus limb would snap off. I called again, repeating words that were well known to him. I listened with a bounding heart. For a moment there was silence. Then I heard the quick sound of his hoofs, as though the animal were rearing and strug- gling to free himself. Then I could distinguish the stroke of his heels in a measured and regular gallop. Nearer came the sounds ; nearer and clearer, until the gal- lant brute appeared upon the bank above me. There he halted, and flinging back his tossed mane, uttered a shrill neigh. He was bewildered, and looked to every side, snorting loudly. I knew that having once seen me he would not stop until he had pressed his nose against my cheek, for this was his usual custom. Holding out my hands, I again uttered the magic words. Now glancing downward he perceived me, and stretching himself, sprang out into the channel. The next moment I held him by the bridle. There was no time to be lost. I was still going down ; and my armpits were fast nearing the surface of the quick- sand. I caught the lariat, and passing it under the saddlegirths, fastened it in a tight, firm knot. I then looped the trailing end, making it secure around my body. I had left enough of the rope, between the bit-ring and the girths, to enable me to check and guide the animal, in case the drag upon my body should be too painful. Ail this while, the dumb brute seemed to comprehend what 40 THE SCALP-HUNTERS. I was about. He knew, too, the nature of the ground on which he stood, for during the operation he kept lifting his feet alternately to prevent himself from sinking. My arrangements were at length completed ; and with a feeling of terrible anxiety, I gave my horse the signal to move forward. Instead of going off with a start, the intelligent ani- mal stepped away slowly, as though he understood my situa- tion. The lariat tightened, I felt my body moving, and the next moment experienced a wild delight, a feeling I cannot describe, as I found myself dragged out of the sand ! I sprang to my feet with a shout of joy. I rushed up to my steed, and throwing my arms around his neck, kissed him with as much delight as I would have kissed a beautiful girl. He answered my embrace with a low whimper, that told me I was understood. I looked for my rifie. Fortunately it had not sunk deeply, and I soon found it. My boots were behind me, but I stayed not to look for them, being smitten with a wholesome dreau of the place where I had left them. I was not long in retreating from the arroyo ; and mount- ing. I galloped back to the trail. It was sundown before I reached camp, where I was met by the inquiries of my wondering companions. " Did you come across the ' goats ' ? " " Where's your boots ? " " Whether have you been hunting or fishing ? " I answered all these questions by relating my adventures ; and that night I was again the hero of the camp-fire. Taking Solid Comfort : Smoking out Mosquitoes. CHAPTER VI. SANTA F. FTER a week's climb- ing through the Rocky Mountains, \ve descend- ed into the valley of the Norte, and arrived at the H capital of New Mexico, the far- famed Santa Fe'. Next day the caravan itself came in. for we had lost time on the southern route ; and the wagons traveling by the P-aton Pass, had made a good journey of it. We had no difficulty about their entrance into the country, with the proviso that we paid five hundred dollars of Alcavala tax upon each wagon. This was a greater extortion than usual ; but the traders were compelled to accept the impost. Santa 6 is the entrepot of the province, and the chief 42 THE SCALP-HUNTERS. seat of its trade. On reaching it we halted, " camping " without the walls. St. Vrain, several other proprietaircs, and myself took up our quarters at the Fonda, where we endeavored, by means of the sparkling vintage of El Paso, to make ourselves oblivous of the hardships we had endured in the passage of the plains. The eight of our arrival was given to feasting and making merry. Next morning I was awakened by the voice of my man Code* who appeared to be in high spirits, singing a snatch of a Canadian boat-song. " Ah, monsieur 1 " cried he, seeing me awake, " to-night aujourd'hui une grandc fonction one bal vat le cussed Mexicain he call fandango. Tres bien, monsieur. You vill sure have grand plaisir to see un fandango Mexicain ? " " Not I, Godd My countrymen are not so fond of danc- ing as yours." " C'est vrai, monsieur ; but von fandango is tres curieux. You sail see ver many sort of de pas. Bolero, et valse, wis de Coona, and ver many more pas, all mix up iri von puchero. Allons 1 monsieur, you vill see ver many pretty girl, avec les yeux tres noir, and ver short ah, pe Gar ! ver short vat you call em in Americaine ? " " I do not know what you allude to." " Cela 1 Zis, monsieur," holding out the skirt of his hunt- ing-shirt ; " par Dieu ! now I have him petticoes : ver short petticoes. Ah, pe Gar ! you sail see vat you sail see en un fandango Mexicaine. ' Las nifias de Durango Conmigo bailandas, Al cielo saltandas, En el fandango en el fan-dang o.' <( Ha 1 here comes Monsieur St. Vrain. Ecoutez 1 He SANTA FE. 43 never not go to fandango. Parbleu 1 how monsieur dance I like un maitre de ballet. Mais he be de sangre blood Franc.ais. Ecoutez 1 ' Al cielo saltandas, En el fandango en el fan-dang ' " "Ha! GodeM" " Monsieur ? " " Trot over to the cantina, and beg, borrow, buy, or steal a bottle of the best Paso." " Sail I try steal 'im, Monsieur St. Vrain ? " inquired Code, with a knowing grin. " No, you old Canadian thief I pay for it. There's the money. Best Paso, do you hear ? cool and sparkling. Now, vaya 1 Bon jour, my bold rider of buffalo bulls 1 Still abed, I see." " My head aches as if it would split." " Ha, ha, ha 1 so does mine ; but Code's gone for medi- cine. Hair of the dog good for the bite. Come, jump up!" "Wait till I get a dose of your medicine." ' True ; you will feel better then. I say : city life don't agree with us, eh ? " " You call this a city, do you ? " " Ay, so it is styled in these parts ; la ciudad de Santa Fk ; the famous city of Santa Fe ; the capital of Nuevo Mexico ; the metropolis of all prairiedom ; the paradise of traders, trappers, and thieves 1 " " And this is the progress of three hundred years 1 Why, these people have hardly passed the first stages of civiliza- tion." " Rather say they are passing the last stages of it. Here, on this fair oasis, you will find painting, poetry, dancing, theaters, and music, fetes and fireworks, with all the littl* 44 THE SCALP- HUNTERS. amorous arts that characterize a nation's decline. You will meet with numerous Don Quixotes, soi-disant knights-errant, Romeos without the heart, and ruffians, without the courage. You will meet with many things before you encounter either virtue or honesty, Hola ! muchacho 1 " " Que es, senor ? " " Hay cafd ? " " Si, senor." " Bring us a couple of tazas, then dos tazas, do you hear ? and quick aprisa ! aprisa!" " Si, senor." " Ha ! here comes le voyageur Canadien. So, old Nor'- west I you've brought the wine ? " " Vin delicieux, Monsieur St. Vrain ! equal to ze vintage " He is right, Haller ! Tsap tsap ! delicious you may say, good Gode'. Tsap tsap ! Come, drink 1 it'll make you feel as strong as a buffalo. See ! it seethes like a soda spring I like Fontaine-qui-bouilk : eh, Gode' ? " " Oui, monsieur ; ver like Fontaine-qui-bouille. Pe Gar ! oui." " Drink, man, drink ! Don't fear it : it's the pure juice. Smell the flavor ; taste the bouquet. Jerusalem ! what wine the Yankees will one day squeeze out of these New Mexican grapes ! " " Why ? Do you think the Yankees have an eye to this quarter ? " " Think ! I know it ; and why not ? What use are these manikins in creation ? Only to cumber the earth. Well, inozo, you have brought the coffee ? " " Ya, esta, senor." " Here ! try some of this : it will help^to set you on your feet. They can make coffee, and no mistake. It takes a, Spaniard to do that." SANTA FE. 45 " What is this fandango Code has been telling me about ? " " Ah ! true. We are to have a famous one to-night. You'll go, of course ? " " Out of curiosity." " Very well ; you will have your curiosity gratified. The blustering old' grampus of a governor is to honor the ball with his presence ; and, it is said, his pretty senora ; that I don't believe. " Why not ? " " He's too much afraid lest one of these wild Americanos might whip her off on the cantle of his saddle. Such things have been done in this very valley. By the gods 1 she is good-looking," continued St. Vrain, in a half soliloquy, "and I knew a man the cursed old tyrant ! only think of it ! " " Of what ? " " The way he has bled us. Five hundred dollars a wag- on, and a hundred of them at that : in all fifty thousand dollars ? " " But will he pocket all this ? Will not the govern- ment ? " " Government ! no, every cent of it. He is the govern- ment here ; and, with the help of this instalment, he will rule these miserable wretches, with an iron rod. Poor devils 1 " " And yet they hate him, do they not ? " " Him and his. God knows they have reason " " It is strange they do not rebel." " They have at times ; but what can the poor devils do ? Like all true tyrants, he has divided them, and makes them spend their hearts' hatred on one another." " But he seems not to have a very large army ; no body- guard " " Body-guard ! " cried St. Vrain, interrupting me ; " look out 1 there's his body-guard 1 " 46 THE SCALP-HUNTERS. " Indios b raves ! les Navajoes l n exclaimed Godd, at the same instant. I looked forth into the street. Half a dozen tall savages, wrapped in striped scrapes, were passing. Their wild hun- gry looks, and slow, proud walk at once distinguished them from Indios rnanzos : the water-drawing, wood-hewing pueblos. " Are they Navajoes ? " I asked. " Oui, monsieur, oui ! " replied Godd, apparently with some excitement. Mon Gracieuse ! Navajoes 1 tres cussed Navajoes ! " " There's no mistaking them," added St. Vrain. " But the Navajoes are the notorious enemies of the Ne\v Mexicans 1 How come they to be here ? Prisoners ? " " Do they look like prisoners ? " They certainly showed no signs of captivity in either look or gesture. They strode proudly up the street, opcasionally glancing at the passers with an air of savage and lordly con- tempt. " Why, then, are they here ? Their country lies far to the west." " That is one of the secrets of Nuevo Mexico, about which I will enlighten you some other time. They are now protected by a treaty of peace, which is only binding upon them so long as it may suit their convenience to recognize it. At present they are as free here as you or I ; indeed, more so, when it comes to that. I wouldn't wonder if we were to meet them at the fandango to-night." " I have heard that the Navajoes are cannibals." " It is true. Look at them this minute ! See how they gloat upon that chubby little fellow, who seems instinctively to fear them. Lucky for the urchin it's broad daylight, or he might get chucked under one of those striped blankets." " Are you in earnest, St. Vrain ? " SANTA FE. 47 " By my word, I am not jesting 1 If I mistake not, Code's experience will confirm what I have, said. Eh, voyageur ? " " C'est vrai, monsieur. I vas prisonnier in le nation ; not Navagh, but le cussed Apache moch de same pour tree mons. I have less sauvages seen manger eat one deux tree tree enfants rotis, like hump rib of de buffles. C'est vrai, messieurs, c'est vrai." " It is quite true ; both Apaches and Navajoes carry off children from the valley, here, in their grand forays ; and it is said by those who should know, that most of them are used in that way. Whether as a sacrifice to the fiery god Quetzal- coatl, or whether from a fondness for human flesh, no one has as yet been able to determine. In fact, with all their propinquity to this place, there is little known about them. Few who have visited their towns have had Godd's luck to get away again. No man of these parts ever ventures across the western Sierras." "And how came you, Monsieur 'Code, to save your scalp ? " " Pour quoi, monsieur, ja n'ai pas. I not haves scalp-lock ; vat de trappare Yankee call ' har,' mon scalp lock, is fabrique of von barbier de Saint Louis. Voila, monsieur 1 " So saying, the Canadian lifted his cap, and along with it what I had, up to this time, looked upon as a beautiful curling head of hair, but which now proved to be only a wig ! " Now, messieurs I " cried he, in good humor ; " how les sauvages my scalp take ? Le cussed Indien no have cash hold. Parbleu ! " St. Vrain and I were unable to restrain our laughter at the altered and comical appearance of the Canadian. " Come, Code 1 the least you can do after that is to take a drink. Here, help yourself ! " " Tres-obligd, Monsieur St. Vrain. Je vous remercie." 4 8 THE SCALP-HUNTERS. And the ever-thirsty voyageur quaffed off the nectar of El Paso, like so much fresh milk. " Come, Haller ! we must to the wagons. Business first, then pleasure : such as we may find here among these brick stacks. But we'll have some fun in Chihuahua." " And you think we shall go there ? " " Certainly. They do not want the fourth part of our stuff here. We must carry it on to the head market. To the camp ! Aliens ! " Sireet Thca;.' CHAPTER VII. . .DANGO. !Mg I t in my room r SI T - ' --' \rain. I ; is voice i .Von.i with Cor.;- . rlas, Are you K: bold rid " Not quite. Sit down a. minute and wait." " Hurry then 1 the dancing's begun. I have just come that way, What ! that your ball-dress ? Ha I ha 1 ha 1 " 4. 49 50 THE SCALP- HUNTERS. screamed St. Vrain, seeing me unpack a blue coat and a pair of dark pantaloons, in a tolerable state of preservation. " Why, yes," replied I, looking up ; " What fault do you find ? But is that your ball-dress ? " No change had taken place in the ordinary raiment of my friend. The fringed hunting-shirt and leggins, the belt, the bowie, and the pistols, were all before me. " Yes, my dandy ; this is my ball-dress : it ain't anything shorter ; and if you'll take my advice, you'll wear what you have got on your back. How will your long-tailed blue look, with a broad belt and bowie strapped round the skirts ? Ha ) ha! ha I" " But why take either belt or bowie ? You are surely not going into a ball-room with your pistols in that fashion ? " " And how else should I carry them ? In my hands ? " " Leave them here." " Ha 1 ha ! that would be a green trick. No, no. Once bit, twice shy. You don't catch this 'coon going into any fandango in Santa Fe without his six-shooters. Come, keep on that shirt ; let your leggins sweat where they are, and buckle this about you. That's the costume du bal in these parts." " If you assure me that my dress will be comme il faut, I'm agreed." " It won't be with the long-tailed blue, I promise you." The long-tailed blue was restored forthwith to its nook in my portmanteau. St. Vrain was right. On arriving at the room, a large sa/a in the neighborhood of the Plaza, we found it filled with hunters, trappers, traders, and teamsters, all swaggering about in their usual mountain ' ' rig." Mixed among them were some two or three score of the " natives," with an equal number of senoritas, all of whom, by their style of dress, I recognize as " poblanas," or persons of the lower class : the only class, in fact, to be met with in Santa Fe. THE FANDANGO. 51 As we entered, most of the men had thrown aside their scrapes for the dance, and appeared in all the finery of em- broidered velvet, stamped leather, and shining " castletops." The women looked not less picturesque in their bright " naguas," snowy chemisettes, and small satin slippers. Some of them flounced it in polka jackets : for even to that remote region the famous dance had found its way. " Have you heard of the electric telegraph ? " " No, senor." " Can you tell me what a railroad is ? " " Quien sabe ? " " La polka ? " " Ah 1 senor, la polka, la polka 1 cosa buenita, tan graciosa ! vaya 1 " The ball-room was a long oblong sa/a, with a " banquette" running all round it. Upon this the dancers seated them- selves, drew out their husk cigarettes, chatted, and smoked during the intervals of the dance. In one corner, half a dozen sons of Orpheus twanged away upon harp, guitar, and bandolin ; occasionally helping out the music with a shrill half-Indian chant. In another angle of the apartment, puros, and " Taos" whisky, were dealt out to the thirsty mountaineers, who made the sala ring with their wild ejac- ulations. There were scenes like the following : " Hyar, my little muchacha ! vamos, vamos, ter dance I Mucho bueno ! Mucho bueno ? Will ye ? " This is from a great rough fellow of six feet and over, addressed to a trim little poblana. " Mucho bueno, Senor Americano I " replies the lady. " Hooraw for you ! Come along I Let's licker fust 1 You're the gal for my beaver. What'll yer drink ? Agwar- dent or vino ? " " Copitita de vino, senor. (A small glass of wine, sir.) " Hyar, yer darned greaser ! Set out your vino in a squ'll's jump ! Now, my little 'un, hyar's luck, and a good husband 1 " " Gracias, Senor Americano 1 " 52 SCALP-HUNTERS. " What ! you understand that ? You intende, do yer ? " " Si, senor ! " " Hooraw, then ! Look hyar, little 'un, kin yer go the b'ar dance ? " "No cntieiidc." " Yer don't understan' it ! Hyar it is ; this a-way ; " and the clumsy hunter began to show off before his partner, in an imitation of the grizzly bear. " Hilloa, Bill ! " cries a comrade, " yer'll be trapped if yer don't look sharp. How's yer kidneys, hoss ? " " I'm dog-gone, Jim, if I don't feel queery about hyar," replies the hunter, spreading his great paw over the region of the heart. " Don't be skeert, man ; it's a nice gal, anyways." " Nice ! Draw a bead on them eyes, if yer kin ; and jest squint down at them ankles ! " " Good sights ; a heap o' quarter; clean shanks." " I wonder what the old chap'll take for her. I'm 'most froze for a squaw. Hain't had nery one since I tuk back that Crow woman on the Yeller-stone." " Wah, man ! yer ain't among Injuns. Get the gal's con- sent, if yer kin, and she won't cost yer as much as a plug o' 'bacca." " Hooray for old Missouri ! " shouts a teamster.' " Come, boys ! Let's show these yer greasers a Virginny break-down. ' Cl'ar the kitchen, old folks, young folks." " Go it hoe and oe ! ' Old Virginny nebir tire ! ' " Viva el gobernado ! Viva Armijo ! Viva ! viva ! " An arrival at this moment caused a sensation in the room. A stout, fat, priest-like man entered, accompanied by several others. It was the governor and his suite, with a number of well-dressed citizens, who were no doubt the elite of New Mexican society. Some of the new-comer's were militaires^ dressed in gaudy and foolish-looking uniforms, that were THE FANDANGO. 53 soon seen spinning round the room in the mazes of the waltz. " Where is the Senora Armijo ? " I whispered to St. Vrain. I told you as much. She ! she won't be out. Stay here ; I am going for a short while. ' Help yourself to a partner, and see some fun. I will be back presently. An reroir ! " Without any further explanation, St. Vrain squeezed him- self through the crowd and disappeared. I had been seated on the banquette since entering the sa/a, St. Vrain beside me, in a retired corner of the room. A man of peculiar appearance occupied the seat next to St. Vrain, but farther into the shadow of a piece of furniture. I had noticed this man as we entered, and noticed, too, that St. Vrain spoke to him ; but I was not introduced, and the interposition of my friend prevented me from making any further observation of him until the latter had retired. We were now side by side ; and I commenced a sort of angular reconnaissance of a face and figure that had somewhat strangely arrested my attention. He was not an American ; that was evident from his dress ; and yet the face was not Mexican. Its outlines were too bold for a Spanish face, though the complexion, from tan and exposure, was brown and swarth. His face was clean-shaven, except his chin, which carried a pointed, darkish beard. The eye, if I saw it aright under the shadow of a slouched brim, was blue and mild ; the hair brown and wavy, with here and there a strand of silver. These were not Spanish characteristics, much less Hispano- American ; and I should have at once placed my neighbor elsewhere but that his dress puzzled me. It was purely a Mexican costume, and consisted of a purple manga, with dark velvet embroidery around the vent and along the borders. As this garment covered the greater part of his person, I could only see that underneath was a pair of green velveteen calzoneros, with yellow buttons, and snow-white 54 THE SCALP-HUNTERS. calzoncillos puffing out along the seams. The bottoms of the calzoneros were trimmed with stamped black leather ; and under these were yellow boots, with a heavy steel spur upon the heel of each. The broad peaked strap that confined the spur, passing over the foot, gave to it that peculiar con- tour that we observe in the picture of armed knights of the olden time. He wore a black broad-brimmed sombrero, girdled by a thick band of gold bullion. A pair of tags of the same material stuck out from the sides : the fashion of the country. The man kept his sombrero slouched towards the light, as I thought or suspected, for the concealment of his face. And yet it was not an ill-favored one. On the contrary, it was open and pleasing : no doubt had been handsome before time, and whatever caused its melancholy expression, had lined and clouded it. It was this expression that had struck me on first seeing the man. Whilst I was making these observations, eyeing him cross- wise all the while, I discovered that he was eyeing me in a similar manner, and with an interest apparently equal to my own. This caused us to face round to each other, when the stranger drew from under his manga a small beaded cigarero, and, gracefully holding out it to me, said " Quiere a fumar, caballero ? " (Would you smoke, sir ?) " Thank you, yes," I replied in Spanish, at the same time taking a cigar from the case. We had hardly lit our cigarettes when the man again turned to me, with the unexpected question - " Will you sell your horse ? " " No." " Not for a good price ? " " Not for any price." " I would give five hundred dollars for him." " I would not part with him for twice the amount " THE FANDANGO. 55 " I will give twice the amount." " I have become attached to him : money is no object." " I am sorry to hear it. / have traveled tu>o hundred miles to buy that horse" I looked at my new acquaintance with astonishment, involuntarily repeating his last words. " You must have followed us from the Arkansas, then ? " " No, I came from the Rio Abajo." " The Rio Abajo ! You mean from down the Del Norte' ? " " Yes." " Then, my dear sir, it is a mistake. You think you are talking to somebody else, and bidding for some other horse." " Oh, no 1 He is yours. A black stallion with red nose and long full tail : half-bred Arabian. There is a small mark over the left eye." This was certainly the description of Moro ; ar\d I began to feel a sort of superstitious awe in regard to my mysterious neighbor. " True," replied I : " that is all correct ; but I bought that stallion many months ago from a Louisiana planter. If you have just arrived from two hundred miles down the Rio Grande, how, may I ask, could you have known anything about me or my horse ? " " Dispensadme, caballero ! I did not mean that. I came from below to meet the caravan, for the purpose of buying an American horse. Yours is the only one in the caballada I would buy, and, it seems, the only one that is not for sale 1 " " I am sorry for that ; but I have tested the qualities of this animal. We have become friends. No common motive would induce me to part with him." " Ah, senor ? it is not a common motive that makes me so eager to purchase him. If you knew that, perhaps " he hesitated a moment ; " but no, no, no 1 " and after muttering some half-coherent words, among which I could recognize 56 THE SCALP- HUNTERS. the " Buenos noches, caballero ! '' the stranger rose up with the same mysterious air that had all along characterized him, and left me. I could hear the tinkling of the small bells upon the rowels of his spurs, as he slowly warped himself through the gay crowd, and disappeared into the night. The vacated seat was soon occupied by a dusky " manola," whose bright nagua, embroidered chemisette, brown ankles, and small blue slippers, drew my attention. This was all I could see of her, except the occasional flash of a very black eye through the loophole of the " rebozo tapado." By de- grees, the rebozo became more generous, the loophole ex- panded, and the outlines of a very pretty and very malicious little face were displayed before me. The end of the scarf was adroitly removed from the left shoulder ; and a nude plump arm, ending in a bunch of small jeweled fingers, hung carelessly down. I am tolerably bashful ; but at the sight of this tempting partner, I could >; hold in " no longer, and bending towards her, I said in my best Spanish, " Do me the favor, miss, to waltz with me." The wicked little manola first held down her head and blushed ; then, raising the long fringes of her eyes, looked up again, and with a voice as sweet as that of a canary-bird, replied "Con gusto, .senor." (With pleasure, sir.) " Nos vamos ! " cried I, elated with my triumph; and pairing off with my brilliant partner, we were soon whirling about in the " mazy." We returned to our seats again, and after refreshing with a glass of " Albuquerque," a sponge-cake, and a "husk" cigarette, again " took the floor." This pleasurable prog- ram we repeated some half-dozen times, only varying the dance from waltz to polka, for my manola danced the polka as if she had been a born Bohemian. THE FANDANGO. 57 On one of my fingers was a fifty-dollar diamond, which my partner seemed to think was " muy buenito." As her igneous eyes softened my heart, and the champagne was producing a similar effect upon my head, I began to specu- late on the propriety of transferring the diamond from the smallest of my fingers to the largest of hers, which it would, no doubt, have fitted exactly. All at once I became con- scious of being under the surveillance of a large and very tierce-looking Icpero, a regular pcladt\ who followed us with his eyes, and sometimes in persona, to every part of the room. The expression of his swarth face was a mixture of jealousy and vengeance, which my partner noticed, but, as 1 thought, took no pains to soften down. " Who is he ? " I whispered, as the man swung past us in his chequered scrape'. " Esta mi marido, seiicr " (it is my husband, sir), was the cool reply. I pushed the ring close up to the root of my finger, shut- ting my hand upon it tight as a vise. Vamos a tomar otra copita ! " (let us take another glass of wine I) said I, resolving to bid my pretty '' poblana," as soon as possible, a good night. The Taos whisky had by this time produced its effect upon the dancers. The trappers and teamsters had become noisy and riotous. The leperos, who now half filled the room, stim- ulated by wine, jealousy, old hatreds, and the dance, began to look more savage and sulky. The fringed hunting-shirts and brown homespun frocks found favor with the dark-eyed " majas " of Mexico, partly out of a respect for, and a fear of, courage, which is often at the bottom of a love like theirs. Although the trading caravans supplied almost all the commerce of Santa Fe' and it was clearly the interest of its inhabitants to be on good terms with the traders, the two 58 THE SCALP-HUNTERS. races, Anglo-American and Hispano-Indian, hated each other thoroughly ; and that hate was now displaying itself on one side in bullying contempt, on the other in muttered " carajos " and fierce looks of vengeance. I was still chatting with my lively partner. We were seated on the banquette where 1 had introduced myself. On looking casually up, a bright object met my eyes. It appeared to be a naked knife in the hands of " su marido," who was just then lowering over us like the shadow of an evil spirit. I was favored with only a slight glimpse of this dangerous meteor, and had made up my mind to " 'ware steel," when some one plucked me by the sleeve, and turning, I beheld my quondam acquaintance of the purple manga. " Dispensadme, senor " said he, nodding graciously ; " I have just learned that the caravan is going on to Chihuahua." " True, there is no market here for our goods." " You go on then, of course ? " " Certainly, I must." " Will you return this way, senor ? " " It is very likely ; I have no other intention at present." " Perhaps then you might be willing to part with your horse ? You will find many as good in the great valley of the Mississippi." " Neither is likely." " But, senor, should you be inclined to do so, will you promise me the refusal of him ? " " Oh ! that I will promise you, with all my heart." Our conversation was here interrupted by a huge, gaunt, half-drunken Missourian, who, trampling rudely upon the stranger's toes, vociferated " Ye up, old greaser 1 gi' me a char." " Y porque ? " (and why ? ) demanded the Mexican, drawing in his feet, and looking up with a,t,Qn,ished. indigna,- THE FANDANGO. 59 " Porky be durned 1 I'm tired jumpin'. I want a seat, that's it, old hoss." There was something so bullying and brutal in the con- duct of this man, that I felt called upon to interfere. " Come 1 said I, addressing him, " you have no right to deprive this gentleman of his seat, much less in such a fashion." " Eh, mister ? who the hades asked you to open yer head ? Ye up, I say I " and at the word, he seized the Mexican by the corner of his manga, as if to drag him from his seat. Before I had time to reply to this rude speech and gesture, the stranger leaped to his feet, and with a well-planted blow felled the bully upon the floor. This seemed to act as a signal for bringing several other quarrels to a climax. There was a rush through all parts of the sa/a, drunken shouts mingled with yells of vengeance, knives glanced from their sheaths, women screamed, pistols flashed and cracked, filling the rooms with smoke and dust. The lights went out, fierce struggles could be heard in the darkness, the fall of heavy bodies amidst groans and curses, and for five minutes these were the only sounds. Having no cause to be particularly angry with anybody, I stood where I had risen, without using either knife or pistol, my frightened " maju " all the while holding me by the hand. A painful sensation near my left shoulder caused me sud- denly to drop my partner ; and with that unaccountable weakness consequent upon the reception of a wound, I felt myself staggering toward the banquette. Here I dropped into a sitting posture, and remained till the struggle was over, conscious all the while that a stream of blood was oozing down my back, and saturating my under garments. I sat thus till the struggle had ended. A light was brought, and I could distinguish a number of men in hunt- ing-shirts moving to and fro with violent gesticulations. 60 THE SCALP-HUNTERS. Some of them were advocating the justice of the " spree," as they termed it ; while others, the more respectable of the traders, were denouncing it. The leperos with the women, had all dis ; peared, and I could perceive that the " Ameri- can < arried the day. Several dark objects lay along the floor : they were bodies of men dead or dying!. One \vas an American, the Missourian who had been the immedi- ate cause of \h& fracas ; the others were pelados. I could see nothing of my late acquaintance. My fandangucra, too con su mart do had disappeared ; and on glancing at my k-ft hand, I came to the conclusion that so also had my diamond ring 1 " St. Vrain 1 St. Vrain ! " 1 called, seeing the figure of my friend enter at the door. " Where are you, H., old boy? How is it with you ? all right, eh ? " " Not quite, I fear." " Good heavens ! what's this ? why, you're stabbed in the hump ribs ! Not bad, I hope. Off with your shirt and let's see." ' First let us to my room." " Come then, my dear boy, lean on me so, so 1 " The fandango was over. Fruit Peddler, "Water Carrier, and Market Women. CHAPTER VIII. SE< . KR. HAVH had the pleasure of being wounded ir. the field of baule. I say i drcum- star are luxuries. You have been carried on a " stretcher " to some secure spot. An aid-de-camp drops :d announces that "the enemy is in f;;!i ilig/.ty" liu- ,g you from the apprehension of being transfixed by .some mustached lancer ; a friendly surgeon bend.-; over you, and after groping awhile about your wound, tells you it is " only a scratch," and that it will be well in a week or two ; then come visions of glory, the glory of the Gazette ; present pains are forgotten in the contemplation of future triumphs ; the congratulations of friends ; the smiles, perchance, of one dearer than all. Consoled by such anticipations, you lie back on your rude couch, smiling at a bullet-hole through your thigh, or the slash of a saber across your arm. I have had these emotions. How different were the 61 62 THE SCALP-HUNTERS. feelings I experienced while smarting under wounds that came by the steel of the assassin I My earliest anxiety was about the " depth " of my wound. Was it mortal ? This is generally the first question a man puts to himself, after discovering that he has been shot or stabbed. A wounded man cannot always answer it either. One's life-blood may be spurting from the artery at each palpitation, while the actual pain felt is not worth the prick- ing of a pin. On reaching the Fonda, I sank exhausted on my bed. St. Vrain split my hunting-shirt from cape to skirt, and com- menced examining my wound. I could not see my friend's face as he stood behind me, and I waited with impatience. " Is it deep ? " I asked. " Not deep as a draw-well, nor wide as a wagon-track," was the reply. " You're quite safe, old fellow ; thank Prov- idence, and not the man who handled that knife, for the fellow plainly intended to do for you. It is the cut of a Spanish knife, and a devilish gash it is. By Jove 1 Haller, it was a close shave. One inch more, and the spine, my boy I But you're safe, I say. Here, Code ! that sponge 1 " " Parbleu 1 " muttered Gode', with true Gallic aspirate, as he handed the wet rag. I felt the cold application. Then a bunch of soft raw cotton, the best dressing it could have, was laid over the wound, and fastened by strips. The most skilful surgeon could have done no more. " Close as a clamp," added St. Vrain, as he fastened the last pin, and placed me in the easiest position. " But what started the row ? and how came you to cut such a figure in it ? I was out, thank God I " " Did you observe a strange-looking man " " What 1 with the purple manga ? " " Yes." SEGUIN THE SCALP-HUNTER. 63 " He sat beside us ? " Yes." "I la I No wonder you say a strange-looking man; stranger than he looks too. I saw him, I know him, and perhaps not another in the room could say that. Ay, there was another," continued St. Yrain, with a peculiar smile ; '' but what could have brought him there is that which puzzles me. Armijo could not have seen him : but go on." I related to St. Vrain the whole of my conversation with the stranger, and the incidents that led to the breaking up of the fandango. " It is odd very odd 1 What the deuce could he want with your horse ? Two hundred miles, and offers a thou- sand dollars 1 " " Enfant de garce, capitaine I " (Code' had called me captain ever since the ride upon the buffalo) ; " if monsieur come two hunred mile, and vill pay tin mille thousan dollar, pe Gar 1 he Moro like ver, ver moch. Un grand passion pour le cheval. Pourquois : vy he no like him ver sheep ? vy he no steal 'im ? " I started at the suggestion, and looked toward St. Vrain. " Vith permiss of le capitaine, I vill le chavel cache," con- tinued the Canadian moving towards the door. " You need not trouble yourself, old Nor'-west, as far as that gentleman is concerned. He'll not steal your horse ; though that's no reason why you should not fulfil your in- tention, and cache the animal. There are thieves enough in Santa Fe to steal the horses of a whole regiment. You had better fasten him by the door here." Godd after devoting Santa Fd and its inhabitants to a much warmer climate than Canada, passed to the door, and disappeared. " Who is he ? " I asked, " this man, about whom. the,r.Q to be. so much that is mysterious, \ " 04 . SCALP-HUNTERS. " Ah ! if you knew. I will tell you some queer passages by and by, but not to-night. You have no need of excite- ment. That is the famous Seguin r." " The Scalp-hunte, " Ay I you have ,,, no d t y OU would, had you been much among the in<";nt.ii]< " I have, innocent Exterminating Supernumerary Dogs in Mexico. The hellish ruffian ! The wholesale butcher of A dark waif danced against the wall : it was the shadow of a man. I looked up. Seguin was before me ! St. Vrain on seeing him enter had turned away and stood looking out of the window. I was on the point of changing my tirade into the apos- trophic form, and at the same time ordering the man out of my sight, when something in his look influenced me to re- I'-HTXTKR. 65 main silent. Icoulcl . hvther he had heard or under- \vhoin my abusive epithets had been applied ; but thei. .; in his manner that betrayed his having done -.(>. I \ the same !<">k that had at first attr. nelandv ('(mid this man be the hardened and heartless villain I had heard of, the autli many atroeiti' t!i it I remained silent. " I deeply !>.at has happened 10 you. 1 was the involuntary ap. Is voar wound a sr'.cre one? " '!. with a dryncss of manner that ert him. 'he continued, after a pause. "I ;'.i;;nk you for your grnerous interference. I leave Santa !V in ten mirrUteS, I must bid you farevell." He 1. I muttered the word "farewell/' but without .,e the salutation. The stories of cruel atrocity 1 with the name of this man came into my mind at the moment, and I felt a loathing for him. in its outstretched position, while a stra . i over his countenance, as " I can-iot take \our ha'vl." I said at length. 1, in a mild tone. . sir, away ! " Hetixetl lii.-. eyes upon me with a sorrowful look. There rk of anger in them. He drew his hand within the folds of his i .d uttering a deep sigh, turned and walked slowly out of the room. /rain, who hail wheeled round at the close of this scene, strode forward to the door, and stood looking after him. I could see the Mexican, from where I lay, as he crossed the quadrangular /O/M, He had shrugged himself closely in his manga, and was moving off in an attitude that 66 THE SCALP-HUNTERS. betokened the deepest dejection. In a moment he was out of sight, having passed through the sagiian, and into the street. " There is something truly mysterious about that man. Tell me, St. Vrain " Hush-sh ! look yonder ! " interrupted my friend, pointing through the open door. I looked out into the moonlight. Three human forms were moving along the wall, toward the entrance of the patio. Their height, their peculiar attitudes, and the stealthy silence of their steps, convinced me they were In- dians. The next moment they were lost under the dark shadows of the sagiiau. " \Yho are they ? " I inquired. " Worse enemies to poor Seguin than you would be, if you knew him better. I pity him if these hungry hawks overtake him in the dark. Ikit no ; he's worth warning, and a hand to help him, if need be. He shall have it. Keep cool, Harry! I will be back in a jiffy." So saying, St. Vrain left me ; and the moment after I could see his light form passing hastily out of the gate. I lay reflecting on the strangeness of the incidents that seemed to be occurring around me. I was not without some painful reflections. I had wounded the feelings of one who had not injured me, and for whom my friend evidently entertained a high respect. A shod hoof sounded upon the stones outside : it was Code with my horse ; and the next moment I heard him hammering the picket-pin into the pavement. Shortly after, -St. Vrain himself returned. " Well," I inquired, " what happened you ? " " Nothing much. That's a weasel that never sleeps. He had mounted his horse before they came up with him, and was very soon out of their reach." SEGUIN THE SCALP-HUNTER. 67 " But may they not follow him on horseback ? " " That is not likely. He has comrades not far from here, I warrant you. Armijo and it was he sent those villains on his track has no force that dare follow him when he gets upon the wild hills. No fear for him once he has cleared the houses." " But, my dear St. Vrain, tell me what you know of this singular man. I am wound up to a pitch of curiosity." " Not to-night, Harry ; not to-night. I do not wish to cause you further excitement ; besides, I have reason to leave you now. To-morrow, then. Good night 1 good night ! ", And so saying, my mercurial friend left me to Code and a night of restlessness. ('.' ^-*. <^\.^H Xxr-^o^-v:- Indian Pottery Decorator. Pottery Merchant. CHAPTKK IX. 1.1 '.FT r.l'.llIND. N the third day after the fandango, it is announced that the raruvan will move onward to Chihuahua. The day arrives, and I am unable to travel with it. My surgeon, a wretched leech of a Mexican, assures me that it will be certain death to attempt the journey. For want of any op- posing evidence, I am constrained to believe him. I have no alternative but adopt the joyless resolve to remain in Santa Fe until the return of the traders. Chafing on a feverish bed, I take leave of my late com- panions. We part with many regrets ; but above all, I am pained at bidding adieu to St. Vrain, whose light-hearted companionship has been my solace through three clays of suffering. He has proved my friend ; and has undertaken to take charge of my wagons, and dispose of my goods in the market ot Chihuahua. 68 LKFT UKIIINH. 69 " Do not fret, man." says he. taking leave. " Kill time \\ilh the champagne of Kl l'a.M>. \Yc will be back in a squirrel's jump ; and, trust me. I will bring you a mule-load xican shiners. God bless you ! Hood-by ! " I can sit up in my bed and. from the open windov. the white tilts of the wagons, as the train rolls over a m boring hill. I hear the cracking whips and the deep-t.. wo-ha " of the teamsters ; I see the traders mour.t and gallop after ; and I turn upon my couch with a feeling of loneliness and desertion. For days I lie tossing and fretting, despite the coi tory influence of the champagne, ami the rude but kindly attentions of my voyageur vak-t. I rise at length, dress myself, and sit in my ventana." 1 have a good view of the plaza and the adjacent str> with their rows of brown adobe houses, and dusty '' between. I gaze, hour after hour, on what is passing without. The scene is not without novelty as well as variety. Swarthy* ill-favored faces appear behind the folds of dingy rebo. Fierce glances lower under the slouch of broad sombreros. Poblanas with short skirts and slippered feet pass my win- dow ; and groups of " tame " Indians, pueblos, crowd in from the neighboring rancherias, belaboring their donkeys as they go. These bring baskets of fruit and vegetables. They squat down upon the dusty plaza, behind piles of prickly pears, or pyramids of tomatoes and chile. The women, light-hearted hucksters, laugh and sing and chatter continuously. The tortillera, kneeling by her mciate, bruises the boiled maize, claps it into thin flakes, flings it on the heated stone, and then cries, " Tortillas .' tortillas calientes ! " The cocinera stirs the peppery stew of chile Colorado, lifts the red liquid in her wooden ladle, and invites her customers by the expressions : u Chile bucno t excettaiU .' " " Cart/on / 76 Till- SCALP-IirXTKKS. carbon ' " cries the charcoaWburner. - Agua ! agna limpia /' shouts the aguadore. " Pan fino, pan bianco /" screams the baker ; and other cries from the venders of atole, huevos, and IccM, are uttered in shrill discordant voices. Such are the voices of a Mexican " plaza." They are at first interesting. They become monot< then disagreeable ; until at length I am tortured, and listen to them with a feverish exeitement. After a few days I am able to walk, and go out with my faithful Code-. We stroll through the town. It reminds me of an extensive brick-field before the kilns have been set on fire. We encounter the same brown adobe's everywhere : same villainous-looking leperos lounging at the corners ; the same bare-legged slippered wenches ; the same strings of belabored donkeys ; the same shrill and detestable cries. We pass by a ruinous-looking house in a remote quarter. Our ears are saluted by voices from within. We hear shouts of "Muera* hs YatiMcs ! ,Al>ajo los Americanos!" doubt the/ie l\>!videi.i ! It was attacked on Sunday last. On Sund.; . when they were all en la nii.^a. 1'ues, senor. the robbers surrounded the church ; and oh, carrambo ! they dragged out the people men, women, and children ! Pues. senor : they kill the men ; and the women : Dios de mi alma ! " Well, and the women ? " Oh, senor! they are all gone : they were carried to the mountains by the savages. Pobres mugeres ! " ' It is a sad story, truly; but the Indians, I understand, only make these forays at long intervals. I am not likely to meet with them now. At all events. Jose, I have made up up my mind to run the risk." " liut, senor," continued Jose, lowering his voice to a confidential tone, ''there are other ladrones besides the Indians : white ones, muchos, muchissimos ? Ay, indeed, mi amo, white robbers; blancos, blancos y mu y li carrai ! " And Jose* closed his fingers as if clutching some ima-i- nary object. This appeal to my fears was in vain. I answered it by pointing to my revoh'ers and rifle, and to the well-filled belt of my henchman Gode. \\'hen the Mexican 1'onifaci- saw tliat I was determined to rob him of all the guests he had in his house, he retired sul- THE SCALP-HUNTED. help . the ill-favored town, and took the road for Mexican Crab and Land Shells. ClIAl'TKK X. THK !>KI. NORTH. OR days \vc journey clown the Del Norte'. We jiass through nu- merous villages, many of them types of Santa Yd. We cross the zequias and irrigating canals, and pass along fields of bright green inaixe plants. We see vineyards and grand haciendas. These appear richer and more prosperous as we approach the southern part of the province, the Rio . \bajo. In the distance both east and west, we descry dark moun- tains rolled up against the sky. These are the twin ranges of the Rocky Mountains. Long spurs trend towards the river, and in places appear to close up the valley. They add to the expression of many a beautiful landscape that opens before us as we move onward. 75 76 T1IK SCAl.P-IirXTERS. We sec picturesque costumes in the villages and along the highways : men dressed in the chequered scrape or the striped blankets of the Xuvajoes ; conical sombreros with broad brims; calzoneros of velveteen, with their r<>v, shining castle-tops, and fastened at the waist by the jaunty sash. \Ye sec mangas and tilmas, and mm wearing the sandal as in Kastern lands. On the women we observe the graceful rcbozo, the short nagua, and the embroidered chemisette. \Ve see rude implements of husbandry : the creaking < ar- reta, with its block wheels ; the primitive plow of the fork- ing tree-branch, scarcely scoring the soil ; the horn-yoked oxen ; the goad ; the clumsy hoe in the hands of the peon serf: these are all objects that are new and curious to our , and that indicate the lowest order of agricultural knowledge. Along the roads we meet numerous atajos, in charge of their arricros. We observe the mules, small, smooth, light- limbed, and vicious. We glance at the heavy alparejas and bright worsted apishamores. We notice the tight wiry mus- tangs, ridden by the arrieros ; the high-peaked saddles and hair bridles ; the >\varth faces and pointed beards of the riders : the huge spurs that tinkle at every step ; the excla- mations. " Hola, mula ! malraya ! vaya ! " We notice all these, and they tell us we are journeying in the land of the Hispano- American. Under other circumstances these objects would have inter- ested me. At that time, they appeared to me like the pic- tures of a panorama, or the changing scenes of a continuous dream. As such have they left their impressions on my memory. 1 was under the incipient delirium of fever. It was as yet only incipient ; nevertheless, it distorted the images around me, and rendered their impressions unnatural and wearisome. My wound began to pain me afresh, and THE DEL NORTh. 77 the hot sun. -lust, and thv thivt, with the miserable accomm-- ''^ vexed me to an On ' '' lhc ,. It was my intention to have remained there all night, but it proved a rulVun sort of Domestic Bliss among the Peons. phc<-, with i; ! comfort, and I moved on to inhabited spot in New Mexico, as you approach ' '- the Jornada del Muerte. I had never made the journey, and at Parida I had obtained one tiling that \\v .stood in need of: a guide. He had volunteered ; and as 1 learnt that it would be no easy task to procure one at Socorro, I was fain to take him along. 78 THE SCALP-HUNTERS. He was a coarse, shaggy looking customer, and I did not at all like his appearance ; but I found, on reaching Socorro, that what I had heard was correct. No guide could be hired on any terms, so great was their dread of the Jornada and its occasional denizens, the Apache's. Socorro was alive with Indian rumors, nnrcdatlcs. The Indians had fallen upon an atajo near the crossing of I-'ia Cristobal, ami murdered the arrieros to a man. The village was full of consternation at the news. The people dreaded jn attack, and thought me mad when I made known my in- tention of crossing the Jornada. I began to fear they would frighten my guide from his .igement, but the fellow stood out stanchly, still expi ing his willingness to accompany us. Without the prospect of meeting the Apache . I was but ill prepared for the Jornada. The pain of my wound had increased, and I was fatigued and burning with fever. But the caravan had passed through Socorro only three days before, and I was in hopes of overtaking my old com- panions before they could leave Kl Paso. This determined me to proceed in the morning, and I made arrangements for an early start. Code* and I were awake before dawn. My attention went out to summon the guide and saddle our animals. I remained in the house making preparations for a cup of coffee before starting. I was assisted by the landlord of the posada, who had risen, and was stalking about in his scrape. While thus engaged I was startled by the voice of Gode calling from without, " Mon maitre ! mon maitre ! the rascal have him run vay 1 " " What do you mean ? W T ho has run away ? " " Oh, monsieur la Mexicaine, vith von mule, has robb, and run vay. Allons, monsieur, aliens ! " I followed the Canadian to the stable with a feeling of THE DHL NORTH. 79 anxiety. My horse but no thank heaven, lie was tl One of the mules, the n\.. -> gone. It was the one which the guide had ridden from 1'arada. :haps he is not off yet," I d. "He may still be in the town." \Ve sent and went in all directions to find him, but to no purpose. We were relieved at length from all doubts by the arrival of some early market men, who had met such a Cock-fighting in Mexico: Often Ends in a Fist Fight. man as our guide far up the river, and riding a mule at full gallop. What should we do ? Follow him to Parida ? No; that would be a journey for nothing. I knew that he would not be fool enough to go that way. Kven if he did, it would have been a fool's errand to seek for justice there, so I deter- mined on leaving it over until the return of the traders would enable me to find the thief, and demand his punishment from the authorities. 8<> THE My regrets at the loss of my macho were not unmixed with a sort of gratitude to the fellow \vhen I laid my hand upon tlv^ nose of my whimpering charger. What hindered him from the horse instead of the mule ? It is a question i have never been able to answer to this day. I can only account for the fellow's preference for the mule on the score ot downright honesty, or the most perverse stupidity. I made overtures f< r another guide, i >tiie Bon- iface of Socorro, but wlthou: >/o" who would undertake the journey. " Los Apaches ! los ApachJs ! " I appealed to the peons and 1 za. " Los Apaches ! " Wherever I went, I was answered with " 1 > he's," and a shake of the fore ringer in front oft!. negative sign over all Mexico. "It is plain, Code, we can get no guide. We must try this Jornada without one. What say you, voyageur ? " '' I am agree, mon maitre ; aliens ! " And, followed by my faithful compilation, with our remain- ing pack-mule, I took the road that leads to the desert. That night we slept among the ruins of Valvcrcle ; and the next morning, after an early start, embarked upon the "Jour- ney of Death." Domestic Life Among the Peons: Preparing a Meal. UlAl'TKk XI. THE "JOI:RM:V OK DK.ATH.'' N two hours we reached the crossing at Fra Cristobal. I Inc the road parts from the river, and strikes into the waterless desert. \Ve plunge through the shallow ford, coming out on the eastern bank. \Ye fill our " xuages" with care, and give our animals as much as they will drink. After a. short halt to refresh ourselves, we ride onward. We have not traveled far before we recognize the appro- priate name of this terrible journey. Scattered along the 6 81 2 THE SCALP-HUNTERS. path we see the bones of many animals. There are human bones too ! That white spheroidal mass, with its grinning rows and serrated sutures, that is a human skull. It lies beside the skeleton of a horse. Horse and rider have fallen together. The wolves have stripped them at the same time- They have dropped down on their thirsty track, and perished in despair, although water, had they known it, was within reach of another effort 1 We see the skeleton of a mule, with the alpereja still buckled around it, and an old blanket flapped and tossed by many a whistling wind. Other objects, that have been brought there by human aid, strike the eye as we proceed. A bruised canteen, the frag- ments of a glass bottle, an old hat, a piece of saddle-cloth, a stirrup red with rust, a broken strap, with many like symbols, are strewn along our path, speaking a melancholy language. We are still only on the border of the desert. We are fresh. How when we have traveled over and neared the opposite side ? Shall we leave such souvenirs ? We are rilled with painful forebodings, as we look across the arid waste that stretches indefinitely before us. We do not dread the Apache. Nature herself is the enemy we fear. . Taking the wagon tracks for our guide, we creep on. We grow silent, as if we were dumb. The mountains of Cris- tobal sink behind us, and we are almost " out of sight of land." We can see the ridges of the Sierra Blanca away to the eastward ; but before us, to the south, the eye encounters no mark or limit. The sun grows hotter and hotter. I knew this would be the case when we started. It was one of those cool morn- ings with fog on the river and in the air. In all my wander- ings through many climes, I have observed such mornings to be the harbingers of sultry hours at noon. The sun is climbing upward, and every moment his rays be* THE JOURNEY OF DEATH." 83 come fiercer and more fervid. There is a strong wind blow- ing, but it does not fan us into coolness. On the contrary, it lifts the burning crystals, and spits them painfully in our faces. The sun has climbed to the zenith. We toil on through O the yielding sand. For miles we see no traces of vegeta- The Jornada, or Journey of Death: Northern Mexico. tion. The wagon tracks guide us no longer. The drift has obscured them. We enter a plain covered with artemisia and clumps of the hideous greasewood. The warped and twisted branches impede our progress. For hours we ride through thickets of the bitter sage, and at length enter another region, sandy and rolling. Long arid spurs shoot down from the mountains, and decline into 84 THE SCALP- nrxTKRs. ridges of dry shifting san< : . not even I'm- silvery leaf of the artemisia cheers our path. Before us we see nothing but barren waste, trackless and tree A tropical sun glances up from the brilliant surface, nnd \ve are almost blinded by the ivfracted rays. The wind blows more lightly, and clouds ul' dust lo.ul the air, : slowly along. \Ye push forward without OUT course. \\V n in the m'ui.^t of bcwilderm '(ne of seeming enchantment spi Vast tower's of sand, l-uvne up by the whirlblast. r: cally to the sky. They mov< > over the plain. They are yellow and luminous. The sun gli their floating crystals. Tl ^ly. but they are ap- proaching us. 1 behold them with feelings o;' awe. I have heard of trav- elers lifted in their whirling vortex, and dashed back a from fearful heights. The pack-mule, frightened at the phenomenon, breaks the lasso and scampers away among the ridge. (lode has gal- loped in pursuit. I am alone. Nine or ten gigantic columns now appear, stalking the plain and circling gradually around me. There is some- thing unearthly in the sight. They resemble creatures of a phantom world. They seem endowed with demon life. TV. o of them approach each other. There is a short ghastly struggle that ends in their mutual destruction. The sand is precipitated to the earth, and the dust floats off in dun shapeless xiasses. Several have shut me within a space, and are slowly clos- ing upon me. My dog howls and barks. The horse cowers with affright, and shivers between my thighs, uttering ter- rified expressions. I am irresolute. I sit in my saddle waiting the result, with THE ".TOrRXKY OF DKATH." 85 an indescribable feeling. My cars are tilled with a buzzing sound, like the hum of machinery. My eyes distort the nat- ural hues into a fiery brightness. My brain reels. .Strange objects appear. The fever is upon me ! The laden currents clash in their wild torsion. I am twisted around and torn from my .saddle. My t yes, mouth, and tilled with dust. Sand, stones, and bram strike me spitefully in the face ; and I am Hung with lence to the earth ! ******* I lay for a moment where I had fallen, half buried and blind. I could j ; hat thick clouds of dust were still sweeping over me. S neither stunned nor hurt; and 1 began to : around m I could see nothing. My eyes were full of sand, and pained me exceedingly. Throwing out my arms, I felt for my horse; I called him by name. A low whimper answered me. 1 -d towards the spot, and laid my hands upon him ; he was down upon his Hank, xedthe bridle, and he sprang up; but I could feel that ivering like an aspen. I stood by his head for nearly half an hour, rubbing the dust from m; ul waiting until the simoom might settle away. ' i the atmosphere grew clearer, and I could BCC the sky; but the sand still drifted along the ridges, and I could not distinguish the surface of the plain. There were no signs of Code. lie might be near me notwithstanding ; and I shouted loudly, calling him by name. I listened, but there was no answer. Again I raised my voice, and with a like result. There was no sound but the singing of the wind. I mounted and commenced riding over the plain in search of my comrade. I had no idea of what direction he had taken. I made a circuit of a mile or so, still calling his name as I went, I received no reply, and could see no traces upon 86 THE SCALP- HUNTERS. the ground. I rode for an hour, galloping from ridge to ridge but still without meeting any signs of my comrade or the mules. I pulled up in despair. I had shouted until I was faint and hoarse. I could search no longer. I was thirsty, and would drink. O God I my xuagcs are broken ! The pack-mule has carried off the water-skin. The crushed calabash still hung upon its thong ; but the last drops it had contained were trickling down the flanks of my horse. I knew that I might be fifty miles from water ! You cannot understand the fearfulness of this situation. You live in a northern zone ; in a land of pools and streams and limpid springs. You have never felt thirst. You know not the want of water. It gushes from every hill-side, and you have grown fastidious about its quality. You complain of its hardness, its softness, or its want of crystal purity. How unlike the denizen of the desert, the voyageur of the prairie sea ! Water is his chief care, his ever-present solici- tude ; water the divinity he worships. Hunger he can stifle, so long as a patch of his leathern garment hangs to him. Should game not appear, he can trap the marmot, catch the lizard, and gather the prairie crickets. He knows every root and seed that will sustain life. Give him water, and he will live and struggle on. He will, in time, crawl out of the desert. Without this, he may chew the leaden bullet or the pebble of chalcedony. He may split the spheroid cactus, and open the intestines of the butchered buffalo, but in the end he must die. Without water, even in the midst of plenty, plenty of food, he must die. Ha ! you know not thirst. It is a fearful thing. In the wild western desert it is the thirst that kills. No wonder I was filled with despair. I believed myself to be about the middle of the Jornada. I knew that I could never reach the other side without water. The yearning had THE "JOURNEY OF DEATH." 87 already begun. My throat and tongue felt shriveled and parched. Thirst and fever had done it. The desert dust, too, had contributed its share. Fierce desires already gnawed me with ceaseless tooth. I had lost all knowledge of the course I should take. The mountains, hitherto my guide, seemed to trend in every direc- tion. Their numerous spurs puzzled me. I remembered hearing of a spring, the Ojo del Muerto, that was said to lie westward of the trail. Sometimes there was water in the spring. On other occasions travelers had reached it only to find the fountain dried up, and leave their bones upon its banks. So ran the tales in Socorro. For some minutes I vacillated ; and then, pulling the right rein of my bridle almost involuntarily, I headed my horse westward. I would seek the spring, and, should I fail to find it, push on to the river. This was turning out of my course ; but I must reach the water a'nd save my life. I sat in my saddle, faint and choking, leaving my animal to go at will. I had lost the energy to guide him. He went many miles westward, for the sun told me the course. I was suddenly roused from my stupor. A glad sight was before me. A lake ! a lake shining like crystal. Was I certain I saw it ? Could it be the mirage ? No. Its outlines were too sharply defined. It had not that filmy whitish appearance which distinguishes the latter phenome- non. No. It was not the mirage. It was water 1 I involuntarily pressed the spur against the side of my horse ; but he needed not that. He had already eyed the water, and sprang forward inspirited with new energy. The next moment he was in it up to his flanks. I flung myself from the saddle with a plunge. I was about to lift the water in my concave palms, when the actions of my horse attracted me. Instead of drinking greedily, he stood tossing his head with snorts of disappointment. My SS THE sf clog, too, refused to lap, and ran along the shore whining and howling. I knew what this meant ; but. with that common obstinacy which refuses all testimony but the evidemv of the senses, I lifted some drops in my hand, and applied them to my lips. They were briny and burning. I might have known this before reaching the lake, for I hud ridden through a salt incrustation that surrounded it like a belt of snow. Hut my brain was fevered; my reason had left me. It was of no u^e n -in. lining when- I v. ;.s. 1 (limbed li.uk into my saddle, and rode along the shore, over fields ol snow-white salt. Here and there my horse's hoof rang against bleaching bones of animals, the remains of many a victim. Well was this lake named the Laguna del Muerto : the " Lake of Death ! " Reaching its southern point, I again headed westward, in hopes of striking the river. From this time until a later period, when I found myself in a far different scene, I have no distinct memories. In- cidents I remember, unconnected with each other, but never- theless real. These are linked in my memory with others so wild and improbable that I can only consider the latter as fancies of the madness that was then upon me. But some were real. My reason must have returned at intervals, by some strange oscillation of the brain. I remember dismounting on a high bank. I must have traveled unconsciously for hours before, for the sun was low down on the horizon as I alighted. .It was a very high bank --a precipice- and below me 1 saw a beautiful river sweep- ing onward through groves of emerald greenness. 1 thought there were many birds Muttering in the groves, and their voices rang in delicious melody. There was fragrance on the air, and the scene below me seemed an Elysium. I thought that around where 1 stood all was bleak, and barren, THK " lorRXKY < I II." 89 and parcrred with int heat. I was tortured with a slakeless thirst that grew licr> i the flowing water. These were, real incidents. All this was true. ****** I must drink. 1 must to the river. It is cool sweet water. Oh! I must drink. What! A horrid dill! No; I will not go clown thei ,i>i!y here. Who forms? Who arc yen, sir? All! it is you. my brave Mro : and you, Al;>. '. come! Follow me! Down; down to the river ! Ah! again that accurv.-d cliff ! Look at the beautiful water J h smiles. It ripples on. on ! Let us drink. No, not yet ; we cannot yet. We must go farther. l"gh ! Such a height to leap from ! Hut we must drink, one and all. Come. Code! Come, Moro, old friend ! Alp, come on ! We shall reach it ; we shall drink. Who is Tantalus ? Ha!h I ; not 1 ! Stand back, fiends ! Do not push me over ! Back! Hack, I Oh I ****** I thought that 'forms many of them forms strange and fiend-like, clustered around me. and dragged me to the brink of the cliiT. I was launched out into the air. I felt myself falling, falling, falling, and still came no nearer to the green trees and the bright water, though I could see them shining below me. ****** I am upon a rock, a mass of vast dimensions ; but it is not at rest. It is swimming onward through empty space. I cannot move myself. I lie helpless, stretched along its surface, while it sweeps onward. It is an aerolite. It can be nothing but that. O God ! there will be a terrible col- lision when it strikes some planet world! Horror! horror! ****** I am lying on the ground, the ground of t,he earth. U 90 THE SCALP-HUNTERS. upheaves beneath me, and oscillates to and fro like the undulations of an earthquake 1 # * * * * * Part of all this was a reality ; part was a dream, a dream that bore some resemblance to the horrors of zfrst intoxica- tion. CHAPTER XII. ZOE. LAY tracing the figures upon the curtains. They were scenes of the olden time : mailed knights, helmed and mounted, clashing at each other with couched lances, or tumbling from their horses, pierced by the spear. Other scenes there were: noble dames, sitting on Flemish palfreys, and watching the flight of the merlin hawk. There were pages in waiting, and dogs of curious and extinct breeds held in the leash. Perhaps these never existed except in the dreams of some old-fashioned artist ; but my eye fol- lowed their strange shape with a sort of half-idiotic wonder. I was forcibly impressed with the noble features of the dames. Was that, too, a fancy of the painter ? or were those divine outlines of face and figure typical of the time ? If so, no wonder that corslets were crushed and lances shivered for their smiles. Metallic rods upheld the curtains ; rods that shone brightly, 9' 92 TIIK SCALP- HUNTERS. and curved upwards, forming a canopy. My eyes i.in along these rods, scanning their configuration, and admiring, as a child admires, the regularity of their turves. 1 was not in my own land. Tin-so tilings were stranjjl to me. " Vet." thought I. 1 have seen something like them before, but where? Oh', this 1 know, \\itli it :;d silken textuie: it i.s a N.ivajo blanket! Where was I last? In New Mexico ? Vex Now I remember: the Jornada ! but how came I ? "Can 1 untwist this? It is rlo.se woven ; it is wool, fine wool. No, 1 cannot .separate a thread from My lingeis ! how white and thin the}- are ! and my nails, blue, and long as the talons of a bird ! I have a beard I 1 feel it on my chin. What g.ive me a beard ? 1 never wear it ; I will shave it off ha ! my mustache ! " The knights, how they tilt at each other ! Bloody work ! That bold fellow, the smaller too, will unhorse the other. I can tell from the spring of his horse and the way he sits him. Horse and rider are one now. The same mind unites them by a mysterious link. The horse feels with his rider. They cannot fail to conquer charging thus. Those beautiful ladies ! She with the hawk perched on her arm, how brilliant 1 how bold, yet lovely 1 " I was wearied, and slept again. * * * * # Once more my eyes were tracing the figures upon the curtains : the knights and dames, the hounds, hawks, and horses. But my brain had become clearer, and music was flowing into it. I lay silent, and listened. The voice was a female's. It was soft and finely mod- ulated. Some one played upon a stringed instrument. I recognized the tones of the Spanish harp, but the song was French, a song of Normandy ; and the words were in tin- language of that romantic land. I wondered at this, for my con. tli.it : . France. The liglr ;ul turnii . lluit tl diaun oddly but elegantly furnisht d. Hui. -.-me n tlu: floor; others were M-ah:d on ch and < Itomans; and all appeared to he busy with 1 thought there \\ere man*, ight at ti. 1 found that the re me in.uk- duplicate ii. my : > xist in | lily lor a while, in- -tiiKt and reliable; and I MI. a man and two females. I ivn;ai:ud silent, n t certain but that tl.c scene bi-l'on- me My ( yes Ui'iulerrd from one of the living ti-ures to another, without attrartin^ the attention of any of them. Th* y \\ere all in different attitudes, and occupied dif- ferently. est me was a woman of middle age, seated upon a low ottoman. The harp I had heard was before her, and continued to play. She must have been, I thought, when youn^, a woman of extreme b< itiful in a certain sense. The noble features were tlu re, though that they had been scathed by more than ordinary sufTciii: mind. The silken surface had yielded to care as well as time. .1 l'ivn< h woman : an ethi)' believe, tli.it the being who impressed me then and for ever was beautiful, was lovely. Ah ! it wocl be ver moch kindness if madamc and ma'm'selle wod play la Marseillai-- --eillaisc. What say mein liebe fraulein ! " " 7x>e, Zoe ! take thy bandolin. Ye>. doctor, we will play it for you with pleasure. You like the musk. So do \\r. Come, Zoe ! " The young girl, who. up to this time, had i < hing intently the labors of the naturalist, glided to a remote (oiner of the room, and taking up an instrument resembling the guitar, returned and seated herself by her mother. The bandolin was soon placed in concert with the harp, and the strings of both vibrated to the thrilling notes of the " Mar- seillaise." There was something exceedingly graceful in the perform- ance. The instrumentation, as I thought, was perfect : and the voices of the players accompanied it in a sweet and spirited harmony. As I gazed upon the girl Xoe. her features an- imated by the thrilling thoughts of the anthem, her \\ hole coun- tenance radiant with light, she seemed some immortal being ; a young goddess of liberty calling her children to arm The botanist had desisted from his labors, and stood listen- ing with delighted attention. At each return of the thrilling invocation " .in\ anncs, citoycns .'" the old man snapped his fingers, and beat the floor with his feet, marking the time of the music. He was filled with the same spirit which at that time, over all Europe, was gathering to its crisis. Where am I ? French faces, French music. French voices, and the conversation in French ! " for the botanist addressed the females in that language, though with a strong Rhenish patois that confirmed nay first impression of his nationality. Where am I ? " 1 98 THE SCALP-HUNTERS. My eye ran around the room in search of an answer. I could recognize the furniture : the cross-legged Campeachy chairs, a rebozo, the palm-leaf petate. " Ha, Alp I " The dog lay stretched along the mattress near my couch, and sleeping. "Alp! Alpl" " Oh, mama 1 mama ! ecoutez ! the stranger call." The dog sprang to his feet, and throwing his forepaws upon the bed, stretched his nose towards me with a joyous whimpering. I reached out my hand, and patted him, at the same time giving utterance to some expressions of en- dearment. " Oh, mama ! mama he knows him. Voila." The lady rose hastily, and approached the bed. The German seized me by the wrist, pushing back the St. Bernard, which was bounding to spring upward. " Mon Dieu ! he is well. His eyes, doctor. How changed I " " Ya, ya ; moch better; ver moch better. Hush! away, tog ! Keep away, mine goot tog 1 " " Who ? where ? Tell me, where am I ? Who are you ? " " Do int fear ! We are friends : you have been ill ! " " Yes, yes ! we are friends : you have been ill, sir. Do not fear -is ; we will watch you. This is the good doctor. This is mama, and I am " " An angel from heaven, beautiful Zoe ! " The child looked at me with an expression of wonder, and blushed as she said " Hear, mama 1 He knows my name 1 " It was the first compliment she had ever received from the lips of love. " It is goot, madame : he is ver moch relieft ; he ver soon get over now. Keep away, mine goot Alp I Jie get well : goot tog, clown I " ZOE. Q() Perhaps, doctor, we should leave him. The noise " " No, no ! if you please, stay with me. The music ; will you play again ? " " Yes, the music, is ver goot : ver goot for te pain." " Oh, mama 1 let us play, then." Both mother and daughter took up their instruments, and again commenced playing. I listened to the sweet strains, watching the fair musicians a long while. My eyes at length became heavy, and the realities before me changed into the soft outlines of a dream. My dream was broken by the abrupt cessation of the music. I thought I heard, through my sleep, the opening of a door. When I looked to the spot lately occupied by the musicians, I saw that they were gone. The bandolin had been thrown down upon the ottoman, where it lay, but she was not there. I could not, from my position, see the whole of the apart- ment ; but I knew that some one had entered at the outer door. I heard expressions of welcome and endearment, a rustling of dresses, the words " Papa ! " '' My little Zoe ; " the latter uttered in the voice of a man. Then followed some explanations in a lower tone, which I could not hear. A few minutes elapsed, and I lay silent and listening. Presently there were footsteps in the hall. A boot, with its jingling rowels, struck upon the tiled floor. The footsteps entered the room, and approached the bed. I started, as I looked up. The Scalp-hunter was before me 1 Mexican Women Kneading Tortillas. CHAPTER XIII. i SEQUIN. OU are better ; you will soon be well again. I am glad to see that you recover." He said this without offering his hand. " I am indebted to you for n.y life. Is it not so ? " It is strange that I felt con- vinced of this the moment that I set my eyes upon the man. I think such an idea crossed my mind before, after awaking from my long dream. Had I encountered him in my struggles for water, or had 1 dreamed it? " Oil, yes ! " answered he, with a smile, " but you will re- 100 101 member that I had sonifti: - h your beint; exp to the risk of losing it." " \\"ill you take this hand? \\'ill \ ou for^Ke After all, th .iiicthiiiLC selfish even in gratitude. How strangely had it changed my feeling towards this man ! I \\as beuLMnx' the liand v, i,i(.h. hu: kys before, in the pride of my morality, 1 h.; 5 a loathsome I lUlt tile!''- lier tin in UK-. 'I'he man before me was the husband of I!K- lad\ : wasthe father of Xoe. His cli.ua. ier, his horrid ;en ; and the i u-nt our h;in< d in the eml>. of friendship. " I have nothing ; nor the sentiment that induced you to act as you did. Thi^ declaration may seem strange to you. l-'r-im : . , , ,\\ acteil rightly; hut there may he a ; . \\hen you will kno\\ me better; when the deeds \< , abhor n . not only pardonable, but just; :.;h of th -em. The objei ; of ;;:-. being ur bedside is to reipiest that \\h.:t '."'I do know of me be not uttered h< >.-. hisper .<\ this, pointing at irds tin- (jooi of the room. " Imt h<> .ishin- to draw his attention from this unpli asant thpme, I into this house ? It is your-. 1 p eive. IIo\vc.ime I here? \\'here did you tind In no very safe position," answered he. with a smile. "I can scan ely claim the merit of saving you. Your noble horse you may thank for that." Aii. oay Si";-. ; ; ;i - ; I i lilV e lost him." " Your i, standing at the mai/e-trouidi, not ten paces from where you lie. I think you will find him in what better condition than when you last saw him. 102 THE SCALP-HUNTERS. Your mules are without. Your packs are safe. You will find them here," and he pointed to the foot of the bed. ' And " " Code you would ask for," said he, interrupting me. " Do not be uneasy on his account. He, too, is in safety. He is absent just now, but will soon return." " How can I thank you ? This is good news indeed. My brave Moro 1 and Alp here ! But how ? you say my horse saved me. He has clone so before : how can this be ? " " Simply thus : we found you many miles from this place, on a cliff that overlooks the Del Norte'. You were hang- ing over on your lasso, that by a lucky accident had become entangled around your body. One end of it was knotted to the bit-ring, and the noble animal, thrown back upon his haunches, sustained your weight upon his neck ! " " Noble Moro ! what a terrible situation ! " " Ay, you may say that ! Had you fallen from it, you would have passed through a thousand feet of air before striking the rocks below. It was indeed a fearful situa- tion." " I must have staggered over in my search for water." " In your delirium you walked over. You would have done so a second time had we not prevented you. When we drew you up on the cliff, you struggled hard to get back. You saw the water below, but not the precipice. Thirst is a terrible thing: an insanity of itself." " I remember something of all this. I thought it had been a dream." " Do not trouble your brain with these things. The doctor here admonishes me to leave you. I have an object, as I have said " (here a sad expression passed over the countenance of the speaker), " else I should not have paid you this visit. I have not many moments to spare. To- night I must be far hence. In a few days I shall return. SECUIN. 103 Meanwhile, compose yourself, and get well. The doctor here will see that you want for nothing. My wife and daughter will nurse you." " Thanks 1 thanks ! " " You will do well to remain where you are until your friends return from Chihuahua. They must pass not far from this place, and I will warn you when they are near. Heathenish Rites Among Mexican Indians. You are a student. There are books here in different languages. Amuse yoursslf. They will give you music. Monsieur, adieu 1 " " Stay, sir, one moment ! You seem to have taken a strange fancy to my horse ? " " Ah ! monsieur, it was no fancy ; but I will explain that at some other time. Perhaps the necessity no longer exists." " Take him, if you will. Another will serve my purpose. 104 TI!K SCAI.I'-IirXTKKS. "No. monsieur. Do you think I could rob yon of what yon esteem so highly, and with such just reason, too ? No, no! Keen the ^o<> 1 Moro. I do not wonder at your at- tachment to the noble brute." You say that you have a long journey to-night. Then take him for the time." That offer 1 will freely accept, for indeed my own horse is somewhat jaded. I have been two days in the saddle. Well, adieu ! " Sequin prised my hand and walked away. I heard the "chincV, cln'nck " of his spurs as he crossed the apartment, and the next moment the door closed behind him. I was alone, and lay listening to every sound that reached me from without. In about half an hour after he had left me I heard the hoof-strokes of a horse, and saw the shadow of a horseman passing outside the window. He had de- parted on his journey, doubtless on the performance of some red duty ponneciecl with his fearful avocation ! I lay for a while harassed in mind thinking of this strange mail. Then sweet voices interrupted my meditations; be- fore me appeared lovely faces, and the Scalp-hunter was forgotten. '-<>9c;vqHS_- CIIATl'KR XIV WOULD compress the history of the ten days following into as many \\ I would not weary you \\ith the details of my love: a love that in the sp of a few hours became pas.sion deep and ardent. I was young at the time ; at just such an age as to be impressed by the romantic incidents that surrounded me, and had thrown this beautiful being in my way ; at that age when the heart, unguarded by cold calculations of the future, yields un : iv to the electrical impressions of love. 1 say electrical, i beli< ve ihatat this age the sympathies that spring up between heart and heart are purely of this nature. A; i Liter period of life that power is dissipated and di- vided. Reason rules it. \Yc become conscious of the capa- bility of transferring our affections, for they have .already broken faith ; and we lose that sweet confidence thai com- forted the loves of our youth. Y\"e are either imperious or jealous, as the advantages appear in our fa linst us. is into the love of our middk^ life, ; detracting from the divinity of its character. 105 106 THE SCALP-HUNTKKs. I might call that which I then felt my first real passion. I thought I had loved before, but no, it was only a dream ; the dream of the village schoolboy, who saw heaven in the bright eyes of his coy classmate ; or perhaps, at the family picnic, in some romantic dell, had tasted the rosy cheek of his pretty cousin. I grew strong, and with a rapidity that surprised the skil- ful man of herbs. Love fed and nourished the fire of life. The will often effects the deed, and say as you may, volition has its power upon the body. The wish to be well, to live, an object to live for, are often the speediest restoratives. They were mine. . I grew stronger, and rose from my couch. A glance at the mirror told me that my color was returning. Instinct teaches the bird while wooing his mate to plume his pinions to their highest gloss ; and a similar feeling now rendered me solicitous about my toilet. My portmanteau was ransacked, my razors were drawn forth, the beard disap- peared from my chin, and my mustache was trimmed to its wonted dimensions. I confess all this. The world had told me I was not ill- looking, and I believed what it said. I am mortal in my vanities. Are not you ? With her, Zoe, child of nature in its most perfect inno- cence, there were no such conceits. The tridcery of the toilet never entered into her thoughts. She knew not of the graces which had been so lavishly bestowed upon her. No one had ever told her of her beauty. I had learned the strange fact, that, except her father, the old botanist, and the pueblo peons, the servants of the house, I was the only person of my sex she had ever seen since a very early period of her life 1 For yea-rs had she and her mother lived in the seclusion of their own home : a seclusion as complete as that of a convent. There was a mystery in LOVE. all this, and it was only afterwards that it was revealed to me. Hers, then, was a virgin heart, pure and spotless; a heart into whose soft dreams the light of love had not yet flung its ray; against who.se l u >Iy innocence love's god had not yet winged a single arrow. Aix- you of my sex? Have you ever desired to become the lord of a heart like this ? If you can answer these inter- rogation.-, b the affirmative, -then do I tell you, what you may well remember, that ;u, v ..^n;,, ns vou made tQ attain this end were idle. You were loved at once, or nc.v,., The rir^in heart is not gained by the finesse of court- ship. It has no half-way likings, that rn-y yield to tender assiduity on your part. An object either attracts or repels it, and the impression is quick as the lightning's flash. It is the throwing of a die : you have won or you have won not. If the latter, you may as well desist. No effort can over- come the obstacle, and produce the emotion of love. Friend- ship you may gain : love neve. No coquetry of yours can make that heart jealous ; no favors you may bestow can cause it to love you. You may conquer worlds, yet not con- trol its secret and silent throbbings. You may be the hero "of a thousand tongues ; yet he whose image has been flung into that little heart will be its hero, higher and nobler than all others. That fair young creature, its owner, will be wholly his, however humble, however worthless he may be. With her there will be no reservation, no reasoning, no cau- tion, no cunning. She will yield alone to the mystic prompt- ings of nature. Under their influence she will bind her whole heart to the altar, even when she knows that he will make it a bleeding sacrifice 1 Is it thus with the heart more matured, oft assailed ? with the belle the coquette ? No. Rejected here, you need not despair. You may have qualities that will in time io8 Till-; SCALP- HUNTERS. change the frbwn to a smile. You may do great deeds. You may achieve renown ; and the scorn that once repelled you may become humility at your feet. Still this may be love, and strong love too, founded upon the admiration of some intellectual, or, perhaps, physical quality which you have thus proved yourself possessed of. It is a love guided Zoe. by reason, and not the mysterious instinct that rules the for- mer. On which of these loves do men build the highest triumph ? Of which are they most proud ? Of the latter ? Alas! no; and let Him who made us answer why; but/ never saw the man u. I)o not be angry with Enrique, for J love him; oh, papa ! in my heart I love him ! " lie turned to her with a look of astonishment " Hear this !'' lie exclaimed. "Oh, heavens! my child, my child ! " II is voice stung me, for it was full of sorrow. " Listen, sir! " 1 cried placing myself directly before hint, I have won the affections of your daughter. 1 have given; mine in return. I am her equal in rank, as she is mine. What crime, then, have I committed? Wherein have I wronged you ? " He looked at me for some moments without making any reply. You would marry her, then ? " he said, at length, with an evident change in his manner. Had I permitted our love thus far, without that intention, I should have merited your reproaches. I should have been ' trifling,' as you have said." " Marry me ! " exclaimed Zoe, with a look of bewilderment. " Listen 1 Poor chile' ? she knows not the meaning of the word ! " " Ay, lovely Zoe ! I will ; else my heart, like yours, shall be wrecked forever ! Oh, sir ! " " Come, sir, enough of this. You have won her from herself ; you have yet to win her from me. I will sound the depth of your affection, I will put you to the proof," THE SCALP-HUNTERS. ." Put me to any proof ! " " We shall see ; come ! let us in. Here, Zoe I " And, taking her by the hand, he led her towards the house. I followed close behind. As we passed through a clump of wild orange trees, the path narrowed ; and the father, letting go her hand, walked on ahead. Zoe was between us ; and as we reached the middle of the grove, she turned suddenly, and laying her hand upon mine, whispered in a trembling voice, " En- rique tell me, what is ' to marry ? ' ' " Dearest Zoe ! not now ; it is too difficult to explain ; another time, I " Con\e, Zoe : your hand, child 1 " " Papa, I am coming 1 " CHAPTER XVI. AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY. WAS alone with my host in the apart- ment I had hitherto occupied. The females had retired to another part of the house ; and I noticed that Seguin, on entering, had looked to the door, turning the bolt. What terrible proof was he going to exact of my faith, of my love ? Was he about to take my life or bind me by some fearful oath, this man of cruel deeds ? Dark suspicions shot across my mind, and I sat silent, but not without emotions of fear. A bottle of wine' was placed between us, and Seguin, pouring out two glasses, asked me to drink. This courtesy assured me. " But how if the wine be poi ? " He swal- lowed his own glass before the thought had fairly shaped itself. " I am wronging him," thought I. " This man, with all, is incapable of an act of treachery like that." I drank up the wine. It made me feel more composed and tranquil. After a moment's silence he opened the conversation with the abrupt interrogatory, " What do you know of me ? " " Your name and calling : nothing more." 119 120 THK SCAU'-HU \TEKS. ' More than is guessed at here; " and he pointed signifi- cantly to the door. '.' Who told you thus much of me ? " A friend, whom you saw at Santa I-'e." Ah ! St. Yrnin ; a brave, bold man. I met him once in Chihuahua. Did he tell you no more of me than this ? " No. lie promised to enter into particulars concerning you, but the subject was forgotten, the caravan moved on. and we were separated.'' " You heard, then, that I was Seguin the Scalp-hunter ? That I wte employed by the citizens of El Paso to hunt the Apache and Navajo. and that 1 was paid a stated sum for every Indian scalp I could hang upon their gates? You heard all this ? " " I did." " It is true." I remained silent. " Now, sir," he continued, after a pause, " would you marry my daughter, the child of a wholesale murderer ? " ' Your crimes are not hers. She is innocent even of the knowledge of them, as you have said. You may be a demon ; she is an angel." There was a sad expression on his countenance as I said this. " Crimes ! demon ! " he muttered half in soliloquy. " Ay, you may well think this : so judges the world. You have heard the stories of the mountain men in all their red exag- geration. You have heard that, during a treaty, I invited a village of the Apaches to a banquet, and poisoned the viands : poisoned the guests, man, woman, and child, and then scalped them ! You have heard that I induced to pull upon the drag-rope of a cannon two hundred savages, who know not its uses ; and then fired the piece, loaded with grape, mow- ing down the row of unsuspecting wretches ! These, and other inhuman acts, you have no doubt heard of?" AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY, .121 " It is true. I have heard these stories among the moun- tain hunters ; but I knew not whether to believe them." "Monsieur, they are false; all false and unfounded." 1 am glad to hear you say this. I could not innc believe you capable of such babarities.'' And yet, if the}' were true in all their horrid details, they would fall far short of the cruelties that have been dealt out by the savage foe to the inhabitants of this defenseless fron- tier. If you knew the history of this land of the last ten years; its massacres and its murders ; its tears and its burn- ings ; its rapes and spoliations ; whole provinces depop- ulated; villages given to the flames ; men butchered on their own hearths; women, beautiful women, carried into captivity to satisfy the lust of the desert robber ! Oh, God ! and I too have shared wrongs that will acquit me in your perhaps in the eyes of heaven ! " The speaker buried his face in his hands, and leant for- ward upon the table. He was evidently suffering from some painful recollection. After a moment he resumed: " I would have you listen to a short history of my life." I signified my assent ; and after filling and drinking another glass of wine, he proceeded. " I am not a Frenchman, as men suppose. I am a Creole, a native of New Orleans. My parents were refugees from St. Domingo, where, after the black revolution, the bulk of their fortune was confiscated by the bloody Christophe. " I was educated for a civil engineer ; and, in this capacity, I was brought put to the mines of Mexico, by the owner of one of them, who knew my father. I was young at the time, and I spent several years employed in the mines of Zacatecas and San Luis Potosi. " I had saved some money out of my pay, and I began to think of opening upon my own account. < 4 Ru.mors had long be.cn current that rich veins of gold 122 THE SCALP-HUNTERS. existed upon the Gila and its tributaries. The washings had been seen and gathered in these rivers ; and the mother of gold, the milky quartz rock, cropped out everywhere in the desert mountains of this wild region. " I started for this country with a select party ; and, after traversing it for weeks, in the Mimbres. mountains, near the head waters of the Gila, I found the precious ore in its bed. I established a mine, and in five years was a rich man. " I remembered the companion of my youth, the gentle, the beautiful cousin who had shared my confidence, and in- spired me with my first passion. With me it was first and last ; it was not, as is often the case under similar circum- stances, a transient thing. Through all my wanderings I had remembered and loved her. Had she been as true to me ? " I determined to assure myself ; and leaving my affairs in the hands of my mayoral, I set out for my native city. " Adele had been true ; and I returned, bringing her with me. " I built a house in Valverde, the nearest inhabited dis- trict to my mine. "Valverde was then a thriving place; it is now a ruin, which you may have seen in your journey down. " In this place we lived for years, in the enjoyment of wealth and happiness. I look back upon those days as so many ages of bliss. Our love was mutual and ardent ; and we were blessed with two children, both girls. The youngest resembled her mother ; the other, I have been told, was more like myself. We doted, I fear too much, on these pledges. \Ve were too happy in their possession. " At this time 'a new governor was sent to Santa Fe' ; a man who, by his wantonness and tyranny, has since then ruined the province. There has been no act top vile, no grime, too dark, for this human AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY. "He offered fair enough at first, and was feasted in the houses of the ricos through the valley. As I was classed A Typical Scene in Spanish America. A Mexican Ranche. among these, I was honored with his visits, and frequently. He resided principally at Albuquerque ; and grand fetes were given at his palace, to which my wife and I were invited as 124 THE SCALP-HUNTERS. special guests. He in return often came to our house in Valverde, under pretense of visiting the different parts of the proviiu < . " I discovered, at length, that his visits were solely in- tended for my wife, to whom he had paid sonic flattering attentions. " I will not dwell on the beauty of Adele, at this time. You may imagine that for yourself ; and. monsieur, you may assist your imagination by allowing it to dwell on those graces you appear to have discovered in her daughter, for the little /6e is a type of what her mother was. At the time I speak of she was still in the bloom of her beauty. The fame of that beauty was on every tongue, and had piqued the vanity of the wanton tyrant. For this reason I became the object of his friendly assiduities. " 1 had divined this , but confiding in the virtue of my wife, I took no notice of his conduct. No overt act of insult as yet claimed my attention. "Returning on one occasion from a long absence at the mines, Adele informed me what, through delicacy, she had hitherto (Concealed, of insults received from his excellency at various times, but particularly in a visit he had paid her during my absence. " This was enough for Creole blood. I repaired to Albu- querque ; and on the public plaza, in presence of the multi- tude, I chastised the insulter. " I was seixed and thrown into a prison, where I lay for several weeks. When I was freed, and sought my home again, it was plundered and desolate. The wild Navajo had been there : my household gods were scattered and broken ; and my child, oh, God ! my little Adele, was carried captive to the mountains ! " " And your wife ? your other child ? " I inquired, eager to know the rest. AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY. 125 "They had escaped. In the terrible conflict f$r my poor peons battled bravely my wife, with Zoe in her arms, had rushed out and hidden in a cave that was in the garden. I found them in the ranche of a vaquero in the woods, whither they had wandered." " And your daughter Adele have you heard aught of her since ? " Ves, yes ; I will come to that in a moment. My mine, at the .same time, was plundered and de- stroyed ; many of the workman were slaughtered before they could e.srape ; and the work itself, with my fortune, became a ruin. 11 With some of the miners, who h 'd tied, and others of Valverde, who, like me. had suffeu\ . i organi/ed a band, and followed the savage foe ; but our pursuit was vain, and we turned back, many of us broken in health and heart. "Oh, monsieur, you cannot know what it is to have thus lost a favorite child ! you cannot understand the agony of the bereaved father 1 " The speaker pressed his head between his hands, and remained for a moment silent. His countenance bore the indications of heartrertding .sorrow. " My story will soon be told, up to the present time. Who knows the end ? " For years I hung upon the frontiers of the Indian coun- try, hunting for my child. I was aided by a small band, most of them unfortunates like myself, who had lost wife or daughter in a 'similar manner. But our means became ex- haxisted, and despair wore us out. The sympathies of my companions grew old and cold. One after another gave up. The governor of New Mexico offered us no aid. On the contrary, it was suspected then it is now known that the governor himself was in secret league with the Xavajo chiefs. 126 THE SCALP-HUNTERS. He had Engaged to leave them unmolested ; while they, on their side, promised to plunder anly his enemies ! " On learning this terrible secret, I saw the hand that had dealt me the blow. Stung by the disgrace I had put upon him, as well as by my wife's scorn, the villain was not slow to avenge himself. " Since then his life has been twice in my power, but the taking of it would, most probably, have forfeited my own and I had objects for which to live. I may yet find a reck- oning day for him. " I have said that my barid melted away. Sick at heart, and conscious of danger in New Mexico, I left the province, and crossed the Jornaclo to El Paso. Here for a while I lived, grieving for my 16^. child. " I was not long inactive. The frequent forays made by the Apache's into Sonora and Chihuahua had rendered the government more energetic in the defense of tjie frontier. The Presidios were repaired and garrisoned with more efficient troops, and a band of rangers organized, whose pay was proportioned to the number of scalps they might send back to the settlements. " I was offered the command of this strange guerilla ; and in the hope that I might yet recover fny child, I accepted it : I became a scalp-hunter. " It was a terrible commission ; and had revenge alone been my object, it would long since have been gratified. Many a deed of blood have we enacted ; Many a scene of retaliatory vengeance have we passed through. " I knew that my captive daughter was in the hands of the Navajoes. I had heard so at various times from prisoners whom I had taken ; but I was always crippled for want of strength in men and means. Revolution after revolution kept the States in poverty and civil warfare, and our interests were neglected or forgotten. With all my exertions, I could AX AUTOBIOGRAPHY. 127 never raise a force sufficient to penetrate that desert country north of the Gila, in which lie the towns of the savage Navajoes." " And you think " " Patience 1 I shall soon finish. My band is now stronger than ever. I have received certain information, by one just escaped from a captivity among the Navajoes, that the war- riors of both tribes are about to proceed southward. They are niustering all their strength, with the intention of mak- ing a grand foray ; even, as \ve have heard, to the gates of Durango. It is my design, then, to enter their country while they are absent, and search for my daughter." " And you think she still lives ? " " I know it. The same who brought me this news, and who, poor fellow, has left his scalp and ears behind him, saw her often. She is grown up, and is, he says, a sort of queen among them, possessed of strange powers and priv- ileges. Yes, she still lives ; and if it be my fortune to re- cover her, then will this tragic scene be at an end. I will go far hence." I had listened with deep attention to the strange recital. All the disgust with which my previous knowledge of this man's character had inspired me vanished from my mind, and I felt for him compassion ; ay, admiration. He had suffered much. Suffering atones for crime, and in my sight he was justified. Perhaps I was too lenient in my judg- ment. It was natural I should be so. When the revelation was ended, I was filled* with emotions of pleasure. I felt a vivid joy to know that she was not the offspring of the demon I had deemed him. He seemed to divine my thoughts ; for there was a smile of satisfaction, I might say triumph, on his countenance, as he leaned across the table to refill the wine. (< Monsieur, my story must have wearied you, Drink (" 128 THE SCALP-HUNTERS. There was a moment's silence as we emptied the -1.is.ses. ' And now, sir, you know the father of your betrothed, at least somewhat better than before. Are you still in mind to marry her ? " " Oh. sir ! she is now, more than ever, to me a sacred object." " lint you must win her, as T have said, from me." Then, sir, tell me how. I am ready for any sacrifice that may be within my power to make.'' " You must help me to recover her sister." ' Willingly." " You must go with me to the desert." I will." " Enough. We start to-morrow." And he rose, and be- gan to pace the room. "At an early hour?" I inquired, half fearing that T was about to be denied an interview with her whom I now more than ever longed to embrace. " By daybreak." he replied, not seeming to heed my anx- ious manner. "I must look to my horse and arms.'' said I, rising and going towards the door, in hopes of meeting her without. " They have been attended to : Gode is there. Come, boy ! She is not in the hall. Stay where you are. I will get the arms you want. Adele ! Zoe ! Oh, doctor ! you are returned with your weeds ! It is well. We journey to- morrow. Adele, some coffee, love ! and then let us have some music. Your guest leaves you to-morrow." The bright form rushed between us with a scream. " No, no, no, no ! " she exclaimed, turning from one to the other, with the wild appeal of a passionate heart. " Come, little clove ! " said the father, taking her by the hands : " do not be so easily fluttered, It is but far. 9, short time, He will return again," AX AUTOBIOGRAPHY. 129 " How lor.g, papa ? How long, Enrique ? " " But a very short while. It will be longer lo me than to you, Zoe." "Oh! no, no; an hour will be a long time. How many hours do you think, Enrique ? " ( )h ! we shall be gone clays. 1 fear." "Days! Oh, papa! Oh, Enrique! Days!" me, little chit ; they will soon pass. Go! Help your mama to make the coffee." " Oil, papa ! Days ; long days. They will not soon pass when I am alone." " J>ut you will not be alone. Your mama will be with you." - Ah ! " And with a s'gh, and an air of abstraction, she departed [> obey the command of her father. As she passed out at the door, she again sighed audibly. The doctor was a silent and wondering spectator of this last scene ; and as her figure vanished into the hall, I could hear him muttering to himself " Oh, ja ! Poor leetle fraulcin ! I thought as mosh." Indian Baskets, Decorated with Feathers and Quills. CHAPTER XVII. UP THE DEL NORTE. WILL not distress you with a parting scene. We were in our saddles be- fore the stars had died out and riding along the sandy road. At a short distance from the house the path angled, striking into thick, heavy timber. Here I checked my horse, allowing my companions to pass, and standing in the stirrup looked back. My eye wandered along the old gray walls, and sought the azote'a. Upon the very edge of the parapet, outlined against the pale light of the aurora, was the object I looked for. I could not distinguish the features, but I easily recognized the oval curvings of the figure, cut like a dark medallion against the sky. She was standing near one of the yuca palm trees that grew up from the azote'a. Her hand rested upon its trunk, and she bent forward, straining her gaze into the darkness below. Perhaps she saw the waving of a kerchief ; perhaps she hearcjl her name, and echoed the parting prayer that was, UP THE DEL NORTE. sent back to her on the still breath of the morning. If so, her voice was drowned by the tread of my chafing horse, that, wheeling suddenly, bore me off into the somber shad- ows of the forest. I rode forward, turning at intervals to catch a glimpse of those lovely outlines, but from no other point \vas the house visible. It lay buried in the dark majestic woods. I could only see the long bayonets of the picturesque palmills ; and f>ur road now descending among hills, these too were soon hidden from my view. Dropping the bridle, and leaving my horse to go at will, I fell into a train of thoughts at once pleasant and painful. I knew that I had imbibed the love of my life ; that hence- forward in it all my hopes would center, and from it would spring my highest motives. I had just reached manhood, and I was not ignorant of the truth, that pure love like this is the best guide to our too erring natures ; the best rein to curb their wild wanderings. I was indebted for this knowledge to him who had taught me my earliest lessons; and as his experience had already more than once stood me in stead, I believed him in this. I have since proved the teaching true. I knew that I had inspired this young creature with a passion deep and ardent as my own, perhaps more vital ; for my heart had passed through other affections, while hers had never throbbed with any save the subdued solicitudes of a graceful childhood. She had never known emotion. Love was her first strong feeling, her first passion. Would it not, thus enthroned, reign over all other thoughts in her heart's kingdom ? She, too, so formed for love ; so like its mythic goddess ! These reflections were pleasant. But the picture darkened as I turned from looking back for the last time, and some- 132 THE SCALP-IH'XTKRS. thing whispered me, some demon it was. ' You may never see her more I " The suggestion, even in this hypothetical form, was enough to fill my mind with dark forebodings, and I began to cast my thoughts upon the future. I was going upon no party of pleasure, from which I might return at a fixed hour. Dangers were before me, the dangers of the desert ; and 1 knew that these were of no ordinary character. In our plans of the previous night, Seguin had not concealed the perils of our expedition. These he had detailed before exacting my final 'promise to accompany him. Weeks before, I would not have regarded them ; they would only have lured me on to meet them ; now my feelings were different, for 1 believed that in my life there was another's. What, then, if the de- mon had whispered truly? 1 might never see her more! It was a painful thought ; and I rode on, bent in the saddle, under the influence of its bitterness. But I was once more upon the back of my favorite Moro, who seemed to "know his rider;" and as his elastic body heaved beneath me, my spirit answered his, and began to re- sume its wonted buoyancy. After a while I took up the reins, and shortening them in my hands, spurred on after my companions, Our road lay up the river, crossing the shallow ford at intervals, and winding through the bottom-lands, that were heavily timbered. The path was difficult on account of the thick underwood ; and although the trees had once been " blazed " for a road, there were no signs of late travel upon it, with the exception of a few solitary horse-tracks. The country appeared wild and uninhabited. This was evident from the frequency with which deer and antelope swept across our path, or sprang out of the underwood close to our horses' heads. Here and there our path trended away from the river, crossing its numerous " loops." Several times we THE DEL NORTE. , . passed large tracts where the heavy timber had been felled clearings " had existed. Bui this must have been long ago; for the land that had been furrowed 1-v the plow was now covered with tangled and almost impenetrable thickets. A few broken and decaying ] ogs , or crumbling Mexican Rancheros. \. walls of the adobe', were all that remained to attest where the settlers' "rancho had stood. We passed a ruined church, with its old turrets dropping by piecemeal. Piles of adobd lay around, covering the ground for acres. A thriving village had stood there. \\ here was it now ? Where were the busy gossips ? A wild . 134 THE SCALP-HUNTERS. cat sprang over the brier-laced walls, and made off into the forest. An owl flew sluggishly up from the crumbling cupola, and hovered around our heads, uttering its doleful " woo- hoo-a," that rendered the desolation of the scene more im- pressive. As we rode through the ruin a dead stillness sur- rounded us, broken only by the hooting of the night-bird, and the " cranch-cranch " of our horses' feet upon the frag- ments of pottery that covered the deserted streets. But where were they who had once made these walls echo with their voices ? Who had knelt under the sacred shadow of that once hallowed pile ? They were gone ; but where ? and when ? and why ? I put these questions to Seguin, and was answered thus briefly " The Indians." The savage it was, with his red spear and scalping-knife, his bow and his battle-ax, his brand and his poisoned arrows. " The Navajoes ? " I inquired. " Navajo and Apache." " But do they come no more to this place ? " A feeling of anxiety had suddenly entered my mind. I thought of our proximity to the mansion we had left. I thought of its unguarded walls. I waited with some impa- tience for an answer. " No more," was the brief reply. " And why ? " I inquired. " This is our territory," he answered, significantly. " You are now, monsieur, in a country where live strange fellows ; you shall see. Woe to the Apache or Navajo who may stray into these woods I " As we rode forward the country became more open, and we caught a glimpse of high bluffs trending north and south on both sides of the river. These bluffs converged till the UP THE DEL NORTE. 135 river channel appeared to be completely barred up by a mountain. This was only an appearance. On riding farther, we found ourselves entering one of those fearful gaps, " canons " as they are called, so often met with in the table-lands of tropical America. Through this the river foamed between two vast cliffs a thousand feet in height, whose profiles, as you approached them, suggested the idea of angry giants, separated by some almighty hand, and thus left frowning at each other. It was with a feeling of awe that one looked up the face of these stupendous cliffs, and I felt a shuddering sensation as I neared the mighty gate between them. " Do you see that point ? " asked Seguin, indicating a rock that jutted out from the highest ledge of the chasm. I sig- nified in the affirmative, for the question was addressed to myself. " That is the leap you were so desirous of taking. We found you dangling against yonder rock." " Good Heavens ! " I ejaculated, as my eyes rested upon the dizzy eminence. My brain grew giddy as I sat in my saddle gazing upward, and I was fain to ride onward. " But for your noble horse," continued my companion, " the doctor here would have been stopping about this time to hypothecate upon your bones. Ho, Moro ! beautiful Moro ! " " Oh, mein Gott ! Ya, ya ! " assented the botanist, look- ing up against the precipice apparently with a feeling of awe, such as I felt myself. Seguin had ridden alongside me, and was patting my horse on the neck with expressions of admiration. " But why ? " I asked, the remembrance of our first inter- view now occurring to me, " why where you so eager tQ possess him ? " " A fancy," 130 TI1K SCALP-HUN1 i ' Can I lu-t understand it? I think \ to feed. Tlit-n seating ou; ui- drew forth the viaiuls that had been prepared for our jourue\ . Shells from the Gulf of Mexico. CHAPTER XVIII. GEOGRAPHY AND GEOLOGY. E rested above an hour i' the coo'i shade, while our horses refreshed them- selves on the " grama " that grew luxuriantly around. We conversed about the singular region in which we were traveling : singular in its geogra- phy, its geology, its botany, and its his- tory : singular in all respects. I am a traveler, as I might say, by profession. I felt an interest in learning something of the wild countries that stretched for hundreds of miles around us ; and I knew there was no man living so capable of being my informant as he with whom I then conversed. My journey down the river had made me but little ac- quainted with its features. At that time, as I have already related, there was fever upon me ; and my memory of objects was as though I had encountered them in some distorted dream. My brain was now clear ; and the scenes through which 138 GEOGRAPHY AND GEOLOGY. 139 we were passing, here soft and southlike, there wild, barren, and picturesque, forcibly impressed my imagination. The knowledge, too, that parts of this region had once been inhabited by the followers of Cortez, as many a ruin testified ; that it had been surrendered back to its ancient and savage lords, and the inference that this surrender had been brought about by the enactment of many a tragic scene, included a train of romantic thought, which yearned for grati- fication in an acquaintance with the realities that gave rise to it. Seguin was communicative. His spirits were high. His hopes were buoyant. The prospect of again embracing his long-lost child imbued him, as it were, with new life. He had not, he said, felt so happy for many years. " It is true," said he, in answer to a question i had put, "there is little known of this whole region, beyond the boun- daries of the Mexican settlements. They who once had the opportunity of recording its geographical features have left the task undone. They were too busy in the search for gold ; and their weak descendants, as you see, are too busy in rob- bing one another to care for aught else. They know nothing of the country beyond their own borders ; and these arc every day contracting upon them. All they know of it is the fact that thence come their enemies, whom they dread, as children do ghosts or wolves." " \Ve are now," continued Seguin, " near the center of the continent, in the very heart of the American Sahara." " But," said I, interrupting him, " we cannot be more than a day's ride south of New Mexico. That is not a desert : it is a cultivated country." " New Mexico is an oasis, nothing more. The desert is around it for hundreds of miles ; nay, in some directions you may travel a thousand miles from the Del Norte with- out seeing one fertile spot. New Mexico is an oasis, which owes its existence to the irrigating waters of the Del Norte'. 140 THE SCALP- HtNTERS. It is the only settlement of white men from the frontiers of the Mississippi to the shores of the Pacific in California. You approached it by a desert, did you not ? '' ' Yes. As we. ascended from the Mississippi towards the Rocky Mountains, the country became gradually more sterile. For the last three hundred miles or so. we could scarcely find grass or water for the sustenance of our animals. But is it thus north and south of the route \ye traveled ? " North and south for more than a thousand miles, from the plains of Texas to the lakes of Canada, along the whole base of the Rocky Mountains, and half-way to the settlements on the Mississippi, it is a treeless, herbless land." " To the west of the mountains ??' k'ifteen hundred miles of desert : that is its length, by at least half as many miles of breadth. The country to the west is of a different character. It is more broken in its outlines, more mountainous, and if possible more sterile in its aspect. The volcanic fires have been more active there; and though that may have been thousands of years ago, the igneous ro< k> in many places look as if freshly upheaved. No vegetation, no climatic action has sensibly changed the hues of the lava and scoria- that in some places cover the plains for miles. I say no climatic action, for there is but little of that in this central region." " 1 do not understand you." " What 1 mean is, that there is but little atmospheric change. It is but one uniform drought; it is seldom tem- pestuous or rainy. I know some districts where a drop of rain has not fallen for years." And can you account for that phenomenon ? " "1 have my theory. It may not satisfy the learned me- teorologist, but I will offer it to you." I listened with attention, for I knew that my companion was a man of science, as of experience and observation, and sub- GEOGRAPHY AND GEOLOGY. jects of the character of those about which we conversed had always possessed great interest for me. He continued " There can be no rain without vapor in the air. There can be no vapor in the air without water on the earth below to produce it. Here there is no great body of water. Nor ran there be. The whole region of the desert is upheaved : an elevated table-land. We are now nearly six thousand feet above sea level. Hcnre its springs are few; and by hydraulic law must be fed by its own waters, or those of SOUR- region still more elevated, which does not exist on the continent. " Could I create vast seas in this region, walled in by the lofty mountains that traverse it, and such seas existed coeval with its formation ; could I create those seas without giving Ihem an outlet, not even allowing the smallest rill to drain them, in process of time they would empty themselves into the ocean, and leave everything as it now is, a desert." " But how ? by evaporation ? " " On the contrary, the absence of evaporation would be the cause of their drainage. I believe it has been so already." " I cannot understand that." "It is simply thus : this region possesses, as we have said, great elevation ; consequently a cool atmosphere, and a much less evaporating power than that which draws up the water of the ocean. Now, there would be an interchange of vapor between the ocean and these elevated seas, by means of winds and currents ; for it is only by that means that any water can reach this interior plateau. That interchange would result in favor of the inland seas, by reason of their less evaporation, as well as from other causes. We have not time, or I could demonstrate such a result^ I beg you will admit it, then, and reason it out at your leisure." " I perceive the truth ; I perceive it at once." " What follows, then ? These seas would gradually fill 142 THE SCALP-HUNTERS. up to overflowing. The first little rivulet that trickled forth from their lipping fulness would be the signal of their de- struction. It would cut its channel over the ridge of the lofty mountain, tiny at first, but deepening and widening with each successive shower, until, after many years ages, centuries, cycles perhaps a great gap such as this" (here Seguin pointed to the canon,} " and the dry plain behind it, would alone exist to puzzle the geologist." "And you think that the plains lying among the Andes and the Rocky Mountains are the dry beds of seas ? " " I doubt it not : seas formed after the unheaval of the ridges that barred them in, formed by rains from the ocean ; at first shallow, then deepening, until they had risen to the level of their mountain barriers ; and, as I have described, cut their way back again to the ocean." " ]Uit does not one of these seas still exist ? " " The Great Salt Lake ? It does. It lies northwest of us. Not only one, but a system of lakes, springs, and rivers, both salt and fresh ; and these have no outlet to the ocean. They are barred in by highlands and mountains, of them- selves forming a complete geographical system." " Does not that destroy your theory ? " " No. The basin in which this phenomenon exists is on a lower level than most of the desert plateaux. Its evaporat- ing power is equal to the influx of its own rivers, and con- sequently neutralizes their effect : that is to say, in its ex- change of vapor with the ocean, it gives as much as it re- ceives. This arises not so much from its' low elevation as from the peculiar dip of the mountains that guide the waters into its bosom. Place it in a colder position, ccetcris paribus, and in time it would cut the canal for its own drainage. So with the Caspian Sea, the Aral, and the Dead Sea. No, my friend, the existence of the Salt Lake supports my theory. Around its shores lies a fertile country ; fertile from the quick GEOGRAPHY AXD GEOLOGY. returns of its own waters moistening it with rain. It exists only to a limited extent, and cannot influence the whole region of the desert, which lies parched and sterile, on ac- count of its great distance from the ocean." " But does not the vapor rising from the ocean float over the desert ? " " It does, as I have said, to some extent, else there would be no rain here. Sometimes by extraordinary causes, such as' high winds, it is carried into the heart of the continent in large masses. Then we have storms, and fearful ones too. But, generally, it is only the skirt of a cloud, so to speak, that reaches thus far; and that, combined with the proper evaporation of the region itself, that is, from its own springs and rivers, yields all the rain that falls upon it. Great bodies of vapor, rising from the Pacific and drifting eastward, first impinge upon the coast range, and there deposit their waters ; or perhaps they are more highly heated, and soaring above the tops of thesemountains, travel farther. They will be intercepted a hundred miles farther on by the loftier ridges of the Sierra Nevada, and carried back, as it were, cap- tive, to the ocean by the streams of the Sacramento and San Joaquim. It is only the skirt of these clouds, as I have termed it, that, soaring still higher, and escaping the attrac- tive influence of the Nevada, floats on, and falls into the desert region. What then ? No sooner has it fallen than it hurries back to the sea by the Gila and Colorado, to rise again and fertilize the slopes of the Nevada ; while the frag- ment of some other cloud drifts its scanty supply over the arid uplands of the interior, to be spent in rain or snow upon the peaks of the Rocky Mountains. Hence the source of the rivers running east and west, and hence the oases, such as the ' parks ' that lie among these mountains. Hence the fertile valleys upon the Del Norte', and other streams that thinly meander through this central land. 144 THE SCALP- HUNTEKS. " Vapor-clouds from tlic Atlantic undergo a similar deten- tion in crossing the Alleghany range ; or, cooling, after hav- ing circled a great distance round the globe, descend into the valleys of the Ohio and Mississippi. J<'nn all sides of this great continent, as you approach its center, fertility declines, and only from the want of water. The soil in many places, where there is scarcely a blade of grass to be seen, possesses all the elements of vegetation. So the doctor will tell you , he has analyzed it." " Ya, ya ! dat ish true," quietly affirmed the doctor. '- There are many oases," continued Seguin ; " and where water can be used to irrigate the soil, luxuriant vege- tation is the consequence. You have observed this, no doubt, in traveling down the river ; and such was the case in tin- old Spanish settlements on the Cila." "But why were these abandoned?" I inquired, never having heard any reason assigned for the desertion of these once flourishing colonies. " Why ! " echoed Seguin, with a peculiar energy ; " why ! Unless some other race than the Iberian take possession of these lands, the Apache", the Navajo, and the Cumanche, the conquered of Cortez and his conquerors, will yet drive the descendants of tho.se very conquerors from the soil of Mexico. Look at Sonora and Chihuahua, half depopulated ! Look at New Mexico ; its citizens living by sufferance ; liv- ing, as it were, to till the land and feed the flocks for the sup- port of their own enemies, who levy their blackmail by the year! But, come; the sun tells us we must on. Come! " Mount 1 we can go through," continued he. " There has been no rain lately, and the water is low, otherwise we should have fifteen miles of a ride over the mountain yonder. Keep close to the rocks ! Follow me ! " And with this admonition he entered tlte canon, followed by myself, Gode", and the doctor. CHAPTER XIX. THE SCALP-HUVTKRS. T was still early in the evening when we hed the camp the camp of the scalp- hunters. Our arrival was scarcely noticed. A single glance at us, as we rode in amongst the men, was all the recognition we re- ceived. No one rose from his seat or ceased his occupation. V. V were left to unsaddle our horses and dispose of them as best we might. I was wearied with the ride, having been so long unused to the saddlr. I threw my blanket on the ground, and sat down, resting my Lack against the stump of a tree. I could have slept, but the strangeness of everything around me ex- citcd my imagination, and, with feelings of curiosity, I looked and listened. I should call the pencil to my aid to give you an idea of the scene, and that would but faintly illustrate it. A wilder and more picturesque coup-Jocll never impressed human vision. It reminded me of pictures 1 had seen representing 10 145 146 THE SCALP-HUNTERS. the bivouacs of brigands, under the dark pines of the Abruzzi. I paint from a recollection that looks back over many years of adventurous life. I can give only the more salient points of the picture. The petite detail is forgotten, although at that time the minutest objects were things new and strange to my eye, and each of them for a while fixed my attention. I afterwards grew familiar with them ; and hence they are now in my memory, as a multitude of other things, indistinct from their very distinctness. The camp was in a bend of the Del Norte', in a glade sur- rounded by tall cotton-woods, whose smooth trunks rose ver- tically out of a thick underwood of palmettoes and Spanish bayonet. A few tattered tents stood in the open ground ; and there were skin lodges after the Indian fashion. But most of the hunters had made their shelter with a buffalo-robe stretched upon four upright poles. There were " lairs " among the underwood, constructed of branches, and thatched with the palmated leaves of the yuca, or with reeds brought from the adjacent river. There were paths leading out in different directions, marked by openings in the foliage. Through one of these a green meadow was visible. Mules and mustangs, picketed on long trail-ropes, were clustered over it. Through the camp were seen the saddles, bridles, and packs, resting upon stumps or hanging from the branches. Guns leaned against the trees, and rusted sabers hung sus- pended over the tents and lodges. Articles of camp furni- ture, such as pans, kettles, and axes, littered the ground in every direction. Log fires were burning. Around them sat clusters of men. They were not seeking warmth, for it was not cold. ~ They were roasting ribs of venison, or smoking odd-fashioned pipes. Some were scouring their arms and accouterments. THE SCALP-HUNTERS. 147 The accents of many languages fell upon my ear. I heard snatches of P'rench, Spanish, English, and Indian. The ex- clamations were in character with the appearance of those who uttered them. " Hilloa, Dick ! hang it, old hoss, what are ye 'bout ? " " Parbleu ! enfant de gar- " Car- rambo 1 " " Pardieu, monsieur! " " By the 'tarnal airth- quake ! " " Vaya ! hombre, vaya 1 " " Carajo ! " " By Gosh 1 " " Santissima Maria 1 " " Pe gar 1 " It seemed as if the different nations had sent represent- atives to contest the supremacy of their shibboleths. I was struck with three groups. A particular language prevailed in each ; and there was a homogeneousness about the costumes of the men composing each. That m-arrst me conversed in the Spanish language. They were Mexicans. I will describe the dress of one, as I remember it. Calzoncros of green velvet. These are cut after the fashion of sailor-trousers, short waist, tight round the hips, and wide at the bottoms, where they are strengthened by black leather stamped and stitched ornamentally. The outer seams are split from hip to thigh, slashed with braid, and set with rows of silver castle-tops. These seams are open, for the evening is warm, and underneath appear the eahoneiHos of white muslin, hanging in white folds around the ankles. The boot is of calf-skin, tanned, but not blackened. It is reddish, rounded at the toe, and carries a spur at least a pound in weight, with a rowel three inches in diameter ! The spur is curiously fashioned, and fastened to the boot by straps of stamped leather. Little bells, campanulas, hang from the teeth of the rowels, and tinkle at the slightest motion of the foot ! Look upward. The calzoneros are not braced, but fastened at the waist by a silken sash or scarf. It is scarlet. It is passed several times round the body, and made fast b-jhind, where the fringed ends hang gracefully over the left hip. There is no vest. A jacket of dark cloth embroidered 148 THE SCALP-HUNTERS. and tightly fitting, short behind, ti Ar Grccqnc, leaving the shirt to puff out over the scarf. The shirt itself, with its broad collar and flowered front, exhibits the triumphant skill of some dark-eyed poblana. Overall this is the broad-brimmed shad- owy sombrero ; a heavy hat of black glaze, with its thick band of silver bullion. There are tags of the same metal stuck in the sides, giving it an appearance altogether unique. Over one shoulder is hanging, half-folded, the picturesque scrape. A belt and pouch, an esct'flcftc upon which the hand is resting, a waist-belt with a pair of small pistols stuck under it, a long Spanish knife suspended obliquely across the left hip, complete the tout ensemble of him whom I have chosen to describe. It may answer as a characteristic of the dress of many of his companions, those of the group that was nearest me. There was variety in their habiliments, yet the national cos- tume of Mexico was traceable in all. Some wore leathern calzoneros, with a spencer or jerkin of the same material, close both in front and behind. Some carried, instead of the pictured scrape, the blanket of the Navajoes, with its broad black stripes. Suspended from the shoulders of others hung the beautiful and graceful manga. Some were mocassined ; while a few of the inferior men wore the simple guarche t the sandal of the Aztecs. The countenances of these men were swarth and savage looking, their hair long, straight, and black as the wing of a crow; while both beard and mustache grew wildly over their faces. Fierce dark eyes gleamed under the broad brims of their hats. Few of them were men of high stature ; yet there was a litheness in their bodies that showed them to be capable of great activity. Their frames were well knit, and inured to fatigues and hardships. They were all, or nearly all, natives uf the Mexican border, frontier-men, who had often closed in deadly fight with the Indian foe. They were HIM SCALP-HUHTERS. 149 cilwteros, Taqucros, ranchc.ros* monta-os men who in their fre- quent association with the mountain men, the Gallic and in hunters from the eastern plains, had acquired a degree of daring which by no means belongs to their own race. They were the chivalry of the Mexican frontier. They smoked cigaritas, rolling them between their lingers in husks of maize. They played inontc on their spread blank- . iking their tobacco. They cursed, and cried " Carajo I " when they lost, and thanks to the " Santissima Virgin" when the cards were pulled out in their favor ! Their language was a Spanish patois ; their voices were sharp and disagreeable. At a short distance from these was the second group that attracted my attention. The individuals composing this were altogether different from the former. They were different in every essential point : in voice, dress, language, and physiognomy. Theirs was the Anglo-American face, at a glance. These were the trappers, the prairie hunters, the mountain men. Let us again choose a type that may answer for a descrip- tion of all. He stands leaning on his long straight rifle, looking into the tire. He is six feet in his mocassins, and of a build that suggests the idea of strength and Saxon ancestry. His arms are like young oaks, and his hand, grasping the muzzle of his gun, is large, fleshless, and muscular. His cheek is broad and firm. It is partially covered by a bushy whisker that meets over the chin and fringes all around the lips. It is neither fair nor dark, but of a dull-brown color, lighter md the mouth, where it has been bleached by the sun, nbeer," and water. The eye is gray, or bluish gray, small, and slightly crowed at the corner. It is well set, and rarely wanders. It seems to look into you, rather than at you. The hair is brown, and of a medium length (cut, no doubt, 150 THE SCALP-HUNTERS. on his last visit to the trading post, or the settlements) ; and the complexion, although dark as that of a mulatto, is only so from tan. It was once fair : a blonde. The countenance is not unprepossessing. It might be styled handsome. Its whole expression is bold, but good-humored and generous. The dress of the individual described is of home manu- facture ; that is, of his home, the prairie and the wild moun- tain park, where the material has been bought by a bullet from his rifle. It is the work of his own hands, unless in- deed he may be one who, in his moments of lassitude, has shared his cabin with some Indian damsel, Sioux, Crow, or Cheyenne. It consists of a hunting-shirt of dressed deerskin, smoked to the softness of a glove ; leggings, reaching to the waist, and mocassins of the same material ; the latter soled with the parfleche of the buffalo. The shirt is belted at the waist, but open at the breast and throat, where it falls back into a graceful cape just covering the shoulders. Underneath is seen the under-shirt, of finer material, the dressed skin of the antelope, or the fawn of the fallow-deer. On his head is a racoon cap, with the face of the animal looking to the front, while the barred tail hangs like a plume drooping down to his left shoulder. His accouterments are, a bullet-pouch made from the un- dressed skin of the mountain cat, and a huge crescent-shaped horn, upon which he has carved many a strange souvenir. His arms consist of a long knife, a bowie, and a heavy pistol, carefully secured by a holster to the leathern belt around his waist. Add to this a rifle nearly five feet long, taking ninety to the pound, and so straight that the line of the barrel scarcely deflects from that of the butt. But little attention has been paid to ornament in either his dress, arms, or equipments ; and yet there is a gracefulness in the hang of his tunic-like shirt ; a stylishness about the THE SCALP- HUNTERS. fringing of the cape and leggings ; and a jauntiness in the set of that coon-skin cap that shows the wearer to be not alto- gether unmindful of his personal appearance. A small pouch or case, neatly embroidered with stained porcupine quills, hangs upon his breast. At intervals he contemplates this with a pleased and com- placent look. It is his pipe-holder : a love-token from some Young Grizzly Rears at Play. dark-eyed, dark-haired damsel, no doubt, like himself a denizen of the wild wilderness. Such is the tout ensemble of a mountain trapper. There were many around him whom I have described almost similarly attired and equipped. Some wore slouch hats of grayish felt, and some catskin caps. Some had hunting-shirts bleached to a brighter hue, and broidered with gayer colors. Others looked more tattered and patched, and smoky ; yet in the costume of all there was enough of charac- THK SCALP- HUNTERS. ter to enable you to class them. There was no possibility of mistaking the regular " nnnintahi man.'" The third group that attracted my attention was at a greater distance from the spot I occupied. I was filled with curiosity, not to say astonishment, on perceiving that they were Indians. ^ " Can they be prisoners ? " thought I. " No ; they are not bound. There are no signs of captivity either in their looks or gestures, and yet they are Indians. Can iluy be- long to the band, fighting against ? " As I sat conjecturing, a hunter passed near me. " Who are these Indians ? " I asked, indicating the group. IK-lawares; some Shawnees." These then, were the celebrated Delawares : descendants of that great tribe who, on the Atlantic shores, first gave battle to the pale-faced invader. Theirs has been a wonder- ful history. War their school, war their worship, war their pastime, war their profession. They are now but a remnant. Their story will soon be ended. 1 rose up, and approached them with a feeling of interest. Some of them were sitting around the fire, smoking out of curiously-carved pipes of the red claystone. Others strode back ana forth with that majestic gait for which the " forest " Indian has been so much celebrated. There was a silence among them that contrasted strangely with the jabbering kept up by their Mexican allies. An occasional question put in a deep-toned sonorous voice, a short but emphatic reply, a guttural grunt, a dignified nod, a gesture with the hand ; and thus they conversed, as they tilled their pipe- bowls with the kini-kin-ik, and passed the valued instruments from one to another. I stood gazing upon these stoical sons of the forest with emotions stronger than curiosity ; as one contemplates for the first time an object of which he has heard and read THK sc.ALP-nrxTKKs. 153 strange accounts. The history of their wars and their wan- derings were fresh in roy memory. Before me were the actors themselves, or types of them, in all their truthful real- ity, and all their wild picturcsqueness. These were the men who, driven from their homes by the Atlantic border, yielded only to fate: to the destiny of their race. Crossing the Appalachian range, they had fought their way from home to home, down the steep sides of the Alleghany, along the wooded banks of the Ohio, into the heart of the ' Bloody Ground." Still the pale-faced followed on their track, and drove them onward, onward towards the setting sun. Red wars, Punic faith, broken treaties, year after year thinned their ranks. Still disdaining to live near their white con- querors, they pushed on, fighting their way through tribes of their own race and color thrice their numbers ! The forks of the Osage became their latest resting-place. Here the usurper promised to guarantee them a home, to be theirs to all time. The concession came too late. War and wander- ing had grown to be part of their natures ; and with a scornful pride they disdained the peaceful tillage of the soil. The remnant of their tribe was collected on the Osage, but in one season it had disappeared. The braves and young men wandered away, leaving only the old, the women, and the worthless, in their allotted home. Where have they gone ? Where are they now ? He who would find the Delawares must seek them on the broad prairies, in the mountain parks, in the haunts of the bear and the beaver, the bighorn and the buffalo. There he may find them, in scattered bands leagued with their ancient enemies the .whites, or alone ; trapping, hunting, fighting the Yuta or Rapaho, the Crow or Cheyenne, the Navajo and the Apache. 1 stood ga/ing upon the group with feelings of profound interest : upon their features and their picturesque habili- ments. Though no two of them were dressed exactly alike, 154 THE SCALP-HUNTERS. there was a similarity about the dress of all. Most of them wore hunting-shirts, not made of deerskin, like those of the whites, but of calico, printed in bright patterns. This dress, handsomely fashioned and fringed, under the accouterments of the Indian warrior, presented a striking appearance. But that which chiefly distinguished the costumes of both the Delaware and Shawano from that of their white allies \^as the head-dress. This was, in fact, a turban, formed by bind- ing the head with a scarf or kerchief of a brilliant color : such as may be seen on the dark Creoles of Hayti. In the group before me no two of these turbans were alike, yet they were all of a similar character. The finest were those made by the chequered kerchiefs of Madras. Plumes surmounted them of colored feathers from the wing of the war eagle, or the blue plumage of the gruya. For the rest of their costume they wore deerskin leggings and mocassins, nearly similar to those of the trappers. The leggings of some were ornamented by scalp locks along the outer seam, exhibiting a dark history of the wearer's prowess. I noticed that their mocassins were peculiar, differing alto- gether from those worn by the Indians of the prairies. They were seamed up the fronts, without braiding or ornament, and gathered into a double row of plaits. The arms and equipments of these warrior men were like those of the white hunters. They have long since discarded the bow ; and in the management of the rifle most of them can " draw a bead" and hit " plumb-center " with any of their mountain associates. In addition to the firelock and knife, I noticed that they still carried the ancient weapon of their race, the fearful tomahawk. I have described three characteristic groups that struck me on glancing over the camp ground. There were individ- uals belonging to neither, and others partaking of the charac- ter of one or all. There were Frenchmen, Canadian voya- THE SCALP-HUNTERS. 155 geurs, strays of the Northwest Company , wearing white capotes and chattering, dancing, and singing their boat songs with all the esprit of their race. There were pueblos, Indios manzos, clad in their ungraceful tilmas, and rather serving than associating with those around them. There were mulattoes, too ; and negroes of a jetty blackness from the plantations of Louisiana, who had exchanged for this free roving life the twisted " cow-skin " of the overseer. There were tattered uniforms showing the deserters who had wan- dered from some frontier post into this remote region. There were Kanakas from the Sandwich Isles, who had crossed the deserts from California. There were men apparently of every hue and clime and tongue here assembled, drawn to- gether by the accidents of life, by the instinct of adventure ; all more or less strange individuals of the strangest band it has ever been my lot to witness : the band of the SCALP- HUNTERS 1 CHAPTER XX. SHAKI'-SIIOOTIM;. HAD returned to my blanket, and was about to stivtc li myself upon it, when the whoop of a " gruya " drew my at- tention. Looking up, I saw one of these birds flying towards the camp. It was coming through a break in the trees that opened from the river. It flew low, and tempted a shot with its broad wings ,and slow lazy flight. A report rang upon the air. One of the Mexicans had fired his escopette ; but the bird flew on, plying its wings with more energy, as if to hear itself out of reach. There was a laugh from the trappers, and a voice cried out " Yur cussed fool ! D' yur think 'ee kucl hit a spread blanket wi' that beetle-shaped blunderbox ? Pish ! " I turned to see who had delivered this odd speech. Two men were poising their rifles, bringing them to bear upon the bird. One was the young hunter whom I have described. The other was an Indian whom I had not seen before. The cracks were simultaneous; and the crane, dropping SHARP 157 its long neck, came whirling down among the ; icre it caught upon a high branch, and remained. From their position, neither party knew that the other h id fired. A tent was between them, and the two reports had seemed as one. A trapper cried out Well done, Garey ! Kind Providence help the tiling that's afore old Killbar's muzzle when you squints through her hind-sights." The Indian just then stepped round the tent. Hearing this side speech, and perceiving the smoke still oozing from the muzzle of the young hunter's gun, he turned to the latter with the interrogation Dili you lire, sir ? " This was said in well-acri-ntuated and mo*t un-Indian-like English, which would have drawn my attention to the man had not his singularly-imposing appearamv rixeted me already. Who is he?" I inquired from one near me. Don't know ; fresh arriv'." was the short answer. Do you mean that he is a stranger hen- '1 " "Just so. He kumb in thar a while agone. Don't b'lieve anybody knows him. I guess the captain does ; I seed them shake hands." I looked at the Indian with increasing interest. He seemed a man of about thirty years of age, and not much under seven feet in height. He was proportioned like an Apollo, and, on this account, appeared smaller than he ac- tually was. His features were of the Roman type; and his fine forehead, his aquiline nose and broad jawbone, gave him the appearance of talent as. well as firmness and^ energy. He was dressed in a hunting-shirt, leggings and mocassins ; but all these differed from anything worn either J,y the hunters or their Indian allies. The shirt itself was made out of the dressed hide of the red deer, but differently prepared from that used by the trappers. It was bleached THE SCALP-HUNTERS. almost to the whiteness of a kid glove. The breast, unlike theirs, was close, and beautifully embroidered with stained porcupine quills. The sleeves were similarly ornamented ; and the cape and skirts were trimmed with the soft, snow- white fur oi the ermine. A row of entire skins of that animal hung from the skirt border, forming a fringe both graceful and costly. But the most singular feature about this man was his hair. It fell loosely over his shoulders, and swept the ground as he walked ! It could not have been less than seven feet in length. It was black glossy, and luxuriant, and reminded me of the tails of those great Flemish horses I had seen in the funeral carriages of London. He wore upon his head the war-eagle bonnet, with its full circle of plumes : the finest triumph of savage taste. This magnificent head-dress added to the majesty of his appear- ance. A white buffalo robe hung from his shoulders, with all the graceful draping of a toga. Its silky fur corresponded to the color of his dress, and contrasted strikingly with his own dark tresses. There were other ornaments about his person. His arms and accouterments were shining with metallic brightness, and the stock and butt of his rifle were richly inlaid with silver. I have been thus minute in my description, as the first appearance of this man impressed me with a picture that can never be effaced from my memory. He was the beau ideal of a picturesque and romantic savage ; and yet there was nothing savage either in his speech or bearing. On the contrary, the interrogation which he had just addressed to the trapper was put in the politest manner. The reply was not so courteous. " Did I fire ? Didn't ye hear a crack ? Didn't ye see the thing fall ? Look yonder ! " Garey, as he spoke, pointed up to the bird. SHARP-SHOOTIXG. 159 " We must have fired simultaneously." As the Indian said this, he appealed to his gun, which was still smoking at the muzzle. " Look hyar, Injun !' whether we fired symultainyously, or extraneously, or caltawampously, ain't the flappin' o' a beaver's tail to me ; but I tuk sight on that bird ; I hut that bird; and 'twar my bullet brought the thing down." " I think I must have hit it too," replied the Indian, mod- estly. " That's like, with that ar' spangled grimcrack ! " said Garey, looking disdainfully at the other's gun, and then proudly at his own brown weather-beaten piece, which he had just wiped, and was about to reload. " Gimcrack or no," answered the Indian, " she sends a bullet straighter and fa'rther than any piece I have hitherto met with. I'll warrant she has sent hers through the body of the crane." " Look hyar, mister ; for I s'pose we must call a gentle- man ' mister ' who speaks so fine an' looks so fine, tho' he be's an Injun ; it's mighty easy to settle who hut the bird. That thing's a fifty, or tharabouts ; Killbar's a ninety. 'Taint hard to tell which has plugged the varmint. We'll soon see ; " and so saying, the hunter stepped off to\y.ards the tree on which hung the gruya, high up. " How are you to get it down ? " cried one of the men, who had stepped forward to witness the settlement of this curious dispute. There was no reply, for every one saw that Garey was poising his rifle for a shot. The crack followed ; and the branch, shivered by his bullet, bent downward under the weight of the gruya. But the bird, caught in a double fork, still stuck fast on the broken limb. A murmur of approbation followed the shot. These were men not accustomed to hurrah loudly at a, trivial incident. i6o THK SCAU'-Hl'NTKKS. The Indian now approached, having reloaded his piece. Taking aim, he struck the branch at the shattered point, cutting it clean from the tree ! The bird fell to the ground, Bear Hunting in New Mexico: The Smoke-out. amidst expressions of applause from the spectators, but chiefly from the Mexican and Indian hunters. It was at once picked up and examined. Two bullets /unl passed thioitgh its body. Either v.ould have killed it. A shadow n her waist, exhibit- ing the globular developments of a full-grown bosom, and the undulating outlines of a womanly person. Her head- dress is similar to that worn by her companion, but smaller and lighter ; and her hair, like his, hangs loosely down, reaching almost to the ground ! Her neck throat, and part of her bosom are nude, and clustered over with bead- strings of various colors. The expression of her countenance is high and noble. Her eye is oblique. The lips are meet with a double curve, and the throat is full and rounded. Her complexion is Indian ; but a crimson hue, struggling through the brown upon her cheek, gives that pictured expression to her coun- tenance which may be observed in the quadroon of the West Indies. She is a girl, though full-grown and boldly developed : a type of health and savage beauty. As she approaches, the men murmur their admiration. There are hearts beating under hunting-shirts that rarely deign to dream of the charms of woman. I am struck at this moment with the appearance of the young trapper, Carey. His face has fallen, the blood has forsaken his cheeks, his lips are white and compressed, and i lark rings have formed around his eyes. They express anger, but there is still another meaning in them. Is it jealousy ? Yes ! He has stepped behind one of his comrades, as if he did 170 THE SCALP-HUNTEKS. not wish to be seen. One hand is playing involuntarily with the handle of his knife. The other grasps the barrel of his gun, as though he would crush it between his ringers ! The girl comes up. The Indian hands her the gourd, muttering some words in an unknown tongue, unknown at least to me. She takes it without making any reply, and walks off towards the spot where Rube had stood, which has been pointed out to her by her companion. Grizzly Carrying off a Colt. She reaches the tree, and halts in front of it, facing round as the trapper had done. There was something so dramatic, so theatrical, in the whole proceeding, that up to the present time we had all stood waiting for the denouement in silence. Now we knew what it was to be, and the men began to talk. " He's a-goin' to shoot the gourd from the hand of the gal," suggested a hunter. A FEAT A LA TELL. " No great shot after all," added another ; and indeed this was the silent opinion of most on the ground. " Wagh ! it don't beat Garey if he diz hit it," exclaimed a third. What was our amazement at seeing the girl fling off her plumed bonnet, place the gourd upon her head, fold her arms over her bosom, and standing fronting us as calm and immobile as if she had been carved upon the tree ! There was a murmur in the crowd. The Indian was rais- ing his rifle to take aim, when a man rushed forward to pre- vent him. It was Garey ! " No, yer don't ! No ! " cried he, clutching the leveled rifle ; " she's deceived me, that's plain, but I won't see the gal that once loved me, or said she did, in the trap that a-way. No ! Bill Garey ain't a-goin' to standby and see it." " What is this ? " shouted the Indian in a voice of thunder " Who dares to interrupt me ? " " I dares," replied Garey. " She's yourn now, I suppose. You may take her wlrar ye like ; and take this too," con- tinued he, tearing off the embroidered pipe-case, and fling- ing it at the Indian's feet ; " but ye're not a-goin' to shoot her down whiles I stand by." " By what right do you interrupt me ? My sister is not afraid, and " Your sister !" " Yes, my sister." "And is yon gal your sister?" eagerly inquired Garey, his manner and the expression of his countenance all at once changing. " She is. I have said she is." " And are you El Sol ? " " I am." " I ask your pardon ; but " " I pardon you. Let me proceed 1 " 172 THE SCALP-HUNTERS. " Oh, sir, do not. No ! no ! She is your sister, and I know you have the right, but thar's no needcessity. I have heerd of your shootin'. I give in. you kin beat me. For Heaven's sake, do not risk it; as you care for her, do not ! " There is no risk. I will show you." " No, no ! If you must, then, let me ! I will hold it. Oh, let me ! " stammered the hunter in tones of entreaty. " Hilloo Billee ! What's the dratted rumpus ? cried Rube, coming up. " Hang it, man ! let's see the shot. I've heern o' it afore. Don't be skeert, ye fool ! he'll do it like a breeze ; he will ! " And as the old trapper said this, he caught his comrade by the arm, and swung him round out of the Indian's way. The girl, during all this, had stood still, seemingly not knowing the cause of the interruption, Gurey's back was turned to her, and the distance, with t\>o years of separation, doubtless prevented her from recognizing him. Before Garey could turn to interpos'e himself, the rifle was at the Indian's shoulder and leveled. His ringer was on the trigger, and his eye glanced thrpugh the sights. It was too late to interfere. Any attempt at that might bring about the dreaded result. The hunter, as he turned, saw this, and halting in his tracks, stood straining and silent. It was a moment of terrible suspense to all of us ; a moment of intense ' emotion. The silence was profound. Every breath seemed suspended ; every eye was fixed on the yellow object, not larger, I have said, than an orange. Oh, God ! will the shot never come ? It came. The flash, the crack, the stream of fire, the wild hurrah, the forward rush, were nil simultaneous things. We saw the shivered globe fly off. The girl was still upon her feet ; she was safe ! I ran with the rest. The smoke for a moment blinded A FEAT A LA TELL. 173 me. I heard the shrill notes of the Indian whistle. I looked before me. The girl had disappeared. We ran to the spot where she had stood. We heard a rustling in the underwood, a departing footstep. We knew it was she ; but guided by an instinct of delicacy, and a knowledge that it would be contrary to the wish of her brother, no one followed her. We found the fragments of the calabash strewed over the ground. We found the leaden mark upon them. The bullet itself was buried in the bark of the tree, and one of the hunters commenced digging it out with the point of his bowie. When we turned to go back, we saw that the Indian had walked away, and now stood chatting easily and familiarly with Seguin. As we re-entered the camp-ground, I observed Garey stoop and pick up a shining object. It was the gage d'amour, which he carefully readjusted around his neck, in its wonted position. From his look, and the manner in which he handled it, it was plain that he now regarded that souvenir with more reverence than ever. Mexican Peccary : the Terror of Hunters. CHAPTER XXII. A FEAT A LA TAIL. HAD fallen into a sort of reverie. My mind was occupied with the incidents I had just witnessed, when a voice which I recognized as that of old Rube, roused me from my abstraction. " Look'ee hyur, boyees I 'Tain't's of'n as ole Rube wastes lead, but I'll beat that Injun's shot, or 'ee may cut my ears off." A loud laugh hailed this allusion of the trapper to his ears, which, as we have observed, were already gone ; and so closely had they been trimmed that nothing remained for either knife or shears to accomplish. " How will you do it, Rube ? " cried one of the hunters ; " shoot the mark off a yer own head ? " " I'll let 'ee see if 'ee wait," replied Rube, stalking up to a tree, and taking from its rest a long heavy rifle, which he proceeded to wipe out with care. 174 A PEAT A LA TAIL. 17$ The attention of all was now turned to the maneuvers of the old trapper. Conjecture was busy as to his designs. What feat could he perform that would eclipse the one just witnessed ? No one could guess. " I'll beat it," continued he, muttering as he loaded his piece, " or 'ee may chop the little ringer off ole Rube's right paw." Another peal of laughter followed, as all perceived that this was the finger that was wanting. " 'Ee es," continued he, looking at the faces that were around him, " 'ee may scalp me if I don't." This last remark elicited fresh roars of laughter ; for although the catskin was closely drawn upon his head, all present knew that old Rube was minus his scalp. " But how are ye goin' to do it ? Tell us that, old hoss 1 " " 'Ee see this, do 'ee ? " asked the trapper, holding out a small fruit of the cactus pitahaya, which he had just plucked and cleaned of its spikelets. " Ay, ay," cried several voices, in reply. " 'Ee do, do 'ee ? Wai ; 'ee see 'tain't half as big as the Injun's squash. 'Ee see that, do 'ee ? " " Oh, sartinly ! Any fool can see that." " Wai ; s'pose I plug it at sixty, plumb center ? " " Wagh 1 " cried several, with shrugs of disappointment. " Stick it on a pole, and any o' us can do that," said the principal speaker. " Here's Barney could knock it off wid his owld musket. Couldn't you, Barney ? " "In troth, an' I could thry," answered a very small man, leaning upon a musket, and who was dressed in a tattered uniform that had once been sky-blue. I had already noticed this individual with some curiosity, partly struck with his peculiar costume, but more particularly on account of the redness of his hair, which was the reddest I had ever seen. It bore the marks of a severe barrack discipline : that is, it I7^> THE SCALP-HtlNTF.RS. had boon shaved, and was now growing out of his little found head short and thick, and coarse in the grain, and of the color of a scraped carrot. There was no possibility of mistaking Barney's nationality. In trapper phrase, any fool could have told that. What had brought such an individual to such a place? I asked this question, and was soon enlightened. He had been a soldier in a frontier post : one of uncle Sam's " sky- blues." He had got tired of pork and pipe-clay, accompanied with a too liberal allowance of the " hide." In a word, Barney was a deserter. What his name was I know not, but he went under the appellation of O'Cork : Barney O'Cork. A laugh greeted this answer to the hunter's question. ' Any o' us," continued the speaker, " could plug the per- simmon that a way. But thar's a mighty heap o' diff'rence when you squints thro' hind-sights at a gal like yon." \Vre right, Dick," said another hunter ; " it makes a feller feel queery about the jeints." " Holy vistment ! An' wasn't she a raal beauty?" ex- claimed the little Irishman, with an earnestness in his manner that set the trappers roaring again. Pish ! " cried Rube, who had now finished loading, " yur a set o' channering fools ; that's what 'ee ur. Who palavered about a post ? I've got an ole squaw as well's the Injun. She'll hold the thing for this child she will." ' Squaw ! You a squaw ? " \Vs, hoss ; I has a squaw I wudn't swop for two o' his'n. I'll make tracks, an' fetch the old 'oman. Shet up yur heads, an' wait, will ye ? " So saying, the smoky old sinner shouldered his rifle, and walked off into the woods. I, in common with others, latecomers, who were strangers to Rube, began to think that he had an " old 'oman." There were no females to be seen about the encampment, A FEAT A LA TAIL. 1 77 but perhaps she was hid away in the woods. The trappers, however, who knew him, seemed to understand that the old fellow had some trick in his brain ; and that, it appeared^ was no new thing for him. We were not kept long in suspense. In a few minutes Rube was seen returning, and by his side the " old 'oman," in the shape of a long, lank, bare-ribbed, high-boned mustang, that turned out on close inspection to be a mare ! This, then, was Rube's squaw, and she was not at all unlike him, Puma, or American Lion of Mexico excepting the ears. S/te was long-eared, in common with all her race : the same as that upon which Quixote charged the windmill. The long ears caused her to look mulish, but it was only yi appearance ; she was a pure mustang when you examined her attentively. She seemed to have been at an earlier period of that dun-yellowish color known as " clay- bank : " a common color among Mexican horses ; but time and scars had somewhat metamorphosed her, and gray hairs predominated all over, particularly about the head and n'eck. These parts were covered with a dirty grizzle of mixed hues. She was badly wind-broken ; and at stated intervals, of IJ 178 THE SCALP-HUNTERS. several minutes each, her back, from the spasmodic action of the lungs, heaved up with a jerk, as though she was try- ing to kick with her hind legs, and couldn't. She was as thin as a rail, and carried her head below the level of her shoulders ; but there was something in the twinkle of her solitary eye (for she had but one), that told you she had no intention of giving up for a long time to come. She was evidently " game to the backbone." Such was the " old 'oman " Rube had promised to fetch ; and she was greeted by a loud laugh as he led her up. " Now, look'ee hyur, boyees," said he, halting in front of the crowd. " 'Ee may larf, an' gabble, an' grin till yur sick in the guts yur may ! but this child's a-gwine to take the shine out o' that Injun's shot he is, or bust a-tryin'." Several of the bystanders remarked that that was likely enough, and that they only waited to see in what manner it was to be done. No one who knew hiirf doubted .old Rube to be, as in fact he was, one of the very best marksmen in the mountains : fully equal perhaps to the Indian ; but it was the style and circumstances which had given such eclat to the shot of the latter. It was not every day that a beautiful girl could be found to stand fire as the squaw had done ; and it was not every hunter who would have ventured to fire at a mark so placed. The strength of the feat lay in its newness, and peculiarity. The hunters had often fired at the mark held in one another's hands. There were few who would like to carry it on their head. How then was Rube to "take the shine out o' that Injun's shot? " This was th'e question that each was asking the other, and which was at length put directly to Rube himself. " Shet up your meat-traps," answered he, " an' I'll show 'ee. In the fust place, then, 'ee all see that this hyur prickly ain't moro'n hef size o' the squash ? " A FEAT A LA TAIL. I 79 " Yes, sartinly," answered several voices. " That wur one sukumstance in his favor. Wa'nt it ? " " It wur ! it wur ! " " Wat, hyur's another. The Injun, 'ee see, shot his mark off o' the head. Now, this child's a-gwine to knock his'n off o' the tail. Kud yur Injun do that ? ' Eh, boyees ? " " No, no ! " " Do that beat him, or do it not, then ? " " It beats him ! " " It does ! " " Far better ! " " Hooray 1 " vociferated several voices, amidst yells of laughter. No one dissented, as the hunters, pleased with the joke, were anxious to see it carried through. Rube did not detain them long. Leaving his rifle in the hands of his friend Garey, he led the old mare up towards the spot that had been occupied by the Indian girl. Reach- ing this, he halted. We all expected to see him turn the animal with her side towards us, thus leaving her body out of range. It soon be- came evident that this was not the old fellow's intention. It would have spoiled the look of the thing, had he done so ; and that idea was no doubt running in his mind. Choosing a place where the ground chanced to be slightly hollowed out, he led the mustang forward, until her fore feet rested in the hollow. The tail was thus thrown above the body. Having squared her hips to the camp, he whispered some- thing at her head ; and going round to the hind quarters, adjusted the pear upon the highest curve of the stump. He then came walking back. Would the mare stand ? No fear of that. She had been trained to stand in one place for a longer period than was now required of her. The appearance which the old mare exhibited, nothing visible but her hind legs and buttocks, for the mules had iSo THE SCALP-HUNTERS. .stripped her tail of the hair, had by this time wound the spectators up to the risible point, and most of them were yelling. " Stop yur giggle-goggle, will yur ! '' said Rube, clutching his rifle, and taking his stand. The laughter was held in, no one wishing to disturb the shot. " Now, old Tar-guts, don't waste your fodder ! " muttered the trapper, addressing his gun, which the next moment was raised and leveled. No one doubted but that Rube would hit the object at which he was aiming. It was a shot frequently made by western riflemen : that is, a mark of the same size, at sixty yards. And, no doubt, Rube would have done it ; but, just at the moment of his pulling trigger, the mare's back heaved up in one of its periodic jerks, and tli pitahaya fell to the ground. But the ball had sped ; and, grazing the animal's shoulder, passed through one of her ears ! The direction of the bullet was not known until afterwards, but its effect was visible at once ; for the mare, stung in her tenderest part, uttered a sort of human-like scream ; and wheeling about, came leaping into camp, kicking over every- thing that happened to lie in her way. The yells and loud laughing of the trappers, the odd ejaculations of the Indians, the " vayas " and " vivas " of the Mexicans, the wild oaths of old Rube himself, all formed a medley of sounds that fell strangely upon the ear, and to give an idea of which is beyond the art of my pen. CHAPTER XXI IT. THE PROGRAM. HORTLY after, I was wandering out to the caballada to look after my horse, when the sound of a bugle fell upon my ear. It was the signal for the men to assemble, and 1 turned back towards the camp. As I re-entered it, St_guin was standing near his tent, with the bugle still in his hand. The hunters were gathering around him. They were soon all assembled, and stood in groups, waiting for the chief to speak. " Comrades ! " said Seguin, " to-morrow we break up this camp for an expedition against the enemy. J have brought you together that you may know my plans and lend me your advice." A murmur of applause followed this announcement. The breaking up of a camp is always joyous news to men whose trade is war. It seemed to have a like effect upon this mot- ley group of guerilleros. The chief continued iSl 1 82 THE SCALP-HUNTERS. " It is not likely that you will have much fighting. Our dangers will be those of the desert ; but we will endeavor to provide against them in the best manner possible. " I have learned, from a reliable source, that our enemies are, at this very time, about starting upon a grand expedition to plunder the towns of Sonora and Chihuahua. " It is their intention, if not met by the government troops, to extend their foray to Durango itself. Both tribes have combined in this movement ; and it is believed that all the warriors will proceed southward, leaving their country un- protected behind them. " It is my intention then, as soon as I can ascertain that they have gone out, to enter their territory, and pierce to the main town of the Navajoes." " Bravo ! " " Hooray ! " " Bueno ! " " Tres bien 1 " " Good as wheat ! " and numerous other exclamations, hailed this declaration. " Some of you know my object in making this expedition. Others do not. I will declare it to you all. It is, then, " Git a grist of scalps ; what else ? " cried a rough, brutal- looking fellow, interrupting the chief. " No, Kirker ! " replied Seguin, bending his eye upon the man, with an expression of anger. " It is not that. We expect to meet only women. On his peril let no man touch a hair upon the head of an Indian woman. I shall pay for no scalps of women or children." " Where then will be your profits ? We cannot bring them prisoners ? We'll have enough to do to get back ourselves* I reckon, across them deserts." These questions seemed to express the feelings of others of the band, who muttered their assent. " You shall lose nothing. Whatever prisoners you take shall be counted on the ground, and every man shall be paid THE PROGRAM. 183 according to his number. When we return I will make that good." " Oh ! that's fair enough, captain," cried several voices. " Let it be understood then, no women nor children. The plunder you shall have, it is yours by our laws, but no blood that can be spared. There is enough on our hands already. Do you all bind yourselves to this ? " " Yes, yes ! " " Si ! " " Oui, oui I " " Ya, ya ! " " All 1 " " Todos, todos 1 " cried a multitude of voices, each man answering in his own language. " Let those who do not agree to it speak." A profound silence followed this proposal. All had bound themselves to the wishes of their leader. " I am glad that you are unanimous. I will now state my purpose fully. It is but just you should know it." " Ay, let us know that," muttered Kirker. " if 'tain't to raise har we're goin'." " We go then to seek for our friends and relatives, who for years have been captives to our savage enemy. There are many among us who have lost kindred, wives, sisters, and daughters." A murmur of assent, uttered chiefly by men in Mexican costume, testified to the truth of this statement. " I myself," continued Seguin, and his voice slightly trembled as he spoke, " am among that number. Years, long years ago, I was robbed of my child by the Navajoes. I have lately learned that she is still alive, and at their head town, with many other white captives. We go, then, to re- lease and restore them to their friends and homes." A shout of approbation broke from the crowd, mingled with exclamations of " Bravo ! " " We'll fetch them back 1 " "Vive le capitaine ! " " Viva el gefe'! " When silence was restored, Seguin continued " You know our purpose. You have approved it. / will {84 THE SCALP-HUNTERS. now make known to yon the plan I had designed for accom- plishing it, and listen to your advice." The Scalp-Hunters at Supper. - Here the chief paused a moment, while the men remained silent and waiting. " There are three passes," continued he at length, " by which we might enter the Indian country from this side. Tin-: PROGRAM. 185 There is, first, the route of the Western Puerco. That would lead us direct to the Navajo towns/' " And why not take that way ? " asked one of the hunters, a Mexican. " I know the route well, as far as the Pecos towns." " Because we could not pass the Pecos towns without be- ing seen by Navajo spies. There are always some of them there.. Nay, more," continued Seguin, with a look that pressed a hidden meaning, " we would not get far up the Del Norte' itself before the Navajoes would be warned of our approach. We have enemies nearer home." " Carrai ! that is true," said a hunter, speaking in Spanish. " Should they get word of our coming, even though the warriors had gone southward, you can see that we would have a journey for nothing." " True, true !" shouted several voi< " For the same reason, we cannot take the pass of Pol- videra. Besides, at this season, there is but little prospect of game on either of these routes. We are not prepared for an expedition with our present supply. We must pass through a game country before we can enter on the desert." "That is true, captain; but there is as little game to be met if we go by the old mine. What other road, then, can we take ? " ' " There is still another route better than all, I think. We will strike southward, and then west across the Llanos to the old mission. From thence we-can go north into the Apache* country." "Yes, yes ; that is the best way, captain." " We will have a longer journey, but with advantage'.?. We will find the wild cattle or the buffaloes upon the Llanos. Moreover, we will make sure of our time, as we can cache in the Pinon Hills that overlook the Apache war-trail, and see our enemies pass out. When they have gone south, we can 1 86 TH-E SCALP-HUNTERS. cross the Gila, and keep up the Azul or Prieto. Having accomplished the object of our expedition, we may then return homeward by the nearest route." " Bravo 1 " " Viva ! " " That's jest right, captain 1 " " That's clarly our best plan ! " were a few among the many forms by which the hunters testified their approval of the program. There was no dissenting voice. The word " Prieto," struck like music upon their ears. That was a magic word : the name of the far-famed river on whose waters the trapper legends had long placed the El Dorado, " the mountain of gold." Many a story of this celebrated region had been told at the hunters' camp-fire, all agreeing in one point : that. there the gold lay in " lumps " upon the surface of the ground, and filled the rivers with its shining grains. Often had the trappers talked of an expedition to this un- known land ; and small parties were said to have actually entered it, but none of these adventurers had ever been known to return. The hunters saw now, for the first time, the prospect of penetrating this region with safety, and their minds were filled with fancies wild and romantic. Not a few of them had joined Seguin's band in hopes that some day this very- expedition might be undertaken, and the " gold mountain " reached. What, then, were their feelings, when Seguin de- clared his purpose of traveling by the Prieto 1 At the men- tion of it a buzz of peculiar meaning ran through the crowd, and the men turned to each other with looks of satisfaction. " To-morrow, then, we shall march," added the chief. " Go now and make your preparations ; we start by day- break." As Seguin ceased speaking, the hunters departed, each to look after his " traps and possibles " ; a duty soon performed, as these rude rangers were but little encumbered, with camp equipage, THE PROGRAM. 187 I Sat down upon a log, watching for some time the move* ments of my wild companions, and listening to their rucU and Babel-like converse. At length arrived sunset, or night, for they are almost synonymous in these latitudes. Fresh logs were flung upon the fires, till they blazed up. The men sat abound them, cooking, eating, smoking, talking loudly, ?,.id laughing at stories that illustrated their own wild habits. The red light fell upon fierce dark faces, now fiercer and more swarthy under the glare of the burning cotlonwood. By its light the savage exp^ession was strengthened on every countenance. Beards looked darker, and teeth gleamed whiter through the: ,. Eyes appeared more sunken, and their g]ances more brilliant and fiend-like. Picturesque costumes met the eye : turbans, Spanish hats, plumes, and mottled garments ; escopettes and rifles leaning against the trees ; saddles, high-peaked, resting upon logs and stumps ; bridles hanging from the branches overhead ; strings of jerked meat drooping in festoons in front of the tents, and haunches of venison still smoking and dripping their half-coagulated drops ! The vermilion smeared on the foreheads of the Indian warriors gleamed in the night light as though it were blood. It was a picture at once savage and warlike : warlike, but with an aspect of ferocity at which the sensitive heart drew back. It was a picture such as may be seen only in a bivouac of guerilleros, of brigands, of man-hunters. CHAPTER XXIV. KL SOI, AND T.A LUNA. OME," said Seguin, touching me on the arm " our supper is ready ; I see the doc- tor beckoning us." I was not slow to answer the call, for the cool air of the evening had sharp- ened my appetite. We approached the tent, in front of which was a fire. Over this, the doctor, assisted by Gode and a pueblo peon, was just giving the finishing touch to a savory supper. Part of it had already been carried inside the tent. We followed it, and took our seats upon saddles, blankets and packs. " Why, doctor," said Seguin, " you have proved yourself a perfect malt re. dc cuisine to-night. This is a supper for a. Lucullus." " Ach! mein captain, ich havegoet help ; mein herr Godd assist me most wonderful." 188 I EL SOL AND LA LUNA. I) " Well, Mr. Haller and I will do full justice to your dishes. Let us to them at once ! " " Oui, oui ! bien Monsieur Capitaine," said Gode, hurry- ing in with a multitude of viands. The Canadien was al- ways in his element when there was plenty to cook and eat. We were soon engaged on fresh steaks (of wild cows) , roasted ribs of venison, dried buffalo tongues, tortillas, and coffee. The coffee and tortillas were the labors of the pueblo', in the preparation of which viands he was Gode's master. But Gode had a choice dish, tin petit morcean, in reserve, which he brought forth with a triumphant flourish. " Voici, messieurs ? " cried he, setting it before us. -What is it, Code"?" " Une fricassee, monsieur." " Of what ? " " Les frog ; what de Yankee call boo-frog I " " A fricasse'e of bull-frogs 1 " " Oui, oui, inon maitre. Voulez-vous ? " " No, thank you I " " I will trouble you, Monsieur Gode'," said Seguin. " Ich, ich, mein Gode ; frocks ver goot ; " and the doctor held out his platter to be helped. "Gode, in wandering by the river, had encountered a pond of giant frogs, and the fricasse'e was the result. I had not then overcome my national antipathy to the victims of St. Patrick's curse ; and, to the voyageurs astonishment, I re- fused to share the dainty. During our supper conversation I gathered some facts of the doctor's history, which, with what I had already learned, rendered the old man an object of extreme interest to me. Up to this time, I had wondered what such a character could be doing in such company as that of the Scalp-hunters. I now learnt a few details that explained all. THE SCALP-HUNTERS. His name was Reichter ; Friedrich Reichter. He was a Strasburgher, and in the city of bells had been a medical practitioner of some repute. The love of science, but par- ticularly of his favorite branch, botany, had lured him away from his Rhenish home. He had wandered to the United States, then to the Far West, to classify the flora of that re- mote region. He had spent several years in the great valley of the Mississippi ; and, falling in with one of the St. Louis caravans, had crossed the prairies to the oasis of New Mexico. In his scientific wanderings along the Del Norte, he had met with the Scalp-hunters, and attracted by the opportunity thus afforded him of penetrating into regions hitherto unexplored by the devotees of science, he had offered to accompany the band. This offer was gladly accepted, on account of his serv- ices as their medico ; and for two years he had been with them, sharing their hardships and dangers. Many a scene of perils had he passed through, many a privation had he undergone, prompted by a love of his favorite study, and perhaps, too, by the dreams of future triumph, when he would one day spread his strange flora be- fore the savants of Europe. Poor Reichter 1 Poor Friedrich Reichter 1 yours was the dream of a dream : it never became a reality 1 Our supper was at length finished, and washed down with a bottle of Paso wine. There was plenty of this, as well as Taos whisky, in the encampment ; and the roars of laughter that reached us from without proved that the hunters were imbibing freely of the latter. The doctor drew out his great meerschaum, Code' filled a red claystone, while Seguin and I lit our husk cigarettes. " But tell me," said I, addressing Seguin, " who is the Indian ? he who performed the wild feat of shooting the " Ah ! El Sol ; he is a Coco." EL SOL AND LA LUNA. 191 " A Coco ? " " Yes ; of the Maricopa tribe." " But that makes me no wiser than before. I knew that much already." " You knew it ? Who told you ? " Brought to Bay. " I heard old Rube mention the fact to his comrade Garey." " Ay, true ; he should know him." Seguin remained silent. " Well ? " continued I, wishing to learn more. " Who are the Maricopas ? I have never heard of them." " It is a tribe but little known ; a nation of singular men. They are foes of the Apach^ and Navajo ; their country lies 192 THE SCAI.I'-HrNTKRS. down the Gila. They came originally from the Pacific ; from the shores of the California!! - But this man is educated, or seems so. He speaks Eng- lish and French as well as you or I. He appears to be tal- ented, intelligent, polite : in short, a gentleman." " He is all you have said." " 1 cannot understand this." " I will explain to you, my friend. That man was educated at one of the most celebrated unversities in Kuropc. He has traveled farther, and through more countries, perhaps than either of us." But how did lie accomplish all this? An Indian ! " I'.y the aid of that which has often enabled very little men (though El Sol is not one of those), to achieve very great deeds, or at least to get the credit of having done so. By gold." ('.old! and where got he the gold? I have been told that there is very little of it in the hands of Indians. The white men have robbed them of all they once had." " That is in general a truth ; and true of the Maricopas. There was a time when they possessed gold in large quan- tities, and pearls too, gathered from the depths of the Ver- milion Sea. It is gone. The Jesuit padres could tell whither." ' But this man ? El Sol ? " " He is a chief. He has not lost all his gold. He still holds enough to serve him, and it is not likely that the padres will coax it from him for either beads or vermilion. No ; he has seen the world, and has learnt the all pervading value of that shining metal." ' But his sister ? is she, too, educated?" ' No. Poor Luna is still a savage; but he instructs her in many things. He has been absent for several years. He has returned but lately to his tribe " EL SOI, A\T> LA I.TXA, "Their names are strange : ' The Sim.' ' The Moon ! ' ' '['hey were given by the Spaniards of Sonora ; but they are only translations or synonyms of their Indian appella- tions. That is common upon the frontier.'' Why are they hen I put this question with hesitation, as I knew there might me peculiar history connected with the answer. ;tly." replied Seguin. " from gratitude I believe to my- ;ied Kl Sol. \\hui a boy, out of the hands of the XavaJ! >es. Perhaps there is still another reason. Hut comr ! " continued he, apparently wishing to give a turn to the conversation ; "you shall know our Indian friends. You are to 1 -e companions f >r a time. He is a scholar, and will interest you. Take care of your heart with the gentle Luna. Vincente ! do to the- tent of the (loco chief. Ask him to come- and drink a cup of Paso wine. Tell him to bring his sister with him." The servant hurried away through the camp. While he gone we conversed about the feat which the Coco had performed with his rifle. 1 never knew him to fire." rein, irked Scguin, "without hitting his mark. There is something mysterious about that. His aim is unerring ; and it seems to be, on his part, an act of pure volition. There may be some guiding principle in the mind, independent of either strength of nerve or sharpness of sight. He and another are the only persons I ever knew to possess this sjngular power.'' The last part of this speech was uttered in a half soliloquy ; and Seguin, after delivering it, remained for some moments silent and abstracted. Before the conversation was resumed, El Sol and his sis- ter entered the tent, and Seguin introduced us to each other. In a few moments we were engaged, El Sol, the doctor, Seguin, and myself, in an animated, conversation, The '3 194 THE SCALP-HUNTERS. ject was not horses, nor guns, nor scalps, nor war, nor blood, nor aught connected with the horrid calling of that camp. We were discussing a point in the pacific science. of botany; the relationship of the different forms of the cactus family. I had studied the science, and I felt that my knowledge of it was inferior to that of any of my three companions. I was struck with it then, and more when I reflected on it after- wards ; the fact of such a conversation, the time, the place, and the men who carried it on. For nearly two hours we sat smoking and talking on like subjects. While we were thus engaged, I observed upon the canvas the shadow of a man. Looking forth, as my position enabled me without rising, I recognized in' the light that streamed out of the tent, a hunting-shirt with a worked pipe-holder hanging over the breast. La Luna sat near her brother, sewing parflechc soles upon a pair of mocassins. I noticed that she had an abstracted air, and at short intervals glanced out from t^e opening of the tent. While we were engrossed with our ditecussion she rose silently, though not with any appearance of stealth, and went out. After a while she returned. I could read the love-light in her eye as she resumed her occupation. El Sol and his sister at length left us ; and shortly after, Seguin, the doctor, and I, rolled ourselves in our scrape's, and lay down to sleep. Sioux Indians, in Wolf-Skins Hunting Buffalo. CHAPTER XXV. THE WAR-TRAIL. [HE band was mounted by earliest dawn ; and as the notes of the bugle died away, our horses plashed through the river, crossing to the other side. We soon debouched from the timbered bottom, coming out upon sandy plains that stretched westward to the Mimbres mountains. We rode over these plains in a southerly direction, climbing long ridges of sand that traversed them from east to west. The drift lay in deep furrows and our horses sank above the fetlocks as we jour- neyed. We were crossing the western section of the " Jor- nada." We traveled in Indian file. Habit has formed this dis- position among Indians and hunters on the march. The tangled paths of the forest, and the narrow defiles of the mountains, admit of no other. 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 " noon- ing." There was was neither grass nor water on the route : and a halt under the hot sun would not have refreshed us. IQ6 THK SCALP-IIl'XTERS. Early in the afternoon a dark line became visible, stretch- ing across the plain. As we drew neai< i n wall rose- before us, and we distinguished the groves of cottonwood. The hungers knew it to be the timber on the Paloma. \Ye were soon passing under the shade of its quivering canopy, and reaching the banks of a clear stream, we halted for the night. Our camp was formed without either tents or lodges. Those used on the Del Norte had been left behind in cache. An expedition like ours could not be cumbered with tamp baggage. Each man's blanket was his house, his bed. and his cloak. Fires were kindled, and ribs roasted ; and fatigued with our journey (the first day's ride has always thi we were soon wrapped in our blankets, and sleeping soundly. We were summoned next morning by the call of the bugle sounding " reveille." The band partook somewhat of a mil- itary organization, and every one understood the signals of light cavalry. Our breakfast was soon cooked and eaten; our hoi were drawn from their pickets, saddled, and mounted ; and at another signal we moved forward on the route. The incidents of our first journey were repeated, with but little variety, for several da^s in succession. We traveled through a desert country, here and there covered with wild sage and mezquite. We passed on our route clumps of cacti, and thickets of creosote bushes, that emitted their foul odors as we crushed through them. On the fourth evening we camped at a spring, the " Ojo^le Vaca," lying on the eastern borders of the Llanos. Over the western section of this great prairie passes the Apache war-trail, running southward into Sonora. Near the trail, and overlooking it, a high mountain rises out of the plain. It is the Pifion. THE 'WAR-TRAIL. IQ7 It was our design to reach this mountain, and among the rocks, near a well-known spring, until our enemies should pass ; but to effect this we would have to cross the war-trail, and our own tracks would betray us. Here was a difficulty which had not occurred to Sequin. There was no other point except the Pinon from which we could certainly ;he enemy on their route, and be ourselves hidden. This mountain, then, must be reached ; and how were we to effect it without crossing the trail ? After our arrival at Ojo de Ya-a, Seguin drew the men ier to deliberate on this matter. 11 Let us spread," said a hunter, " and k over the paraira, till < lar past the Apash trail. They won't a single track hyar and tlvar. I ivckin." 11 Ay. but they will though." rejoined another. --Do ye think an Injun's a-goin' to pass a shod horse-track 'ithout follerin' it up? No, siree ! " We kin muffle the hoofs, as far as that goes," suggested the first speaker. " \Vagh ! That ud only make it worse. I tried that dodge once afore, an' nearly lost my har for it. I Ic's a blind Injun kin be fooled that a-way. 'Twon't do no how.'' " They're not goin' to be so partickler when they're on the war-trail, I warrant ye. I don't see why it shouldn't do well enough." Most of the hunters agreed with the former speaker. The Indians would not fail to notice so many muffled tracks, and suspect there was ' something in the wind." The idea of " muffling '' was therefore abandoned. What next ? The trapper Rube, who, up to this time, had said nothing now dreiv the attention of all by abruptly exclaiming " Pish ! " " Well ! what have you to say, old hoss ? " inquired one of the hunters. u Thet yur a set o' cussed fools, one and all o' 'ee. I kud THE SCALP-HUNTERS. take the full o> that paraira o' hosses acrosst the Pash trail, ithout making a sign that any Injun's a-gwine to follow par- ticularly an Injun on the war-beat as them is now. " How ? " asked Seguin. I'll tell yur how, cap, ev yur'll tell me what 'ee wants cross the trail for." Why to conceal ourselves in the Pmon range : what else ? An' how are 'ee gwine to cocker in the Peenyun 'ithou water ? " -There is a spring on the side of it, at the foot mountain." That's true as Scripter. I knows that ; but at that very spring the Injuns '11 cool their lappers as they go down south >ard How are 'ee gwine to get at it with this cavayard 'ithout makin' sign ? This child don't see that very clur. You are right, Rube. We cannot touch the Pinon spnn without leaving our marks too plainly; and it is the very place where the war-party may make a halt." I sees no confoundered use in the hul on us crossm the paraira now. We kan't hunt buffler till they've passed any- ways So it's this child's idee that a dozen o' us enough to cocker in the Peenyun, and watch for the mggurs a-goin' south. A dozen mout do it safe enough, but not hul cavayard." And would you have the rest to remain here ? Not hyur. Let 'em go north' ard from hyur, and then strike west through the Musquite hills. Thur's a crick runs thur, about twenty mile or so this side the trail. They km git water and grass, and cocker thus till we sends for em. But why not remain by this spring, where we have in plenty ? " . , ' Cap'n, jest because some o' the Injun patry may take a notion in thur heads to kum this way themselves, we had better make blind tracks before leavm hyur. THE WAR-TRAIL. 199 The force of Rube's reasoning was apparent to all, and to none more than Seguin himself. It was resolved to follow his advice at once. The vidette party was told off ; and the rest of the band, with the atajo, after blinding the tracks around the spring, struck off in a northwesterly direction. They were to travel on to the Mezquite hills, that lay some ten or twelve miles to the northwest of the spring. There they were to cacher by a stream well known to several of them, and wait until warned to join us. The vidette party, of whom I was one, moved westward across the prairie. Rube, Garey, El Sol, and his sister, "with Sanchez, a ci-de- vant bull-fighter, and half a dozen others, composed the party. Seguin himself was our head and guide. Before leaving the Ojo de Vaca, we had stripped the shoes off the horses, filling the nail-holes with clay, so that their tracks would be taken for those of wild mustangs. Such were the precautions of men who knew that their lives might be the forfeit of a single footprint. As we approached the point where the war-tail intersected the prairie, we separated and deployed in distances of half a mile each. In this manner we rode forward to the Piiion mountain, where we came together again, and turned north- ward along the foot of the range. It was sundown when we -reached the spring, having ridden all day across the plain. We descried it, as we approached, close in to the mountain-foot, and marked by a grove of cotton-woods and willows. We did not take our horses near the water ; but, having reached a defile in the mountain, we rode into it, and cached them in a thicket of nut-pine. In this thicket we spent the night. With the first light of morning we made a reconnaissance of our cache. In front of us was a low ridge covered, with loose rocks 20O THE SCALP-HU\ 7 TERS. and straggling trees of the nut-pine. This ridge separated the defile from the plain ; and from its top, screened by a thicket of the pines, we commanded a view of the water as well as the trail, and the Llanos stretching away to the north, south, and east. It was just the sort of hiding-place we re- quired for our object. A Cactus Desert of Northern Mexico. In the morning it became necessary to descend for water. For this purpose we had provided ourselves with a mule- bucket, and extra xuages. We visited the spring, and rilled our vessels, taking care to leave no traces of our footsteps in the mud. We kept constant watch during the first day, but no Indians appeared. Deer and antelopes, with a small gang of buffa-. THK WAR-TRAIL. Iocs, came to the spring-branch to drink, and then roamed off again over the green meadows. It was a tempting sight, for we could easily have crept within shot, but we dared not touch them. We knew that the Indian dogs would scent their slaughter. In the evening we went again for water, making the jour- ney twice, as our animals began to suffer from thirst. We adopted the same precautions as before. Next day we again watched the horizon, to the north with eager eyes. Seguin had a small pocket glass, and we could see the prairie with it for a -distance of nearly thirty miles ; but as yet no enemy could be descried. The third day passed with a like result ; and we began to fear that the warriors had taken some other trail. Another circumstance rendered us uneasy. We had eaten nearly the w r hole of our provisions, and were no\v chewing the raw nuts of the Pinon. We dared not kindle a fire to roast them. Indians can " read " the smoke at a great distance. The fourth day arrived and still no " sign " on the horizon to the north. Our tasajo was all eaten, and we began to hunger. The nuts did not satisfy us. The game was in plenty at the spring, and mottling the grassy plain. One proposed to lie among the willows, and shoot an antelope or a black-tailed deer, of which there were troops in the neigh- borhood. " We dare not,'" said Seguin ; i! their dogs would find the blood. It might betray us." " I can procure one without letting a drop," rejoined a Mexican hunter. " How ? " inquired several in a breath. The man pointed to his lasso. " But your tracks ; you would make 'deep footmarks in the struggle ? w 202 THE SCALP- HUNTERS. " We can blind them, captain," rejoined the man. " You may try, then," assented the chief. The Mexican unfastened the lasso from his saddle, and, taking a companion, proceeded to the spring. They crept in among the willows, and lay in wait. We watched them from the ridge. They had not remained more than a quarter of an hour when a herd of antelopes was seen approaching from the plain. These walked directly for the spring, one following the other in Indian file. They were soon close in to the willows where the hunters had concealed themselves. Here they suddenly halted, throwing up their heads and snuffing the air. They had scented danger, but it was too late for the foremost to turn and lope off. " Yonder goes the lasso ! " cried one. We saw the noose flying in the air and settling over his head. The herd suddenly wheeled, but the loop was around the neck of their leader ; and after three or four skips, he sprang up and, falling upon his back, lay motionless. The hunter came out from the willows, and taking up the animal, now choked dead, carried him towards the entrance of the defile. His companion followed, blinding the tracks of both. In a few minutes they had reached us. The ante- lope was skinned, and eaten raw, in the blood ! ****** Our horses grow thin with hunger and thirst. We fear to go too often to the water, though we become less cautious as the hours pass. Two more antelopes are lassoed by the ex- pert hunter. The night of the fourth day is clear moonlight. Indians often march by moonlight, particularly when on the war-trail. We keen our vidette stationed during the night as in the day. On this night we look out with more hopes- THE WAR-TRAIL. 2O3 than usual. It is such a lovely night ! a full moon clear and calm. We are not disappointed. Near midnight the vidette awakes us. There are dark forms on the sky away to the north. It may be buffaloes, but we see that they are ap- proaching. We sta,nd, one and all, straining our eyes through the white air, and away over the silvery sward. There are glancing objects : arms it must be. " Horses ! horsemen 1 They are Indians ! " " Oh, heavens ! comrades ; we are mad ! Our horses : they may neigh ! " We bound after our leader down the hill, over the rocks, and through the trees. We run for the thicket where our animals are tied. We may be too late, for horses can hear each other miles off ; and the slightest concussion vibrates afar through the elastic atmosphere of these high plateaux. We reach the caballada. What is Seguin doing ? He has torn the blanket from under his saddle, and is muffling the head of his horse ! We follow his example, without exchanging a word, for we know this is the only plan to pursue. In a few minutes we feel secure again, and return, to our watch-station on the height. * * * * * # We had shaved our time closely ; for, on reaching the hill- top, we could hear the exclamations of Indians, the " thump, thump " of hoofs on the hard plain, and an occasional neigh, as their horses scented the water. The foremost were ad- vancing to the spring ; and we could see the long line of mounted men stretching in their deploying to the far horizon. Closer they came, and we could distinguish the pennons and glittering points of their spears. We could see their half-naked bodies gleaming in the clear moonlight. In a short time the foremost of them had ridden up to the 204 THK SCALP-IirXTKKS. bushes, halting as they came, and giving their animals to drink. Then one by one they wheeled out of the water, and trotting a short distance over the prairie, flung themselves to the ground, and commenced unharnessing their horses. It was evidently their intention to camp for the night. For nearly an hour they came filing forward, until two thou- sand warriors, with their horses, dotted the plain below us. We stood observing their movements. We had no fear of being seen ourselves. We were lying with our bodies behind the rocks, and our faces partially screened by the foliage of the pinon trees. We could see and hear with distinctness all that was passing, for the savages were not over three hun- dred yards from our position. They proceed to picket their horses in a wide circle, far out on the plain. There the grama grass is longer and more luxuriant than in the immediate neighborhood of the spring. They strip the animals, and bring away their horse-furniture consisting of hair bridles, buffalo robes, and skins of the grizzly bear. Few have saddles. Indians do not generally use them on a war expedition. Each man strikes his spear into the ground, and rests against it his shield, bow and quiver. He places his robe or skin beside it. That is his tent and bed. The spears are soon aligned upon the prairie, forming a front of several hundred yards ; and thus they have pitched their camp with a quickness and regularity far outstripping the Chasseurs of Vincennes. They are encamped in two parties. There are two bands, the Apache and Navajo. The latter is much the smaller, and rests farther off from our position. \YV hear them cutting and chopping with their tomahawks among the thickets at the foot of the mountain. \\V c;in them carrying fagots out upon the plain, piling them together. and setting them on fire. THE WAR-TRAIL. 2O5 Many fires are soon blazing brightly. The savages squat around them, cooking their suppers. \Ye can see the paint glittering on their faces and naked breasts. They are of many hues. Some are red, as though they were smeared with blood. Some appear of a jetty blackness. Some black on one side of the face, and red or white on the other. Some are mottled like hounds, and some striped and chequered. Their cheeks and breasts are tattooed with the forms of ani- > mals : wolves, panthers, bears, buffaloes, and other hideous devices, plainly discernible under the blaze of the pine-wood tires. Some have a red hand painted on their bosoms, and not ;! few exhibit as their device the death's head and cross- bones ! All these are their " coats " of aims, symbolical of the " medicine" of the wearer ; adopted, no doubt, from like silly fancies to those which put the crest upon the carriage, on the lacquey's button, or the brass seal-stamp of the merchant's clerk. There is vanity in the wilderness. In savage as in civi- lized life there is a "snobdom." What do we see ? Bright helmets, brazen and steel, with nodding plumes of the ostrich ! These upon savages ! \Yhence came these ? From the cuirassiers of Chihuahua. Poor devils ! They were roughly handled upon one occasion by these savage lancers. We see the red meat sputtering over the fires upon spits of willow rods. We see the Indians fling the pinon nuts into the cinders, and then draw them forth again, parched and smoking. We see them light their claystone pipes, and send forth clouds of blue vapor. We see them gesticulate as tlu-y reriU- their red adventures to one another. We hear them shout, and chatter, and laugh like mountebanks. How unlike \h& forest Indian I 2O6 THE SCALP-HUNTERS. For two hours we watch their movements, and listen to their voices. Then the horseguard is detailed, and marches off to the caballada ; and the Indians, one after another, spread their skins, roll themselves in their blankets, and sleep. The fires cease to blaze ; but by the moonlight we can distinguish the prostrate bodies of the savages. White ob- jects are moving among them. They are dogs prowling after the debris of their supper. These run from point to point, snarling at one another, and barking at the coyotes that sneak around the skirts of the camp. Out upon the prairie the horses are still awake and busy. We can hear them stamping their hoofs and cropping the rich pasture. Erect forms are seen standing at intervals along the line. These are the guards of the caballada. CHAPTER XXVI. THREE DAYS IN THE TRAP. UR attention was now turned to our own situation. Dangers and difficulties suddenly pre- sented themselves to our minds. " What if they should stay here to hunt ! " The thought seemed to occur to all of us at the same instant, and we faced each other with looks of apprehension and dismay. " It is not improbable," said Seguin, in a low and emphatic voice. " It is plain they have no supply of meat, and how are they to pass to the south without it ? They must hunt here or elsewhere. Why not here ? " " If so, we're in a nice trap ! " interrupted a hunter, point- ing first to the embouchure of the defile and then to the mountain. " How are we to get out ? I'd like to know that." Our eyes followed the direction indicated by the speaker. In front of the ravine in which we were extended the line 207 208 THE SCALP-HUXTKRS. of the Indian camp, not a hundred yards distant from the rocks that lay around its entrance. There was an Indian sentinel still nearer : but it would be impossible to pass out, even were he asleep, without- encountering the dogs that prowled in numbers around the camp. Behind us, the mountain rose vertically like a wall. It was plainly impassable. We were fairly " in the trap." " Carrai ! " exclaimed one of the men. " we will die of hunger and thirst if they stay to hunt ! " " We may die sooner," rejoined another, " if they take a notion in their heads to wander up the gully." This was not improbable, though it was but little likely. The ravine was a sort of cid dc sac, that entered the moun- tain in a slanting direction, and ended at the bottom of the cliff. There was no object to attract our enemies into it, unless indeed they might come up in search of pinon nuts. Some of their dogs, too, might wander up, hunting for food, or attracted by the scent of our horses. These were prob- abilities, and we trembled as each of them was suggested. " If they do not find us," said Seguin, encouragingly, " we may live for a day or two on the piiions. When these fail us, one of our horses must be killed. How much water have we ? " " Thank our luck, captain, the gourds are nearly full." " But our poor animals must suffer." " There is no danger of thirst," said El Sol, looking down- ward, " while these last ; " and he struck with his foot a large round mass that grew among the rocks. It was the spheroidal cactus. " See ! " continued he, " there are hundreds of them ! " All present knew the meaning of this, and regarded the cacti with a murmur of satisfaction. Comrades ! " said Seguin, " it is of no use to weary our- selves. Let those sleep who can. One can keep watch THRKK DAYS IN TI1K TRAP. 2OQ yonder while another stays up here. Go. Sanchez ! " and the chief pointed down the ravine to a spot that commanded a view of its mouth. The sentinel walked off, and took his stand in silence. The rest of us descended, and after looking to the muffling of our horses, returned to the station of the vidette upon the hill. Here we rolled ourselves in our blankets, and lying down among the rocks, slept out the night. ****** We were awake *before dawn, and peering through the leaves with feelings of keen solicitude. There is no movement in the Indian camp. It is a bad indication. Had they intended to travel on they would have been stirring before this. They are always on the route before daybreak. These " signs" strengthen our feelings of apprehension. The gray light begins to spread over the prairie. There is a white band along the eastern sky. There are noises in the camp. There are voices. Dark forms move about among the upright spears. Tall savages stride over the plain. Their robes of skins are wrapped around their shoul- ders to protect them from the raw air of the morning. They carry fagots. They are rekindling the fires 1 Our men talk in whispers, as we lie straining our eyes to catch every movement. " It's plain they intend to make a stay of it." Ay ! we're in for it, that's sartin 1 Wagh 1 I wonder how long thar a-goin' to squat hyar, anyhow." - Three days at the least : may be four or five." " Great gollies ! we'll be fro^e in half the time." ' What would they be doin' here so long? I warrant ye they'll clar out as soon as they can." ' So they will ; but how can they in less time ? " " They can get all the meat they want in a day. See I 14 210 THE yonder's buffalo a plenty : look ! away yonder 1 " and the speaker points to several black objects outlined against the brightening sky. It is a herd of buffaloes. " That's true enough. In half a day I warrant they kin get all the meat they want ; but how are they a-goin to jirk it in less than three? That's what I want to know." " E$ verdad!" says one of the Mexicans, a cibolero ; " ires dias al menos ! " (it is true three days, at the least !) " Ay, hombre 1 an' with a smart chance o' sunshine at that, I guess." This conversation is carried on by two or three of the men in a low tone, but loud enough for the rest of us to overhear it. It reveals a new phase of our dilemma on which we have not before reflected. Should the Indians stay to " jerk " their meat, we will be in extreme danger from thirst, as well as of being discovered in our cache. We know that the process of jerking buffalo beef takes three days, and that with a hot sun, as the hunter has inti- mated. This, with the first day required for hunting, will keep us four days in the ravine ! The prospect is appalling. We feel that death or the extreme torture of thirst is before us. We have no fear of hunger. Our horses are in the grove, and our knives in our belts. We can live for weeks upon them ; but will the cacti assuage the thirst of men and horses for a period of three or four days ? This is a question no one can answer. It has often relieved the hunter for a short period, enabling him to crawl on to the water ; but for days ! The trial will soon commence. The day has fairly broken. The Indians spring to their feet. About one-half of them draw the pickets of their horses, and lead them to the water. They adjust their bridles, pluck up their spears, snatch their bows, shoulder their quivers and leap on horseback. THREE DAYS IN THE TRAP. 211 After a short consultation they gallop off to the east- ward. In half an hour's time, we can see them " run- ning " the buffalo far out upon the prairie : piercing them with their arrows, and impaling them on their long lances. Those who have remained behind lead their horses down to the spring-branch, and back again to the grass. Now they chop down young trees, and carry fagots to the fires. See ; they are driving long stakes into the ground, and stretching ropes from one to the other. For what purpose ? We know too well. " Ha ! look yonder ! " mutters one of the hunters, as this is first noticed ; " yonder goes the jerking-line ! Now we're caged in airnest, I reckin." " Portodos santos es verdad 7" " Carrambo ! carajo 1 chingaro ! " growls the cibolero, who well knows the meaning of those stakes and lines. We watch with a fearful interest the movements of the savages. We have now no longer any doubt of their intention to remain for several days. The stakes are soon erected, running for a hundred yards or more along the front of the encampment. The savages await the return of their hunters. Some mount and scour off toward the scene of the buffalo battue, still going on, far out upon the plain. We peer through the leaves with great caution, for the day is bright, and the eyes of our enemies are quick, and scan every object. We speak only in whispers, though our voices could not be heard if we conversed a little louder, but fear makes us fancy that they might. We are all concealed except our eyes, These glance through small loopholes in the foliage. The Indian hunters have been gone about two hours. 212 THE SCALP-HUNTERS. We now sec them returning over the prairie in straggling parties. They ride slowly back. Each brings his load before him on the withers of his horse. They have large masses of red flesh, freshly skinned and smoking. Some carry the sides and quarters ; others the hump-ribs, the tongue, the heart, and liver the yV/V/\ morccanx wrapped up in the skins of the slaughtered animals. They arrive in camp, and fling their loads to the ground. \ow begins a scene of noise and confusion. The savages run to and fro, whooping, chattering, laughing, and dancing. They draw their long scalping-knives, and hew off bro.id steaks. They spit them over the blaxing (ires. They < ut out the hump-ribs. They tear off the white fat, and stuff the bondins. They split the brown liver, eating it raw ! They break the shanks with their tomahawks, and delve out the savory marrow ; and, through all these operations, they whoop, and chatter, and laugh, and dance over the ground like so many madmen. This scene lasts for more than an hour. Fresh parties of hunters mount and ride off. Those who remain cut the meat into long thin strips, and hang it over the lines already prepared for this purpose. It is thus left to be baked by the sun into " tasajo." We know part of what is before us. It is a fearful prospect ; but men like those who compose the band of Seguin do not despond while the shadow of a hope re- mains. It is a barren spot indeed, where they cannot find resources. " We needn't holler till we're hurt," says one of the hunters. " If yer call an empty belly a hurt, "rejoins another, " I've got it already. I kud jest eat a raw jackass 'ithout skinnin' him." TMKKK DAYS I\ THK TRAP. 213 " Come, fellers ! " cries a third, " let's Bramble for a meal o' these peenyuns." Following this suggestion, we commence searching for the nuts of the pine. We find to our dismay that there is but a limited supply of this precious fruit : not enough either on the trees or the ground to sustain us for two days. " Ny h osn exclaims one, -> we'll have to draw for our critters." 41 Well, and if we have to time enough yet a bit. I guess. We'll bite our claws a while first." The water is distributed in a small cup. There is .still a little left in the xuages ; but our poor horses suffer. " Let us look to them," says Seguin : and, drawing his knife, he'commences skinning one of the cacti. We follow his example. We carefully pare off the volutes and spikelets. A cool gummy liquid exudes from the opened vessels. We break the short si cms. and lifting the green, globe-like masses, carry them to the thicket, and place them before our animals. These seize the succulent plants greedily, crunch them be- tween their teeth, and swallow both sap and fibers. It is food and drink to them. Thank heaven ! we may yet save them ! This act is repeated several times, until they have had enough. We keep two videttes constantly on the look-out : one upon the hill, the other commanding the mouth of the defile. The rest of us go through the ravine, along the sides of the ridge, in search of the cones of the pinon. Thus our first day is spent. The Indian hunters keep coming into their camp until a late hour, bringing with them their burdens of buffalo flesh. Fires blaze over the ground, and the savages sit around them, cooking and eating, nearly all the night, 214 THE SCALP-HUNTERS. On the following day they do not rouse themselves until a late hour. It is a day of lassitude and idleness ; for the meat is hanging over the strings, and they can only wait upon it. They lounge around the camp, mending their bridles and lassos, or looking to their weapons ; they lead their horses to the water, and then picket them on fresh ground ; they cut large pieces of meat, and broil them over the fires. Hundreds of them are at all times engaged in this last occupation. They seem to eat continually. Their dogs are busy, too, growling over the knife-stripped bones. They are not likely to leave their feast ; they will not stray up the ravine while it lasts. In this thought we find consolation. The sun is hot all the second day, and scorches us in the dry defile. It adds to our thirst ; but we do not regret this so much, knowing it will hasten the departure of the savages. Towards evening, the tasajo begins to look brown and shriveled. Another such day and it will be ready for packing. Our water is out, and we chew the succulent slices of the cactus. These relieve our thirst without quenching it. Our appetite of hunger is growing stronger. We have eaten all the pinons, and nothing remains but to slaughter one of our horses. " Let us hold out till to-morrow," suggests one. " Give the poor brutes a chance. Who knows but what they may flit in the morning ? " This proposition in voted in the affirmative. No hunter cares to risk losing his horse, especially when out upon the prairies. Gnawed by hunger, we lie waiting for the third day. The morning breaks at last, and we crawl forward as usual, to watch the movements of the camp. The savages sleep late, as on yesterday ; but they arouse themselves at length, and after watering their animals, commence cooking. THREE DAYS IN THE TRAP. 21$ We see tht) crimson steaks and the juicy ribs smoking over the fires, And the savory odors are wafted to us on the breeze. Our appetites are whetted to a painful keenness. We can endure no longer. A horse must die 1 Whose ? Mountain law will soon decide. Eleven white pebbles and a black one are thrown into the water-bucket, and one by one we are blinded and led forward. I tremble as I place my hand in the vessel. It is like throwing the die for my own life. " Thank heaven ! my Moro is safe 1 " One of the Mexicans has drawn the black. " Thar's luck in that ! " exclaims a hunter. " Good fat mustang better than poor bull any day ! " The devoted horse is in fact a well-conditioned animal ; and placing our videttes again, we proceed to the thicket to slaughter him. We set about it with great caution. We tie him to a tree, and hopple his fore and hind feet, lest he may struggle. We purpose bleeding him to death. The cibolero has unsheathed his long knife while a man stands by, holding the bucket to catch the precious fluid : the blood. Some have cups in their hands, ready to drink it as it flows ! We are startled by an unusual sound. We look through the leaves. A large gray animal is standing by the edge of the thicket, gazing in at us. It is wolfish-looking. Is it a wolf? No. It is an Indian dog! The knife is stayed ; each man draws his own. We ap- proach the animal, and endeavor to coax it nearer. But no ; it suspects our intentions, utters a low growl, and runs away down the defile. We follow it with our eyes. The owner of the doomed horse is the vidette. The dog must pass him to get out, and he stands with his long lance ready to receive it 2l6 THE .SCALP-IIUXTEks. The animal sees himself intercepted, turns and runs back, and again turning, makes a desperate rush to pass the vidette. As he nears the latter, he utters a loud howl. The next moment he is impaled upon the lance ! Several of us rush up the hill to ascertain if the howling has attracted the attention of the savages. There is no un- usual movement among them ; they have not heard it. The dog is divided and devoured before his quivering flesh has time to grow cold ! The horse is reprieved. Again we feed our animals on the cooling cactus. This occupies us for some time. When we return to the hill a glad sight is before us. We see the warriors seated around their fires, renewing 6 the paint upon their bodies. We know the meaning of this. The tasajo is nearly black. Thanks to the hot sun, it will soon be ready for packing ! Some of the Indians are engaged in poisoning the points of their arrows. All these " signs " inspire us with fresh courage. They will soon march ; if not no-night, by day- break on the morrow. \Ve lie congratulating ourselves, and watching every move- ment of their camp. Our hopes continue rising as the day falls Ha I there is an unusual stin Some order has been issued. " Votfd.'" " Mira .' mini!" "See!" "Look, look ! " are the half-whispered ejaculations that break from the hunters as this is observed. " By the livin' catamount, thar a-goin' to mizzle I " We see the savages pull down the tasajo and tie it jn bunches. Then every man runs out for his horse; tin-- pickets are drawn ; the animals are led in and watered ; they are bridled ; the robes are thrown over them and girthed. The warriors pluck up their lances, sling their quivers, seize their shields and bows, and leap lightly upon horseback, THREE RAYS IN THE TRAP. The next moment they form with the rapidity of thought, and wheeling in their tracks, ride off in single file, heading to the southward. The larger band has passed. The smaller, ihf N y avajoes, follow in the same trail. No ! The latter has suddenly filed to the left, and is crossing the prairie towards the east ; towards the spring of the Ojo de Vaca. Navahoe Saddle-Girth, Woven with Various Colors of Horse Hair. CHAPTER XXVII. THE DIGGERS. UR first impulse was to rush down the ravine, satisfy our thirst at the spring, and our hunger on the half-polished bones that were strewed over the prairie. Pru- dence, however, restrained us. " Wait till they're clar gone," said Garey. " They'll be out o' sight in three skips o' a goat." " Yes ! stay where we are a bit," added another ; " some of them may ride back ; something may be forgotten." This was not improbable ; and in spite of the promptings of our appetites, we resolved to remain a while longer in the defile. We descended straightway into the thicket to make prep- arations for moving ; to saddle our horses and take off their mufflings, which by this time had nearly blinded them. Poor brutes 1 they seemed to know that relief was at hand. While we were engaged in these operations, our vidette was kept at the top of the hill to watch both bands. sri THE DIGGERS. 2 It) and warn us when their heads should sink to the prairie level. " I wonder why the Navajoes have gone by the Ojo de Vaca," remarked our chief, with an apparent anxiety in his manner. " It is well our comrades did not remain there." " They'll be tired o' waitin' on us, whar they are," rejoined Garey, " unless black-tails is plentier among them Musquites than I think for." " Vaya ! " exclaimed Sanchez ; " they may thank the Santissima they were not in our company ! I'm spent to a skeleton. Mira / carrai ! " Our horses were at length bridled and saddled, and our lassoes coiled up. Still the vidette had not warned us. We grew every moment more impatient. " Come 1 " cried one ; " hang it 1 they're far enough now. They're not a-goin' to be gapin' back all the way. They're looking ahead, I'm bound. Golly I thar's fine shines afore them." We could resist no longer. We called out to the vidette. He could just see the heads o"f the hindmost. " That will do," cried Seguin ; " come, take your horses ! " The men obeyed with alacrity, and we all moved down the ravine, leading our animals. We pressed forward to the opening. A young man, the pueblo servant of Seguin, was ahead of the rest. He was impatient to reach the water. He had gained the mouth of the defile, when we saw him fall back with frightened looks, dragging at his horse, and exclaiming " Mi a mo ! mi amo / to davia son I (Master, master ! they are here yet !) " Who ? " inquired Seguin, running forward in haste. " The Indians, master ; the Indians I " " You are mad ! Where did you see them ? " " In the camp, master. Look yonder ! " 220 THE SCALP-HUNTERS. I pressed forward with Sequin to t! that l.iy along the entrance of the defile. \Yo looked cautiously over. A singular sight met our The camp-ground was lying as the Indians had left it. The stakes were still standing ; the shaggy hides of the buffaloes, and piles of their bom strewn upon the plain ; hundreds of coyotes were loping back and forward, snarling at one another, or pursuing one of their number which had picked up a nicer morsel than his companions. The tires were still smoldering, and the wolves galloped through the ashes, raising them in yellow clouds. Hut there was a sight stranger than all this; a startling si^ht to me. Five or six forms ; ./ human, \\ere moving about among the fires, collecting the debris of skins and bones, and quarreling with the wolves that harked round them in troops. Five or six others, similar forms, were seated around a pile of burning wood, silently gnawing at half-roasted ribs. Can they be yes, they are human beings I I was for a moment awestruck as I gaxed at the shriveled and dwarfish bodies, the long ape-like arms, and huge dis- proportioned heads, from which fell their. hair in snaky tangles, black and matted. But one or two appeared to have any article of dress, and that was a ragged breech-clout. The others were naked as the wild beasts around them : naked from head to foot ! It was a horrid sight to look upon these fiend- like dwarfs squatted around the fires, holding up half-naked bones in their long wrinkled arms, and tearing off the flesh with their glistening teeth. It was a horrid sight, indeed ; and it was some moments before I could recover sufficiently from my amazement to inquire who or what they were. I did so at length. ' Los Yamparicos," answered the cibolero. THK DIGGI 221 " Who ? <% I ; lin. ' I, os Indies Yamp.r "The Diggers, the Diggers," said a hunter, thinking that would better explain the strange apparitions. r Indiana" added Scgum. " Come on; \ve have nothing to fear from them." : we have somethin' to git from them," rejoined one of the hunters, with a significant look. " Digger plew good as any-other: \\orth jest as much as Pash chi ' one mu.st tire," said Seguin, in a firm tone. "It is too soon yet ; look yonder ! " and he pointed over the plain, where two or three glancing objects, the helmet-, of th treating wan iocs, could still be seen above the grass. Mow are wcgoin' to get them. then, i apta'm ? " inquired the huiiU-r. "They'll beat us to the locks; they kin i un like scared d I letter let them go. poor devils!" said Seguin, seem- ingly unwilling that blood should be spilled so wantonly. -, captain." rejoined the same speaker ; " we won't fire but we'll git them, if we kin, 'ithout it. Boys, follow me clown this way. And the man was about guiding his horse in among the loose rocks, so .is to pass unperceived between the dwarfs and the mountain. But the brutal fellow was frustrated in his design ; for at that moment El Sol and his sister appeared in the opening, and their brilliant habiliments caught the eyes of the Diggers. Like startled deer they sprang to their ' feet, and ran, or rather flew, toward the foot of the mountain. The hunters galloped to intercept them, but they were too late. Before they could come up, the Diggers had dived into the crevices of the rocks or were seen climbing like chamois along the cliffs, far out of reach. One of the hunters only Sanchez succeeded in making 222 THE SCALP-HUNTERS. a capture. His victim had reached a high ledge, and was scrambling along it, when the lasso of the bull-fighter settled round his neck. The next moment he was plucked out into the air, and fell with a " cranch " upon the rocks 1 I rode forward to look at him. He was dead. He had been crushed by the fall ; in fact, mangled to a shapeless mass, and exhibited a most loathsome and hideous sight. The unfeeling hunter recked not of this. With a coarse jest he stooped over the body ; and severing the scalp, stuck it, reeking and bloody, behind the waist of his calzoneros 1 CHAPTER XXVIII. DACOMA. E all now hurried for- ward to the spring, and, dismounting, turned our horses' heads to the water, leaving them to drink at will. \Vc had no fear of their running away. Our own thirst re- quired slakingas much as theirs ; and, crowd- ing into the branch, we poured the cold water down our throats in cupfuls. We felt as though we should never be surfeited ; but another appetite, equally strong, lured us away from the spring ; and we ran over the camp-ground in search of the means to gratify it. We scattered the coyotes and white wolves with our shouts, and drove them with missiles from the ground. We were about stooping to pick up the dust-covered mor- sels, when a strange exclamation from one of the hunter? caused us to look hastily round. " Qfalaray, camarados ; mira cl d(r^o / 224 THE SCALP-HrXTF.RS. The Mexican who uttered these words stood pointing to an object that lay upon the ground at his feet. \Vc van up to ascertain what it was. " Caspita .'" again ejaculated the man. "It is a white bow ! " A white bow. by gosh ! " echoed Garey. " A white bow ! " shouted several others, eyeing the object with looks of astonishment and alarm. " That belonged to a big warrior, I'll sartify," said (iarey. ." added another, " an' one that'll ride back for it, as soon as Holies ! look yonder 1 he's coming, by ! " Our eyes rolled over the prairie together, eastward as the speaker pointed. An object was just visible low down on horizon, like a moving blazing star. It \\as not that. At a glance we all knew what it was. It was a helmet, flash- ing under the sunbeam, as it rose and fell to the measured gallop of a horse. " To the willows, men ! to the willows ! " shouted Seguin. Drop the bow ! Leave it where it was. To your "horses 1 Lead them ! Crouch ! crouch ! " \Ye all ran to our horses, and, seizing the bridles, half- led, half-dragged them within the willow thicket. We leaped into our saddles, so as to be ready for any emergency, and sat peering through the leaves that screened us. " Shall we fire as he comes up, captain ? " asked one of the men. " No." " We kin take him nicely, just as he stoops for the bow." " No ; not for your lives ! " " What then, captain ? " "Let him take it and go," was Seguin's reply. " Why, captain ? what's that for ?" " Fools 1 do you not see that the whole tribe would be back upon our tra.il before midnight ? Are you mad ? L*-t, 1'ACOMA. 225 him go. He may not notice our tracks, as our horses are not shod. If so, let him go as he came, I tell you/' " But how, captain, if he squints yondenvay. Garey, as he said this, pointed to the rocks at the foot of the mountain. " Sac-r-r-re Dieu / the digger!" exclaimed Seguin. his countenance changing expression. The body lay on a conspicuous point, on its face, the crimson skull turned upward and outward, so that it could hardly fail to attract the eye of any one coming in from the plain. Several coyotes had already climbed up on the slab where it lay, and were smelling around it, seemingly caring to touch the hideous morsel. " He's bound to see it, captain," added the hunter. " If so, we must take him with the lance, the lasso, or alive. No gun must be fired. They might still hear it, and would be on us before we could get round the mountain. \<>! sling your guns ! Let those who have lances and lassoes get them in readiness." " When would you have us make the dash, captain ? '' " Leave that to me. Perhaps he may dismount for the bow; or, if not, he may ride into the spring to water his horse, then we can surround him. If he see the Digger's body, he may pass up to examine it more closely. In that case we can intercept him without difficulty. Be patient ! I shall give you the signal." During all this time, the Navajo was coming up at a regular gallop. As the dialogue ended, he had got within about three hundred yards of the spring, and still pressed forward without slacking his pace. We kept our gaze fixed upon him in breathless silence, eyeing both man and horse. It was a splendid sight. The horse was a large coal-black mustang, with fiery eyes and red open nostrils. He was foaming at the mouth, and the white flakes had clouted his 226* THE SCALP-HUXTERS. throat, counter, and shoulders. He was wet all over, and glittered as he moved with the play of his proud flanks. The rider was naked from the waist up, excepting his hel- met and plumes, and some ornaments that glistened on his neck, bosom, and wrists. A tunic-like skirt, bright and embroidered, covered his hips and thighs. Below the knee A Mexican Lasso, Braided with Strands of Rawhide. his legs were naked, ending in a buskined mocassin, that fitted tightly round the ankle. Unlike the Apache's, there was no paint upon his body, and his bronze complexion shone with the hue of health. His features were noble and warlike, his eye bold and piercing, and his long" black hair swept away behind him, mingling with the tail of his horse. He rode upon a Spanish saddle with his lance poised on the Stirrup, and, resting lightly against his right arm. His left; DACOMA. 227 Was thrust through the strap of a white shield, and a quiver with its feathered shafts peeped over his shoulder. His bow was before him. It was a splendid sight, both horse and rider, as they rose together over the green swells of the prairie ; a picture more like that of some Homeric hero than a savage of the " wild west." " Wagh ! " exclaimed one of the hunters in an undertone ; " how they glitter ! Look at that 'ar headpiece 1 It's fairly a-blazin' ! " " Ay," rejoined Garey, " we may thank the piece o' brass. We'd have been in as ugly a fix as he's in now if we hadn't sighted it in time. What I " continued the trapper, his voice rising into earnestness ; " Dacoina, by the Etarnal 1 The second chief of the Navajoes ! " I turned toward Seguin to witness the effect of this announcement. The Mariropa was leaning over to him, muttering some words in an unknown tongue, and gesticu- lating with energy. I recogni/ed the name " Dacoma," and there was an expression of fierce hatred in the chief's coun- tenance as he pointed to the advancing horseman. " Well, then," answered Seguin, apparently assenting to the wishes of the other, " he shall not escape, whether he sees it or no. But do not use your gun : they are not ten miles off : yonder behind the swell. We can easily surround him. If not, /can overtake him on this horse, and here's another. As Seguin uttered the last speech he pointed to Moro. " Silence 1 " he continued, lowering his voice. " Hish-sh I " The silence became death-like. Each man sat pressing his horse with his knees, as if thus to hold him at rest, i The Navajo had now reached the border of the deserted camp ; and inclining to the left, he galloped down the line, scattering the wolves as he went. He sat leaning to one 228 THE SCALP- HUNTERS. side, his gaze searching the ground. When nearly opposite to our ambush, he descried the object of his search, and sliding his feet out of the stirrup, guided his horse so as to shave closely v past it. Then, without reining in, or ercn slacking his pace, he bent over until his plume swept the earth, and picking up the bow, swung himself back into the saddle. Beautiful ! " exclaimed the bull-fighter. " By gosh I it's a pity to kill him," muttered a hunter ; and a low murmur of admiration was heard among the men. After a few more springs, the Indian suddenly wheeled, and was about to gallop back, when his eye was caught by the ensanguined object upon the rock. He reined in with a jerk, until the hips of his horse almost rested upon the prairie, and sat gazing upon the body with a look of surprise. " Beautiful ! " again exclaimed Sanchez ; " carrambo^ beautiful ! " It was, in effect, as fine a picture as ever the eye looked upon. The horse with his tail scattered upon the ground, with crest erect and breathing nostril, quivering under the impulse of his masterly rider; the rider himself, with his glancing helmet and waving plumes, his bronze complexion, his firm and graceful seat, and his eye fixed in the gaze of wonder. It was, as Sanchez had said, a beautiful picture a living statue ; and all of us were filled with admiration as we looked upon it. Not one of the party with perhaps an exception, should have liked to fire the shot that would have tumbled it from its pedestal. Horse and man remained in this attitude for some mo- ments. Then the expression of the rider's countenance suddenly changed. His eye wandered with an inquiring and somewhat terrified look. It rested upon the water, still muddy with the trampling of our horses. DACOMA. One glance v quick, strom upon the bridle, the - :uan wheeled, and struck out for the prairie. Our < signal had In springing forward, we sliot OK ,| in a 1 < \\'e had I ihe rivi;' advance as \ :d to il. I saw his lmr.se suddenly balk, stumbK .--.! roll he The to look h.i k. i knew that tuns the taking of the Indian \vas life or (!. .ind 1 struck my spur deeply, and strained forward in the pursuit. ae we ail r in a dense- " clump." \V!i>. -tut on tJK' pi. liit. the Indian ahea- . and one and all felt \vith dismay that lie \ not actually % it. We had forgotten the condition of our animals. They were faint with hunger, and stiff from standing so long in trie ravin- 1 i'.i-t drunk to a surfeit. n found tha ; ; ahead of my companions. The si: ss of Ai advant. ircling his l;v \v him laun'.'h it, and suddenly jerk up: I saw the loop sliding over the hips of the flying mustang. lie had mi his aim. lie was recoiling tlr as 1 shot past him, and I noticed his look of chagrin and disappointment. had now warmed to the chase, and I was soon far ahead of my comrades. 1 perceived, too, that I was closing upon the Navajo. ^""g brought me nearer, until there were not a dozen lengths between us. I knew not how to act. I held my rifle in my hands, and could have shot the Indian in the back ; but I remembered 230 THE SCALP-HUNTERS. the injunction of Seguin, and we were now closer to the enemy than ever. I did not know but that we might be in sight of them. I dared not fire. I was still undecided whether to use my knife or endeavor to unhorse the Indian with my clubbed rifle, when he glanced over his shoulder and saw that I was alone. Suddenly he wheeled, and, throwing his lance to a charge, came galloping back. His horse seemed to work without the rein, obedient to his voice and the touch of his knees. I had just time to throw up my rifle and parr)- the charge, which was a right point. I did not parry it successfully. The blade grazed my arm, tearing my flesh. The barrel of my rifle caught in the sling of the lance, and the piece was whipped out of my hands. The wound, the shock, and the loss of my weapon, had discomposed me in the manege of my horse, and it was some time before I could gain the bridle to turn him. My antag- onist had wheeled sooner, as I knew by the " hist " of an arrow that scattered the curls over my right ear. As I faced him again another was on the string, and the next moment it was sticking through my left arm. I was now angry; and, drawing a pistol from the holster, I cocked it, and galloped forward. I knew it was the only chance for my life. The Indian, at the same time, dropped his bow. and, bringing his lance to the charge, spurred on to meet me. I was determined not to fire until near and sure of hitting. We closed at full gallop. Our horses almost touched. 1 leveled, and pulled trigger. The cap snapped upon my pistol I The lance blade glittered in my eyes ; its point was at my breast. Something struck me sharply in the face. It was the ring-loop of a lasso. I saw it settle over the shoulders of the Indian, falling to his elbows. It tightened as it fell. D AGO MA. 231 r here was a wild yell, a quick jerk of my antagonist's body, the lance flew from his hands, and the next moment he was plucked out of his saddle, and lying helpless upon the prairie. His horse met mine with a concussion that sent both of them to the earth. We rolled and scrambled about, and rose again. When I came to my feet El Sol was standing over the Navajo, with his knife drawn, and his lasso looped around the arms of his captive. " The horse ! the horse 1 secure the horse I " shouted Seguin, as he galloped up ; and the crowd dashed past me in pursuit of the mustang, which, with trailing bridle, was scouring over the prairie. / In a few minutes the animal was lassoed, and led back to the spot so near being made sacred with my grave. Indian Utensils, Ornaments, etc. CHAPTER XXIX. : V, ITU 1 i :-aid was the pros- i I is coun- ten .'.ted the blending u! I hate and triumph. His sister at this moment gal- loped up, and, leaping from her horse, advanced rapidly forward. " Behold ! " said he, pointing to the Navajo chief : " behold the murderer of our mother ! r< The girl uttered a short, sharp exclamation ; and, draw- ing a knife, rushed upon the captive. ' Xo. Luna ! " cried El Sol, putting her aside ; " no ; we are not assassins. That is not i\ lie shall not yet die. We will show hhn alive to the squnns cf the Maricopa. They shall dance the mamanchic over this great chief this warrior captured without a wound I " 2 3 2 WITH :KS. 233 >1 uttered these words in a contemptuous tone. The effe. Xavajo. aed he, making an involuntary strug- gle to free hiinself ; " dog of a Coco ! leagued with the ; robbers. Dog ! " I la ! you r< >ma ? It is well " ' D-. .in ejaculated the Xavajo. interrupting him ; and . \\hile his eye glared with an expression of the fiercest malignity. "H< cried Rube, ;;t this moment galloping up; ' hi- hat Injun's as savagerous . -ax. Lamm him! d n him! Warm mil rope: .T.rmed rny old n : ;p him ! " : us look to YOP I, M. Ilaller." guin, ml approaching me, a . 1 thdu with an un. . >f manner. How is it ? through flesh? You arc if. indeed, the arrow has not n poisoned. I fear : Kl Sol ! . n:y friend ! tell me if this point has been dipped." First takj it out." replied the Maricopa, coming up : we shall lose no time by that." arrow was slicking through my forearm. The barb had pierced through the ik-sh, until about half of the shaft appe ' he opposite side. j feather end in both his hands, and snapped it at tiie lapping. He then look hold of the barb and d Mtly out of the vound. :ill I ha\e examined the point. It d look like a war-;Jiaft ; b:. use >rtunately I possess the h detecting : >ntidote." As \ 'his, he took from his pouch a tuft' of raw cotton. \Vith this he rubbed the blood lightly from the blade. He then drew forth a small stone phial, and, 234 THE SCALP-HUNTERS. pouring a few drops of liquid upon the metal, watched the result. I waited with no slight feeling of uneasiness. Seguin too, appeared anxious ; and as I knew that he must have oftentimes witnessed the effect of a poisoned arrow, I did not feel very comfortable, seeing him watch the assaying process with so much apparent anxiety. I knew there was clanger where he dreaded it. " M. Haller, said El Sol, at length, " you are in luck this time. I think I may call it luck, for your antagonist has surely some in his quiver not quite so harmless as this one." " Let me see," he added ; and, stepping up to the Navajo, he drew another arrow from the quiver that still remained slung upon the Indian's back. After subjecting the blade to a similar test, he exclaimed " I told you so. Look at this, green as a plantain ! He fired two ; where is the other? Comrades, help me to find it. Such a tell-tale as that must not be left behind us." Several of the men leaped from their horses, and searched for the shaft that had been shot first. I pointed out the direction and probable distance as near as I could, and in a few moments it was picked up. El Sol took it, and poured a few drops of his liquid on the blade. It turned green like the other. II You may thank your saints, M. Haller," said the Coco, " it was not this one made that hole in your arm, else it would have taken all the skill of Doctor Reichter and myself to have saved you. But what's this ? Another wound I Ha 1 He touched you as he made his right point. Let me look at it." " I think it is only a scratch." " This is a strange climate, M. Haller. I have seen such scratches become mortal wounds when not sufficiently val- yed. Luna ! Some cotton, sis I I shall endeavor to dress A DINNER WITH TWO DISHES. 235 yours so that you need not fear that resul . You deserve that much at my hands. But for you, sir, he would have escaped me." " But for you, sir, he would have killed me." ' " Well," replied the Coco, with a smile, " it is possible you would not have come off so well. Your weapon played you false. It is hardly just to expect a man to parry a lance- point with a clubbed ritie. though it was beautifully done. I do ot wonder that you pulled trigger in the second joust. I intended doing so myself, had the lasso failed me again. But we are in luck both ways. You must sling this arm for a day or two. Luna ! that scarf of yours." 1 " said I, as the girl proceeded to unfasten a beautiful scarf which she wore around her waist ; " you shall not : I will find something else." " Here, mister ; if this will do," interposed the young trap- per dun -y. you are heartily welcome to it. As Garey said this, lie pulled a colored handkerchief out of the breast of his hunting-shin* and held it forth. " You are very kind ; thank you ! " I replied, although I knew on whose account the kerrhkf was given ; " you will be pleased to accept this in return." And I offered him one of my small revolvers : a weapon that, at that time and in that place, was worth its weight in pearls. The mountain man knew this, and very gracefully accepted the proffered gift ; but much as he might have prized it, I saw that he was still more gratified with a simple smile that he received from another quarter, and I felt certain that the scarf would soon change owners, at any ratp. I watched the countenance of El Sol to See if he had no- ticed or approved of this little by-play. I could perceive no unusual emotion upon it. He was busy with my wounds, which he dressed in a manner that would have done credit to a member of the E.. C, b. when he h;ul you \vi r for as mucii : the fart: You have ,i bad brid!'.--arm. .V best ho; -aw. 1 do not \\ . to ^ell him. of the < onvLrs.Uion had and it was spoken by the ('<> upon tile g for the stray ^u-aks and had lah ' A new chagrin awaited us: not ;i mois.l of flesh remaiiu-d ! had taken ad\ r.nt.'-e ot ,i \ve could see nothing) ; omul us but naked bones. Tl and ribs of the buffaloes h.ul been |."!i-!td . i.:|;ed with a knife. Even the hideous < I "the Di^erliacl ^hinin^ skeleton ! " \\". one of the hunt' . ,lf now or nothing; and the IIKHI le\eled his 'Hold!' exclaimed Seguin, seeing the act. " Are you mad, sir ? " 1 reckon not. i ipt'n." replied the hunter, doggedly bring- ing down his piece. " \\'e must eat, I s'po.sc. 1 see nothin' but them about ; an' how are we gouT to get them 'ithout M!! 1 ?" .iii made no reply, except by pointing to the bow which Kl Sol was making ready. ' Eh-ho ! " added the hunter; u yer right, capt'n. I asks pardon. I had forgot that piece o' bone." A I)I\\KR WITH TWO DISH1-N. 237 The Coco took an arrow from the quiver, and tried the head with the assaying liquid. It proved to be a hunting shaft ; and, adjusting it to the string, he sent it through the body of a white wolf, killing it instantly. lie took up the shaft again, and wiping the feather, shot another, and another, until the bodies of five or six of these animals lay stretched upon the ground. Kill a coyote when ye're about it," shouted one of the hunters; "gentlemen like we oughter have leastwise two courses to our dinner." The men laughed at this rough sally ; and Kl S->1, smiling, again picked up the arrow, and sent it whi/xing through the body of one of the coyotes. " I think that will be enough for one meal, at all events." said El Sol, recovering the arrow, and putting it back into the quiver. "Ay!" replied the wit; "if we wants more we kin go back to the larder agin. It's a kind o' meat that eats better fresh, anyhow." "Well, it diz, hoss. Wagh I I'm in fora griskin o' the white. Hyar goes ! " The hunters, laughing, at the humor of their comrades, drew their shining knives, and set about skinning the wolves. The adroitness with which this operation was performed showed that it was by no means new to them. In a short time the animals were stripped of their hides and quarters ; and each man, taking his quarter, commenced roasting it over the fire. " Fellers ! what d'ye call this anyhow ? Beef or mutton ? " asked one, as they began to eat. " Wolf-mutton, I reckin." was the reply. " It's dog-gone good eatin\ I say ; peels off as tender as squ'll." " It's some'ut like goat, ain't it ? " 238 THE SCALP-HUNTERS. " Mine tastes more like dog to me." " It ain't bad at all ; better than poor bull any day." " I'd like it a heap better if I war sure the thing hadn't been up to yon varmint on the rocks." And the man who said this pointed to the skeleton of the Digger. The idea was horrible, and under other circumstances would have acted as a sufficient emetic. " Wagh 1 " exclaimed a hunter ; " ye've 'most taken away my stammuck. I was a-goin' to try the coyoat afore ye spoke. I won't now, for I seed them smellin' about him afore we rid off." " I say, old case, you don't mind it, do ye ? " This was addressed to Rube, who was busy on his rib, and made no reply. " He ? not he," said another, answering for him. " Rube's ate a heapo' queery tit-bits in his time. Hain't ye, Rube ? " " Ay, an' afore yur be as long in the mountains as this child, 'ee'll be glad to get yur teeth over wuss chawin's than wolfmeat : see if 'ee don't, young fellur." " Man-meat, I reckin ? " " Ay, that's what Rube means." " Boyees ! " said Rube, not heeding the remark, and ap- parently in good humor, now that he was satisfying his appetite ; " what's the nassiest thing, leavin' out man-meat, any o' 'ees iver chawed ? " " Woman-meat, I reckin." " 'Ee chuckle-headed fool ! yur needn't be so peert now, showin' yur smartness when 'tain't called for nohow." "Wai, leavin' out man-meat, as you say," remarked one of the hunters in answer to Rube's question, " a muss-rat's the meanest thing I ever set teeth on." " I've chawed sage hare raw at that," said a second, " an' I don't want to eat anything that's bitterer." " Owl's no great eatin'," added a third, A DINNER WITH TWO DISHES. " I've ate skunk," continued a fourth ; ' ; an' I've ate sweeter meat in my time." " Carajo .' " exclaimed a Mexican, " what do you think of monkey ? I have dined upon that down south many's the time." " Wai, I guess monkey's but tough chawin's ; but I've sharped my teeth on dry buffler hide, and it wa'n't as tender as it mout' a been." " This child," said Rube, after the rest had given in their experience, " leavin' monkey to the beside, have ate all them critturs as has been named yet. Monkey he hain't, bein' as thur's none o' 'em in these parts. It may be tough, or it mayn't ; it may be bitter, an' it mayn't, for what I knows to the contrairywise ; but, oncest on a time, this niggur chawed a varmint that wa'n't much sweeter, if it wur as sweet." "What was it, Rube ? " " What was it ? " asked several in a breath, curious to know what the old trapper could have eaten more unpalatable than the viands already named." " 'Twur turkey-buzzart then ; that's what // wur." " Turkey-buzzard ! " echoed every one. " Twa'n't anythin' else." " Wagh ! that was a stinkin' pill, an' no mistake." " That beats me all hollow." " And when did ye eat the buzzard, old boy ? " asked one, suspecting that there might be a " story " connected with this feat of the earless trapper. " Ay 1 tell us that, Rube ; tell us 1 " cried several. " Wai," commenced Rube, after a moment's silence, 'twur about six yeern ago, I wur set afoot on the Arkansaw, by the Rapahoes, leastwise two hunder mile below the big Timmer. The cussed skunks tuk hoss, beaver, an' all. He ! he 1 " continued the speaker with a chuckle ; "he I he 1 they mout 'a did as well an' let ole Rube alone." SCALP- HUNTKRS. " I reckon that, too," remarked a hunter. " 'Tain't like they made much out o' that speckelashun. Well about the buzzard ? " 'Ke see, I \vur cleaned out, an' left with jest a pair o' leggins, better than two huncler miles from anywhur. Bent's wur the nearest ; an' 1 tuk up the river in that direkshun. I nevrr seed varmint o' all kinds as shy. They wudn't 'a been, d n 'em 1 if I'd 'a had my traps ; but there wa'n't a critter, from the minners in the water to the bufflers on the paraira, that didn't look like they knowed how this niggur were fixed. I kud git nuthin' for two days but lizard, an' scarce at that." ' Li/ard's but poor eatin'," remarked one. "Ke may say that. This hyur thigh jeint's fat cow to it // are." And Rube, as he said this, made a fresh attack upon the " wolf-mutton." " I chawed up the ole leggins, till I wur as naked as Ghim- ley Rock." Cullies ! was it winter?" No. ' Twur calf-time, an' warm enuf for that matter. I didn't mind the want o' the buckskin that away, but I kud 'a eat more o' it. The third day I struck a town o' sand-rats. This nig- gur's har wur longer then than it ar now. I made snares o' it, an' trapped a lot o' the rats ; but they grew shy too, cuss Vm ! an' I had to quit that speck'lashun. This wur the third day from the time I'd been set down, an' I wur getting nasty weak on it. I 'gin to think that the time wur come for this child to go under. ' l\vur a leetle arter sun-up, an' I wur sittin' on the bank, when I seed somethin' queery floatin' a-down the river. When I kirn closer, I seed it wur the karkidge o' a buffler - calf at that an' a couple o' buzzarts floppin' about on the A DINNER WITH T\\'(J WSHES. 241 thing, pickin' its peepers out. 'T\vur far out, an' tho water deep; but I'd made up my mind to fetch it ashore. 1 wan't long in stripping I reckin." Here the hunters interrupted Rube's story \\itl a laugh. "I tuk the water, an' swain out. I kuc! smell the thing afore I wur half way, an' when I got near it, the birds inix- zled. I wur soon clost up. an' seed at a glimp.that the calf wur as rotten as punk." " What a pity ! " exclaimed one of the hunters. " I wa'nt a-gwine to have my swim for nuthin' ; so I tuk the tail in my teeth, an' swam back for the shore. 1 hadn't made three strokes till the tail pulled out ! " I then swum round ahint the karkidge, an' pushed it afore me till I got it landed high an' dry upon a sandbar. 'Twur like to fall to pieces, when I pulled it out o' the water. 7 W//Y <7.' .' " Here Rube took a fresh mouthful of the wolf-mutton, and remained silent until lie had masticated it. The men had become interested in the story, and waited with impatience. At length he proceeded " I seed the bu/zarts still fly in' about, an' fresh ones a- comin'. I tuk a idee that I mout git my claws upon some o' 'em. So I lay down clost up agin the calf, an' played 'possum. " I wa'n't long that a-way when the birds begun to light on the sandbar, an' a big cock kirn rloppin' up to the kar- kidge. Afore he kud flop off agin, I grupped him by the legs." " Hooraw ! well done, by gollies ! " " The cussed thing wur nearly as stinkin' as t'other, but it wur die dog buzzart or calf so I skinned the buzzart." " And ate it ? " inquired an impatient listener. " No-o," slowly drawled Rube, apparently " miffed " at being thus interrupted. " It ate me." 16 242 THE SCALP-HUNTERS. The laugh that followed this retort restored the old trapper to good humor again. " Did you go it raw, Rube ? " asked one of the hunters. " How could he do otherwise ? He hadn't a spark o' fire, an' nothing to make one out of." " Yur netarnal fool 1 " exclaimed Rube, turning savagely on the last speaker. " I kud make a fire if thur wa'n't a spark nearer than h 1 1 " A wild yell of laughter followed this dreadful speech, and it was some minutes before the trapper recovered his temper sufficiently to resume his narration. " The rest o' the birds," continued he at length, " seein' the ole cock rubbed out, grew shy, and kep away on t'other side o' the river. 'Twa'n't no use tryin' that dodge over agin. Jest then I spied a coyoat comin' lopin' down the bank, an' another follerin' upon his heels, an two or three more on the same trail. I know 'd it wud be no joke grup- pin' one o' them by the leg, but I made up my mind to try it ; an' I lay down jest as afore, clost up to the calf. 'Twur no go. The cunnin' things see'd the float-stick, an' kep clur o' the karkidge. I wur a-gwine to cacher under some bush that wur by, an' I begun to carry it up, when all of a suddint I tuk a fresh idee in my head. I seed thur wur drift-wood a plenty on the bank, so I fetched it up, an' built a pen-trap roun' about the calf. In the twinklin' o' a goat's eye I had six varmints in the trap." " Hooraw 1 Ye war safe then, old hoss." " I tuk a lot o' stones an' then clomb up on the pen, an* killed the hul kit on 'em. Lord, boyees I 'ee never seed sich a snappin', an' snarlin', and jumpin', an' yowltin', as when I peppered them donicks down on 'em. He 1 he 1 he I Ho! ho! hool" And the smoky old sinner chuckled with delight at the remembrance of his adventure, A DIXNER WITH TWO DISHES. 243 " You reached Bent's then safe enough, I reckin ? " 'Ee es. I skinned the critters \vi' a sharp stone, an' made me a sort o' shirt an' leggins. This niggur had no mind, comin' in naked, to gi' them thur joke at the Fort. I packed enough of the \volf-meat to last me up, an' I got thur in less'n a week. Bill \vur thur himself, an' 'ee all know Bill Bent. He know'd me. I wa'n't in the Fort a half an hour till I wur spick span in new buckskins, \vi' a new rifle ; an' that rifle wur Tar-guts, now afore ye." " Ha 1 you got Tear-guts thar then ? " " I got Tar-guts thar then, an' a gun she ur. He ! he 1 he ! 'Twa'n't long arter I got her till I tried her. He ! he ! he 1 Ho ! ho ! hoo 1 " And the old trapper went off into another fit of chuck- ling. " What are ye laughin' at now, Rube ? " asked one of his comrades. " He 1 he 1 he 1 What am I larfin' at ! He ! he 1 he ! Ho ! ho! That ur the crisp o' tho joke. He 1 he 1 he I What am I larfin' at ? " " Yes ; tell us, man 1 " " It are this then I'm a-larfin' at," replied Rube, sobering down a little, " I wa'n't at Bent's three days when who do 'ee think shed kum to the Fort ? " " Who ? Maybe the Rapahoes ? " " Them same Injuns ; an' the very niggurs as set me afoot. They kum to the Fort to trade wi' Bill, an' thur I sees both my old mar an' rifle I " " You got them back then ? " " That wur likely. Thur wur a sight o' mountainy men thur, at the time, that wa'n't the fellurs to see this child put down on the parairar for nuthin'. Yander's the critter ! " and Rube pointed to the old mare. " The rifle I gin to Bill, an' kep Tar-guts instead, seein' she wur a better gun." 2 14 THK se \i.r-nr\TKks. with the Rapahoes ? " " That, yuun fellur, just rests on what 'ee 'ud call squar. these hyur nicks: thiMn stamlin' scp'ratc ? " Aiul the trapper pointed to a row of small notches cut in ;rx k of his rifle. ied several men in reply. Thur's live ' Yin. ain't thur ? " Rube's .story was ended. > MTKK XXX. BUND] .itin^ mild pur- . of t 1 j.irie. still in a dilomni his men. him. I i : .it a >f the nation) i mdoned without a search, and his own followers, nearly half of the tribe, would e sure to re- turn on his track, and follow their own trail back to the Navajo towns. What then ? Our band cannot either come on to the Pinon or cross the war-trail at any point. They would discover our tracks to a certainty." " Why, can't we go straight up to whar the rest's cached, and then take round by the old mine ? That won't interfere with the war-trail nohow." This was proposed by one of the hunters. " Vaya!" rejoined a Mexican; "we should meet the Navajoes just when we had got to their town ! Carrai! that would never do, amigo. There wouldn't many of us get back again. Santissima ! No." " We ain't obleeged to meet them," argued the first speaker. " They're not a-goin' to stop at thur town when they find the nigger hain't been back." " It is true," said Seguin, " they will not remain there. They will doubtless return on the war-trail again ; but I know the country by the mine." " So do I ! So do I ! *' cried several voices. " There is no game," continued Seguin. " We have no provisions; it is therefore impossible for us to go that way." " We couldn't go it, no how." " We should starve before we had got through the Mim- bres." " Thar's no water that way." " No, by gosh 1 not enough to make a drink for a sand- rat." BUN-DINT, THE PURSUER. 247 " We must take our chances, then." said Seguin. Here he paused thoughtfully, and with a gloomy expres- sion of countenance. " We must cross the trail," he continued, <; and go by the Prieto, or abandon the expedition.'' The word " Prieto," in opposition to the phrase " abandon the expedition," put the hunters to their wits' end for inven- tion, and plan after plan was proposed ; all, however, end- ing in the probability, in fact certainty, that if adopted, our trail would be discovered by the enemy, and followed up before we could escape back to the Del Norte. They were, therefore, one after another rejected. During all this discussion, old Rube had not said a word. The earless trapper was sitting upon the prairie, squat on his hams, tracing out some lines with his bow, and appar- ently laying out the plan of a fortification I What are ye doin', old hoss ? " inquired one of his com- rades. " My hearin' ain't as good as 'twur afore I kim into this cussed country ; but I thought I heerd some o" 'ees say, jest now, we cudn't cross the Pash trail 'ithout bein' followed in two days. That's a dod-rotted lie 1 // are." " How are ye goin' to prove it, hoss ? " " Chut, man 1 yur tongue wags like a beaver's tail in flood- time." " Can you suggest any way in which it can be done, Rube ? I confess I see none." As Seguin made this appeal, all eyes were turned upon the trapper. " Why, cap, I kin surgest my own notion o' the thing. It may be right, an' it mayn't be right ; but if it wur follered out, thur'll be neither Pash nor Navagh that'll smell where we go for a week. If they diz, 'ee may cut my ears off." This was a favorite joke with Rube, and the hunters only 248 THK SCALP- HT XT; laughed. Seguin himself could not restrain a smile, as he requested the speaker to proceed. "Fust an' fo'most, then," said Rube, " thur not a gwine to come arter that nigger in less than two days." llo\v can you tell that ! " This way : he's only second chief, an' they kin go on well enough 'ithout him. But that ain't it. The Injun forgot his bow : white at that. Now 'ee all knows as well as this child, that that's a big disgrace in the eyeso' Injuns." Yotfiv right about that, hoss, remarked one. Wall, so the ole 'coon thinks. Now. 'ee see. it's as plain as Pike's Peak that he kirn away back 'ithout tellin' any <>' the rest a syllabub about it. He'd not let 'em know if he kud help it." " That is not improbable," said Seguin. " Proceed, Rube ! " More 'n that." continued the trapper, " I'll stake high thet he ordered them not to foller him, afeerd thet some on 'em mout see what he kirn for. If he'd 'a thought they knew or suspected, he'd 'a sent some other, an' not kum himself; that's what he'd 'a done." This was all probable enough ; and with the knowledge which the scalp-hunters possessed of the Navajo character, they one and all believed it to be so. I'm sartint they'll kum back," continued Rube; "that ur his half o' the tribe, anyways ; but it'll be three clays clur, an' well up till another, afore they drinks Peenyun water." " But they would strike our trail the day after." " If we wur green fools enough to let 'em,-they wild." " How can we prevent that ? " asked Seguin. t " Easy as fallin' off a log." " How ? how ? " inquired several at once. " By puttin' them on another scent, do 'ee see ? ' Vesl but in what way can we effect that ?" inquired Seguin. BLIND fX<, TH] " Why, cap, yur tumble h: dumfoundercd ye. I \vucl thin iher dummies not seein' at a glimp how we kin do it." " I confess, Rube," replied Seguin with a smile, " I do not perceive how we can mislead them." " Wai, then," continued the ; with a chuckle of satisfaction at his own superior prairie-craft, "this child's a- i-.in put them on a track that'll jest , them hclhv;' " Ilorraw for you, old hi 'Ke see a quiver on that Injun's back" ? Ay, ay ' " cried several " It's full o' arrows 01 pretty near it, I reckin." " It is. Well ? " 'Wai, then, let some o' u.s ride the Injun's mustang: any other critter thet's got the same track '11 do; away down 1'ash trail, an' stick them things pointhf south'art : an' if ll;< i that a-way till they comes up with the Pashes. 'ee m this child's liar for a plug o' the \vust Kaintucky terbat. " /'.', "He's right, lie's right!'' "lloor;av for old Rube!" and various exclamation: uttered by the hunl " "1'ain't ncedcessary f-r thun to know win- he shud ' a tuk that track. They'll know his arrows ; that's enuf. By the time they gits back, with their fingers in thur meat-traps, we'll hev start enough to carry us from h to Hackensack." " Ay, that we will, by gollies ! " " The band," continued Rube, " needn't come to the Peenyun spring no howsomever. They kin cross the war- trail higher up to to'rst the Heeley, an' meet us on t'other side o' the mountain, whur thur's a grist o' game, both cattle an' buffler. A plenty o' both on the ole mission lands, I'll be boun'. We'd hev to go thur anyways. Thur's no hopes 250 THE SCALP-HUNTERS. o' meetin' the buffler this side, arter the splurry them Injuns has gin them." "That is true enough," said Seguin. " \\> ^,,.st go round the mountain before we. can expect ;o fail in with the buffalo. The Indian hunt has chased them clean off from the Llanos. Come, then ! Let us set about our work at once. We have yet two hours before sunset. What would you do first, Rube ? You have given the plan : I will trust to you for the details." Why, in my opeenyun, cap, the fust thing to be did are to send a man as straight as he can gallip to whur the band's cached. Let him fotch them acrost the trail. " Where should they cross, do you think ? " " About twenty mile north o' hyur thur's a dry ridge, an' a good grist o' loose donicks. If they cross as they oughter, they needn't make much sign. I kud take a train o' Bent's wagons over, that 'ud puzzle deaf Smith to foller 'em. / kud. " I will send a man off instantly. Here, Sanchez ! you have a good horse, and know the ground. It is not over twenty miles to where they are cached. Bring them along the ridge, and with caution, as you have heard. You will find us around the north point of the mountain. You can travel all night, and be up with us early in the morning. Away 1 " The torero, without making any answer, drew his horse from the picket, leaped into the saddle, and rode off at a gallop towards the northwest. " It is fortunate," said Seguin, looking after him for some moments, " that they have trampled the ground about here, else the tracks made in our late encounter would certainly have told tales upon us." " Thur's no danger about that," rejoined Rube ; " but when we rides from hyur, cap'n we mustn't foller their trail. They'd soon sight our back tracks. We had best keep up BLINDING THE PURSUER. 251 yander among the loose derricks." Rube pointed to the shingle that stretched north and south along the foot of the mountain. " Yes, that shall be our course. We can leave this with- out leaving any tracks. What next ? " " The next idee are, to get rid o' yon piece o' machin'ry," and the trapper, as he spoke, nodded in the direction of the skeleton. " True I I had forgotten it. What shall we do with it 1 " " Bury it," advised one. " Wagh ! no. Burn it I " cried another. " Ay, that's best," said a third. The last suggestion was adopted. The skeleton was brought down ; the stains of the blood were carefully rubbed from the rocks ; the skull was shivered with a tomahawk, and the joints were broken in pieces. The whole mass was then Hung upon the fire, and pounded down among numerous bones of the buffalo, already simmer- ing in the cinders. An anatomist only could have detected the presence of a human skeleton. " Now, Rube ; the arrows ? " " If 'ee'll leave that to me an' Bill Garey, I think them two niggurs kin fix 'em so as to bamfoozle any Injuns thur is in these parts. We'll hev to go three mile or tharabout ; but we'll git back by the time 'ee hev filled yur gourds, an' got yur traps ready for skeetin'." " Very well 1 take the arrows." " Four's gobs for us," sard Rube, taking that number from the quiver. " Keep the rest. 'Ee'll want more wolf- meat afore we start. Thur's not a tail o' anythin' else till we git clur roun' the mountain yander. Billee ! throw your ugly props over that Navagh mustang. Putty hoss too ; but I wudn't giv my old mar far a hul cavayard o' him. Gi's a sprig o' the black feather." 252 THE SCALP- HTXTKRS. Here the old trapper drew one of the ostrich feathers out of the helmet of the Navajo chief, and continued : " Bov ke care o' the ole mar till I kuin back, an' don't let h ; stampede, do 'ee hear. I wants a blanket. Don't all ; : ;ak at one-. Here, Rube, here!" cried .several, holding out their blankets. K'er a one '11 do. We needs three : Bill's an' mine an' another'n. Hyur, Hillee! take these afore ye. Now ride down the Pash trail three hunrccl yards, or tharabout, an' then pull up. Don't take the beaten pad, but keep along- side, an' make big tracks. Gallop, durn ye 1 " The young hunter laid his quirt to the flanks of the mustang, and started at full gallop along the Apache- trail . When he had ridden a distance of three hundred yards or so, he halted to wait for further directions from his comrade. Old Rube, at the same time, took an arrow ; and, fasten- ing a piece of ostrich feather to the barb, adjusted it on one of the upright poles which the Indians had left stand- ing on the camp-ground. It was placed in such a manner that the head pointed southward in the direction of the Apache trial, and was so conspicuous with the black feather that no one coming in from the Llanos could fail to see it. This done he followed his companion on foot, keeping wide out from the trail, and making his tracks with great caution. On coming up with Garey, he stuck a second ar- row in the ground : its point also inclined to the south, and so that it could be seen from the former one. Garey then galloped forward, keeping on tJic trail, while Rube struck out again to the open prairie, and advanced in a line parallel to it. Having ridden a distance of two or three miles, Garey slackened his pace, and put the mustang to a slow walk. A BLINDING THE PURSUER. 253 little further on he again halted, and held his horse at rest, in the beaten path. Rube now came up, and spread the three blankets length- wise along the ground, and leading westward from the trail. Garey dismounted, and led the animal gently on the blankets. As its feet rested on two at a time, each, as it became the rearmost, was taken up, and spread again in front ; and this was repeated until they had got the mustang some fifty lengths of himself out into the prairie. The movement was executed with an adroitness equal to that which characterized the feat of Sir Walter Raleigh. Garey now took up the blankets, and, remounting, com- menced riding slowly back by the foot of the mountain ; while Rube returned to -the trail, and placed a third arrow at the point where the mustang had parted from it. lie- then proceeded south as before. One more was yet needed to make doubly sure. When he had gone about a half-a-mile, we saw him stoop over the trail, rise up again, cross toward the mountain foot, and follow the path taken by his companion. The work was done ; the finger-posts were set ; the ruse was complete ! El Sol, meanwhile, had been busy. Several wolves were killed and skinned, and the meat was packed in their skins. The gourds were filled, our captive was tied on a mule, and we stood waiting the return of the trappers. Seguin had resolved to leave two men at the spring as videttes. They were to keep their horses by the rocks, . supply them with the mule-bucket, so as to make no fresh tracks at the 'water. One was to remain constantly on an eminence, and watch the prairie with the glass. They could thus descry the returning Navajoes in time to escape unob- served themselves along the foot of the mountain. They were then to halt at a place ten miles to the north, where they could still have a view of the plain. There they were to 254 THE SCALP-HUNTERS. remain until they had ascertained what direction the Indians should take after leaving the spring, when they were to hurry forward and join the band with their tidings. All these arrangements having been completed as Rube and Garey came up, we mounted our horses and rode by a circuitous route for the mountain foot. When close in we found the path strewed with loose cut-rock, upon which the hoofs of our animals left no track. Over this we rode for- ward, heading to the north, and keeping in aline nearly par- allel to the " war-trail." CHAPTER XXXI. A BUFFALO "SURROUND." MARCH of twenty miles brought us to the place where we expected to be joined by the band. We found a small stream heading in the Pinon range, and running westward to the San Pedro. It was fringed with cot- ton-trees and willows, and with grass in abundance for our horses. Here we encamped, kindled a fire in the thicket, cooked our wolf-mutton, ate it, and went to sleep. The band came up in the morning, having traveled all night. Their provisions were spent as well as ours ; and instead of resting our wearied animals, we pushed on through a pass in the sierra in hopes of finding game on the other side. About noon we debouched through the mountain pass into a country of " openings " : small prairies, bounded by jungly forests, and interspersed with timber " islands." These prairies were covered with tall grass, and buffalo " signs " 256 appeared as we rode into them. We saw their " roads," ;ips." and ' wallo moreover, the " bois tic raclic " of the wild cattle, .ould soon meet with one or the other. still on the stream by which we had camped the ; before, and we made a " noon halt " to refresh our ials. full-grown forms of the carti were around us. hearing red and yellow fruit in abundance. \Ve plucked the pears' of the pitahaya. and ate them greedily: we found service- :id roots of the potnm? blanche. We dined on fruits and vegetables of various sorts, indigenous only to this wild region. lint the stomachs of the hunters longed for their favorite food, the hump ribs " and " boudins " of the buffalo; and after a halt of two hours, we moved forward through the 'en about an hour among cluippanil, when Rube, who was some paces in advance, acting as guide, turned in his saddle, and pointed downward. What's there. Rube ? " asked Seguin, in a low voice. ,-sh tr.uk. cap'n : bufller i " " What number ; can you gue "A. fifty or tharabout. They've tuk through the thicket yander-away. I kin sight the sky. Thur's clur ground not fur from us ; and I'd stake a plew thur in it. I think it's a small paraira, cap." 1 hilt lu iv. men ! " said Seguin ; ' halt and keep silent. Ride forward. Rube. Come, M. llaller, you're fond of h-.mting ; come along with us 1 " 1 followed the guide and Seguin through the bushes ; like them, riding slowly and silently. In a few minutes \ve reached the edge of a prairie covered with long grass. Peering cautiously through the leaves of A BUFFALO " M'RRorND. 257 the prosopis, we had a full view of the open ground. The buffaloes were on the plain ! Jt was, as Rube had rightly conjectured, a small prairie, about a mile and a half in width, closed in on all sides by a thick chapparal. Near the center was a mottc of heavy timber, growing up from a leafy underwood. A spur of willows running out from the timber indicated the presence of water. Tliur's a spring yandcr." muttered Rube. " They've jest been a-coolin' thur noses at it." This was evident enough, for some of the animals were at the moment walking out of the willows; and we could the wet cliy glistening upon their Hanks, and the saliva glancing down from their jaws. I low will we get at them. Rube ? " asked Seguin ; " can wr approach them, do you think?'' 1 doubt not, cap. The grass 'ud hardly kiver us; an' thur a-gwine out <>' range- <>' the bushes." I low then? We cannot run them; there's not room. They would be into the thicket at the iirst dash. We would every hoof of them." S.irti:i .1 - Scripter." ' What is to be done ? " This i! s but one other plan as kin be used jest at this time." - What is it ? " " Surround." Right ; if we can do that. How is the wind ? " I ) -ad as an Injun wi' his head cut off," replied the trapper, taking a small feather out of his cap and tossing it in the air. " See, cap, it falls plump ! " " It does, truly/' " We kin easily git roun' them bufflers afore they wind us ; an' we hev men enough to make a picket fence about them, 17 25 THK SCALF-HUXTERS. We can hardly set about it too soon, cap, Thur a movin' torst the edge yander." " Let us divide the men, then," said Seguin, turning his horse ; " you can guide one-half of them to their stands. I will go with the other. M. Haller, you had better remain where you are. It is as good a stand as you can get. Have patience. It may be an hour before all are placed. When you hear the bugle, you may gallop forward and-do your best. If we succeed, you shall have sport and a good supper; which, I suppose, you feel the need of by this time." So saying, Seguin left me, and rode back to the men, followed by old Rube. It was their purpose to separate the .band into two parties, each taking an opposite direction ; and to drop men here and there at regular intervals, around the prairie. They would keep in the thicket while on the march, and only dis- cover themselves at a given signal. In this way, should the buffaloes allow time for the execution of the movement, we should be almost certain of securing the whole gang. As soon as Seguin had left me, I looked to my rifle and pistols, putting on a fresh set of caps. After that, having nothing else to occupy me, I remained seated in my saddle, eyeing the animals as they fed unconscious of danger. I \\;is full of anxiety lest some clumsy fellow might discover himself too soon, and thus spoil our anticipated sport. After a while I could see the birds flying up from the thicket ; and the screaming of the blue jay indicated to me the progress of the " surround." Now and then, an old bull, on the skirts of the herd, would toss up his shaggy mane, snuff ti\i wind, and strike the ground fiercely with his hoof; evidently laboring under a suspicion that all was not right. The others did not seem to heed these demonstrations^ but kept on quietly cropping the luxuriant grama,. A BUFFALO " SURROUND.* 1 259 I was thinking how nicely we were going to have them in the trap, when an object caught my eye, just emerging from the mottc. It was a buffalo calf, and I saw that it was pro- ceeding to join the gang. I thought it somewhat strange that it should be separated from the rest, for the calves, trained by their mothers to know the wolf, usually keep up with the herd. " It has stayed behind at the spring," thought I. " Per- haps the others pushed it from the water, and it could not drink until they were gone." I fancied that it moved clumsily, as if wounded ; but it was passing through the long grass, and I could not get a good view of it. There was a pack of coyotes (there always is) sneaking after the herd. These, perceiving the calf as it came out of the timber, made an instant and simultaneous attack upon it. I could see them skipping around it, and fancied I could hear their fierce snarling ; but the calf appeared to fight its way through the thick of them ; and after a short while, I saw it close in to its companions, where I lost sight of it among the others. "A game young bull," soliloquized I, and again I ran my eye around the skirting of the chapparal to watch how the hunters were getting forward with the " surround," I could perceive the Hashing of brilliant wings over the bramble, and hear the shrill voices of the jay-birds. Judging by these, I concluded that the men were moving slowly enough. It \\as half an hour since Seguin had left me, and I could perceive that they were not half-way round as yet. I began to make calculations as to how long I would have to wait, soliloquizing as follows : " Diameter of the prairie, a mile and a half. It is a circle three times that : four miles and a half. Phew ! I shall not hear the signal in much less than an hour. I must be 260 THK SCAI.P-Ht'N'TKKS. patient then, and what! The brutes arc lying down! Good ! There is no danger now of their making oil. We shall have rare sport ! One. two, three. >i\ of them down ! It must be the heat and the water. They have drunk two much. '1 he another. Lucky de\ ils ! They have nothing else to do but eat and sleep, while I - No. Kight down! Well ! I hope soon to eat, too. What an odd \\.iy they have of coming to the ground! I low dilTerent from anything of the bovine tribe I ha-. >-d ! 1 have never sei-n huff aloes " quieting " down before. One would think that they were falling as if shot ! Two more alongside the rest ! They will soon be all upon the turf. So much the better. We can gallop up before they git to their feet again. Oh. that 1 could hear that horn ! " And thus 1 went on rambling from thought to thought, and listening for the signal, although I knew that it could not be given for some time yet. The buffaloes kept moving slowly onward, browsing as they went, and continuing to lie down one after another. I thought it strange, their stretching themselves thus succes- sively ; but I had observed farm cattle do the same, and I was at that time but little acquainted with the habits of the buffalo. Some of them appeared to toss about on the ground and kick violently. I had heard of a peculiarity of these animals, termed " wallowing." (> They are at it," thought I. I wished much to have a clearer view of this curious exef but the high grass prevented me. I could only see their shaggy shoulders, and, occasionally their hoofs kicking up over the sward. I watched their movements with great interest, now feeling secure that the " surround " would be complete before they would think of rising. At length the last one of the gang followed the example of his companions, and dropped over. A iLO " Sl'KK They we; .ill upon their sides, half buried in the bin 1 .' l lie calf still > but at that moment the bi and a simultan- cheer bn>i .inc. I pressed the spur to my horse's Hank, and d into the open plain. Fifty others had done as they shot out of the thicket. With my reins rei n my left finders, and my rille thrown ( .Hoped forward, rilled with the wild eitement that such an adventure impart and ready, resolved upon having the fi; It was but a short distance from \\hciv 1 had stai ted to the nearest buffalo. I was soon within range, my horse li, like an arrow. Is the animal asleep? 1 am within ten paces of him, and still he stirs n.,t ! 1 \\ill liie at him as lie ': I iaised my rifle, leveled it, and \\as about to pull ti \\hen something red gleamed before im blood! I lowered tiie piece with a feeliii i or, and menced dragging upon the rein ; but. befor I pull up, I was carried into the the midst of the prostrate herd. 1 . my horse suddenly ^topped, and I sat in my saddle as if spell- bound. 1 was under the inlluence of a superstitious awe. Ulood was !>- fore :m arid around me. Turn which way I would, my eye rested upon 1>1< My comrades closed in. yelling as the \ but their yelling suddenly ceased, and one by one n-ined up. done, with looks of consternation and won< ; It was not strange, at such a si^ht. Ik-fore us lay the bodies of the buffaloes. They were all ; Apac/ies only ; for as my eye wandered along the outlines of the piece, I saw that there were many other columns in that terrible register 1 it// CHAPTER XXXII. ANOTHER "COUP." SHOT ringing in ears caused me to draw my attention from the pr< . of the earless trapper. As I turned 1 saw a blue cloud floating away over the prairie, but I could not tell at what the shot had been fned. Thirty or forty of the hunters, surrounded the ;/.v//,', and. halted, were sitting in their saddles in a kind of irregular circle. They were still at some distance from the timber, as if keeping out of arrow-range. They held their guns crosswise, and were shouting to one another. It was improbable that the savage v, as alone; doubtless there were some of his companions in the thicket. There 265 266 THK SCAU'-HUXTKRS. could not be many, however, for the underwood was not large enough to conceal more than a dozen bodies, and the keen eyes of the hunters were piercing it in every direction. They reminded me of so many huntsmen in a gorse wait- ing the game to be sprung ; but here, Oh God ! the game human. It was a terrible spectacle. I looked towards Seguin, thinking that he might interfere to prevent the barbarous battue. He noticed my inquiring glance, and turned his face from me. I fancied that he felt ashamed of the work in which his followers were engaged ; but the killing, or capture, of whatever Indians might be in the motte had now become a necessary measure, and I knew that any remonstrance of mine would be disregarded. As for the men themselves, they would have laughed at it. This was their pastime, their profession ; and I am certain that, at that moment, their feel- ings were not very different from those which would have actuated them had they been driving a bear from his den. They were, perhaps, a trifle more intense ; certainly not more inclined towards mercy. I reined up my hcrse, and awaited with painful emotion? the tieaoncmcnt of this savage drama. rti, h'liuiitcs ' What did you see ? " inquired one of the Mexka:.: appealing to Barney. I saw by this that it was the Irishman who had fired the shot. " A rid-skin, by japers ! " replied the latter. " YVarn't it yer own shadder ye sighted in the water ? " cried a hunter, jeeringly. " Maybe it was the divil, Barney ? " " In trath, frinds, I saw a somethin' that looked mighty like him, and I kilt it too." " Ha 1 ha ! Barney has killed the devil. Ha ! ha ! " " YYagh ! " exclaimed a trapper, spurring his horse toward the thicket ; " the fool saw nothin'. I'll chance it, anyhow*" ANOTHER "COUP." 267 " Stop, comrade ! " cried the hunter Garey ; " let's take a safer plan. Redhead's right. Thar's Injuns in them bushes, whether he seen it or not ; that skunk warn't by him- self, I reckin ; try this-a-way ! " The young trapper dismounted, and turned his horse broad- side to the bushes. Keeping on the outside, he commenced walking the animal in a spiral ring that gradually closed in upon the clump. In this way his body was screened ; and his head />nly could be seen above the pommel of his saddle, over which he rested his rifle, cocked and ready. Several others, observing this movement on the part of Garey, dismounted, and followed his example. A deep silence prevailed as they narrowed the diameters of their circling courses. In a short time they were close in to the motte, yet still no arrow whizzed out. Was there no one there ? So it seemed ; and the men pushed fearlessly into the thicket. I watched all this with excited feelings. I began to hope there was no one in the bushes. I listened to every sound ; I heard the snapping of the twigs and the muttering of the men. There was a moment's silence as they pushed eagerly forward. Then I heard a sudden exclamation, and a voice calling out " Dead red-skin ! Hurrah for Barney ! " " Barney's bullet through him, by the holies ! " cried an- other. " Hilloa, old sky-blue ! Come hyar and see what ye've done ! " The rest of the hunters, along with the ci-iicrant soldier, now rode forward to the copse. I moved slowly after. On coming up, I saw them dragging the body of an Indian into the open ground : a naked savage, like the other. He was dead, and they were preparing to scalp him. " Come now, Barney 1 " cried one of the men in a joking 268 TIIK SCA1.P-HUXTERS. mannr". "the h ;r'n. Why don't ye off \vid it, man ?" "It's me: say?" asked Barney, appealing to the speaker. " Sartinly ; you killed him. It's your'n by right." An' i:-, it raaly worth iifty dollars ? " ( roi "i as wheat for that.'' ' \Yould yez be so frinclly, thin, as to cut it atT for me ? " ( >h ! sartinly, with all the plizyer of life," replied the hunter, imitating Barney's accent, at the same time seveiing the seal]), and handing it to him. Barney took the hideous trophy., and I fancy that he did not feel very proud of it. Poor Celt ! he may have been guilty of many a breach in the laws of garrison discipline, but it was evident that this was his first lesson in the letting of human b! The. 1 hunters new dismounted, and commenced trampling the thirl. i 1 thr tugh and through. The search was most minute, for there was still a mystery. An extra bow that is to say, a third had been found, with its quiver of arrows. \Y!i '.he owner? Could he have escaped from the : liile the men were engaged around the fallen buffa- loes? Me might, though it was barely probable: but the hunters knew that these savages run more like wild animals, like hares, than human beings, and he might have escaped .to the chapparal. ' If that Injun has got clar," said Garey. " \ve've no time to lose in skinnin' them bufflers. Thar's plenty o' his tribe not twenty miles from hyar, I calc'late." " Look down among the willows there ! " cried the voice of the chief; " close down to the water." There was a pool. It was turbid and trampled around the edges with buffalo tracks. On one .side it was deep. Here willows dropped over and hung into the water. Several men ANOTHER " COUP." 269 pressed into this side, and commenced sounding the bottom with their lances and the butts of their rifles. Old Rube had come up among the rest, and was drawing the stopper of his powder-horn with his teeth, apparently with the intention of reloading. His small dark eyes were scintillating every way at once : above, around him, and into the water. A -uddeii thought seemed to enter his head. I saw him push back the plug, grasp the Irishman, who was nearest him, by the arm, and mutter, in a low and hurried voirr, >l-!y ! i?arnL-y ! gi' us yur gun : quick, man. quick! " Harney. at this earnest solicitation, immediately .surren- dered his piece, taking the empty rifle that was thrust into his hand by the trapper. Rube eagerly grasped the musket, and stood for a moment as if he was about to fire at some object in the pond. Sud- denly he jerked his body round, and, poising the gun up- ward, fired into the thick folia, A shrill scream followed ; a heavy body came crashing through the branches, and struck the ground at my feet, in drops sparkled into my eyes, causing me to wince. it was blood ! I was blinded with it ; I rubbed my eyes to clear them. I heard men rushing from all parts of the thicket, \Yhen I could see again, a waked savage was just disappear- ing through the leaves. Missed him, by gosh ! " cried the trapper. ' To the devil wi' yur sodger gun ! " he added, flinging down the musket, and rushing after with his drawn knife. I followed among the rest. I heard several shots as we scrambled through the brushwood. When I had got to the outer edge I could see the Indian still on his feet, and running with the speed of an antelope. i If. did not keep in a direct line, but zigzag, leaping from side to side, in order to baffle the aim of his pursuers, whose 270 THE SCALP-HUNTERS. rifles were all the time- ringing behind him. As yet none of their bullets had taken effect, at least so as to cripple him. There was a streak of blood visible on his brown body, but the wound, wherever it was, did not seem to hinder him in his flight. I thought there could be no chance of his escape, and I had no intention of emptying my gun at such a mark. I re- mained, therefore, among the bushes, screening myself be- hind the leaves and watching the chase. Some of the hunters continued to follow him on foot, while the more cunning ones rushed back for their horses. These happened to be all on the opposite side of the thicket with one exception, and that was the mare of the trapper Rube. She was browsing where Rube had dismounted, out among the slaughtered buffaloes, and directly in the line of the chase. As the savage approached her, a sudden thought seemed to strike him, and, diverging slightly from his course, he plucked up the picket-pin, coiled the lasso with the dexterity of a gaucho, and sprang upon the animal's back. It was a well-conceived idea, but unfortunate for the Indian. He had scarcely touched the saddle when a pecul- iar shout was heard above all other sounds. It was a call uttered in the voice of the earless trapper. The mustang recognized it ; and, instead of running forward obedient to the guidance of her rider, she wheeled suddenly and came galloping back. At this moment a shot fired at the savage scorched her hip, and, setting back her ears, she commenced squealing and kicking so violently that all her feet seemed c in the air at the same time. The Indian now endeavored to fling himself from the saddle ; but the alternate plunging of the fore and hind quarters kept him for some moments tossing in a sort of balance. He was at length pitched outward, and fell to the "COUP." ground upon his back. Ik-fore lie could recover himself a Mexican had ridden up. and with his long lance pinned him to the earth. A scene of swearing followed, in which Rube played the principal character; in fact, had "the stage to himself." u Soclger guns " were .sent to perdition ; and as the old trapper was an-i\ about the wound which his mare had leceived, " crook-eyed greenhorns " came in for a. share of his anathe- mas. The mustang, howevei had sustained, no serious dam- age ; and after this was ascertained the emphatic ebullitions of her master's anger subsided into a low growling, and then ceased altogether. As there appeared no ' sign " that there were other savages in the neighborhood, the next concern of the hunteis was to satisfy their hunger. Fir* -^oon kindled, and a plen- teous repast of bult'a!<> meat produced the desired effect. After the meal was ended a consultation was held. It was agreed that we should move for\var4 to the old mission, which was known to be not over ten mile> distant. We could there defend ourselves in case of an attack from the tribe of Coyoteros, to which the three savages belonged. It was feared by all that these might strike our trail, and come up with us before we could take our departure from the ruin. The buffaloes were speedily skinned and packed, and tak- ing a westerly course, we journeyed on to the mission. Mexican Tortoise and Rattlesnake CHAl'TKK XXXIII. A ItriTKk TRAP. E reached the ruin a little after sunset. \Ye frightened the owl and the wolf, and made our bivouac amon nit \\ith almost every noted author. He I ved only, when 1 wished him to talk of himself. tin during these days was taciturn and lonely. He took but little heed of what was going on around him. lie ,ied to be suffering from impatience, as every now and then he paid a visit to the tasajo. HI '. many hours upon the adjacent heights, looking anxiously towards the east : that point whence our spies \\ould ( < me in from the Pifion. There was an azstc>s of objects, the apparent propinquity of mountains th.it I know to be distant, and the sharp of their out'. .inst the sky. 1 can perceive it in the ^treme heat, in the buoyancy of my blood and the lighter j,la) of my lungs. Ah ! this is the home for theheu.. and the hollow t;. e. Would that nations would know t The air is vaporless and rilled with the milky moonlight, t ye rests upon curious objects : upon forms of vegeta- tion peculiar to the soil. They interest me with their new- ness, ruder the \\hite light, I see the lanceolate leaves of the yucca, the tall columns of the pitahaya, and the jaggy frondage of the cochineal cactus. Theie ,ue sounds upon the air, the noises of the camp, of men and animals ; but, thank heaven ! I can only hear their distant hum. There is another voice more pleasing to my ear. It is the song of the mocking-bird ; the nightingale of the western world. lie. pours his mimic notes from the top of an adjacent tree : he is tilling the air with his dulcet melody. The moon is over all, and I watch her in her upward course. There is a thought within me which she seems to rule: love 1 How often have poets sung of her power over the gentle A BITTER TRAP. 275 passion ! With them it was only a far ireful expres- sion ; but in all times, and in all clinics, it has been a belief. Whence comes this belief? Has it not been communicated in the whisperings of a God ; the same whisperings that tell us of His own existence? May not it be a truth? May not mind in the end prove to be the matter, electric fluid ? If Ahy not influenced by the silent moon ? Why not have its tides, as well as the air and the ocean ? It ;s hard to yield up our college metaphysics ; to behold the worshiped men of our wrangling days, Stewart, Hi own, Ice, Mill, and him of my own name, brtoinr < 1 un- der modern lijjht ; to see tin ir elaborate structure, like an in- verted pyramid, about to tumble down x on which it so long balanced itself turns out to be a false foun- dation. It is sad to look upon shelves filled with ponderous tomes, the very existence of which only proves that our fathers were our children, as we in our time must become the chil- dren of our descendants. It is sad to think that so many profound philosophers shall one day receive credit only for their hair-splitting ingenuity. So shall it be. I followed this train of thought as I lay drinking in the milky essence of the moon. I dwelt on the scenes suggested by the ruins around me : the deeds and the misdeeds of cowled padre's and their sandaled serfs. Thoughts of these were in my mind, tinging my spirit with the romance of the antiqu?, but they did not long remain objects of reflection. I wandered over them and returned again to think of that fair being so lately loved and left : Zoe, beautiful Zoe 1 Of her I had many thoughts. Was she thinking of me at the moment ? Was she pained by my absence ? Did she watch for my return ? Were her eyes bedewed as she looked from the lonely terrace ? My heart answered " Yes." with proud and happy pulsa- tions. 2/6 THE SCALP-HUNTERS. The horrid scones T was now enduring for her .sake, how long until they would be over ? Days, many days, I feared. I love adventure : my life has been its sport ; but such as this was ! I had not yet committed crime, though I had countenanced its committal by the necessity under which I had placed myself. How long before this necessity might force me into the enacting of deeds dark as those of the men who surrounded me ? In the program placed before me by Seguin, 1 had not bargained for such wanton cruelties as I was now compelled to witness. It was not the time to look back, but forward, mid perhaps over other scenes of blood and brutality, to that happier hour, when I should have redeemed my promise and won the prixe. beautiful Zoe. ****** My reverie was interrupted. I heard voices and footsteps : they were approaching the spot where I lay. I could see that there were two men engaged in an earnest conversation. They did in>t notice me, as I was behind some fragments of the broken parapet, and in the shadow. As they drew nearer 1 recognized the patois of my Canadian follower, and that of his companion was not to be mistaken. The brogue was Barney's, beyond a doubt. These worthies, I had lately noticed, had become " as thick as two thieves," and. Were much in each other's com- pany. Some act of kindness had endeared the " infantry " to his more astute and experienced associate, who had taken him under " his patronage and protection." I was vexed at the intrusion ; but prompted by some im- pulse of curiosity, I lay still and listened. Barney was speaking as they approached. "In trath, Mist her (iowdey, an' itsmeself 'ud go far this blissed night for a dhrap o' the crayter. 1 noticed the little kig afore ; but divil resave me av I thought it was anythin* A BITTER TRAP. 277 barrin' ccnvlrl \va!er. Yistment ! only think o' the n\vld Dutch sinner bringin 1 a whole kig \vicl 'im, an' keepin' it all to himself. Yez are sure now it's the stuff ? " "Oui! oui ! C'est liqueur ! tiiiarJientc" " Agwardenty ye say, div yc ? '' " Oui ! cYst vr;ii. Monsieur Ilarney. I have him smell, ver many time. It is of stink tres fort : cussed strong ! t res good I " Molding Sun-dried Brick for Adobd House. " But why cudn't ye stale it yerself ? Yez know exactly where the doctor keeps it, an' ye might get at it a hape handier than I can." " Pourquois, Barney ? pecause, nion ami, I help pack les possibles of Monsieur le Docteur. Pardieu ! he would me suspect." " I clon't see the raizon clear. He may suspect ye at all evints. How thin ? " 278 THE SCALP-HUNTERS. "Ah! then, n'importe. I sail make von grand swear, No! I sail have ver clear conscience then." " Be the powers ! we must get the licker anyhow ; av r/>/( won't, Misther Gowdey, /will ; that's said, isn't it ? " " Oui ! Tres bien ! " " \\'ell, thin, now or niver's the time. The ould fellow's just walked out, for I saw him me.self. This is a nate place to drink it in. Come an' show me where he keeps it; and, by St. Patrick ! I'm yer man to hook it." " Tres bien ! aliens! Monsieur Barney, allons 1 " Unintelligible as this conversation may appear. T under- stood every word of it. The naturalist had brought among his packs a small kr- of ,r^>:,u\Ucnii\ mcxcal spiiits, for the purpose of preserving any new species of the lizard or snake tribe he should chance to fall in with. What I heard then was neither more or less than a plot to steal the keg and its contents ! My first impulse was to leap up and stop them in their de- sign, as well as administer a salutary rebuke to my voyageur and his red-haired companion : but a moment's reflection convinced me that they could be better punished in another way. I would leave them to punish themselves. I remembered that some days previous to our reaching the Ojo de Vaca, the doctor had captured a snake of the adder kind, two or three species of lizards, and a hideous-looking animal called, in hunter phraseology, the horned frog : the agama cornuta of Texas and Mexico. These he had im- mersed in the spirit for preservation. I had observed him do so, and it was evident that neither my Frenchman nor the Irishman had any idea of this. I adopted the resolution, therefore, to let them drink a full bumper of the " pickle" be- fore I should interfere. Knowing that they would soon return. I remained where I was. A BITTER TRAP. I had not long to wait upon them. In a few minutes they came up, Barney carrying what I knew to be the devoted keg. They sat down close to where I lay, and prizing out the bung, filled the liquor into their tin cups, and commenced imbibing. A drouthier pair of mortals could not have been found anywhere ; and at the first draught, each emptied his cup to the bottom 1 " It has a quare taste, hasn't it? " said Barney, after he had taken the vessel from his lips. "Oui 1 c'est vrai, monsieur 1 " What dev ye think it is ? " " Je ne sais quoi. It smells like one cussed one infernal ' Is it fish ye mane? " Oui ! like one dam feesh : un bouquet tries bizarre Fichtre 1 " " I suppose it's something that the Mexicans had drapped in to give the agwardenty a rlayver. It's mighty strong any- how. It 's nothing the worse av that ; but it 'ud be sorry drinkin' alongside a nate dimrrryjan of Irish patyeen. Och ! mother av Moses ! but that's the raal bayvaridge ! " Here the Irishman shook his head to express with more emphasis his admiration of the " native " whisk)-. " Well, Misther Gowdey," continued he, " whisky's whisky at any rate : and if we can't get the butthcr, it's no raison \ve should refuse the brid ; so I'll thank ye for another small thrifie out of the kig," and the speaker held out his tin ves- sel to be replenished. Code lifted the keg, and emptied more of its contents into their cups. " Mon Dieu ! what is dis in my cops ? " exclaimed he, after a draught. 280 THE SCALP-HUXTF.KS. "Fwhatisit? Let inc. see. That! Be my sow! ! that's a quare-looking rraytrr anyhow." " Parbleu ! it is von dam Texan, von fr-r-og ! IXu is de clurn feesh \ve smell stink. O\vah ah ah ! " ''Oh! holy mother ! if here isn't another in moine ! By japers ! it's a scurpion li/ard ! ! loach \varli!" "()\v -ah ah a '. Mou Dien! Oach ach 1 I)ial)le! () ach ach o oa a ach!" " Tare-an-ages I Ho- ach! the owld doctor has -~oach ack ack ! Blessed Yargin ! I la ho hoh ack ! 1'oi- son ! j)oison ! And the brace of revelers went staggering over the azotea, delivering their stomachs, and ejaculating in extreme terror, as the thought struck them that there might he poison in the pickle ! I had risen to my feet, and \vas enjoying the joke in loud laughter. This and the exclamations of the men brought a crowd of hunters up to the roof, who, as soon as they per- ceived what had happened, joined in, and made the ruin ring with their wild peals. The doctor, who had come up among the rest, was not so well satisfied with the occurrence. After a short search. however, the lizards were found and returned to the keg, which still contained enough of the spirit for his purposes. It was not likely to he disturbed again, even by the thirstiest hunter in the band. (TIAPTF.R XXXIV. THK PHANTOM CITY. N the morning of the- fourth clay our spies rame in. ;mcl reported that the NavajoLS had taken the sttnt/ifrn trail. They had re turned to the spring on the second day after our leaving it, and thence had followed the guiding of the arrows. It was Dacoma's band; in all about three hundred warriors. Nothing remained for us now but to pack up as quickly as possible, and pursue our march to the north. In an hour we were in our saddles, and following the rocky banks of the San Pedro. A long day's journey brought us to the desolate valley of the Gila. upon whose waters we encamped for the night. We slept near the celebrated ruins, the second resting-place of the migrating Aztecs. With the exception of the botanist, the Coco chief, myself, and perhaps Seguin, no one in the band seemed to trouble himself about these interesting antiquities. The " sign " of grizzly bears, that was discovered upon the mud bottom, gave the hunters far more concern than the broken pottery and its painted hieroglyphics. Two of these animals were discovered near the camp, and a fierce battle ensued, in which one of tin- Mexicans nearly lost his life, escaping only 3*1 282 THE SCALl'-IIUXTKRS. after most of the skin had been clawed from his head and neck. The bears themselves were killed, and made part of our suppers. Our next day's march lay up the Gila, to the mouth of the San Carlos river, where we again halted for the night. The San Carlos runs in from the north ; and Seguin had resolved to travel up this stream for a hundred miles or so, and after- wards strike eastward lathe country of the Navajoes. \Yhen this determination was made known, a spirit of dis- content showed itself among the men, and mutinous -whis- perings were heard on all sides. Shortly after we halted, however, several of them strayed up the banks of the stream, and gathered some grains of gold out of its bed. Indications of the precious metal, the (juL\a. known among the Mexicans as the "gold mother," were also found among the rocks. There were miners in the band, who knew it well, and this served to satisfy them. There was no more talk of keeping on to the Prieto. Per- haps the San Carlos might prove equally rich. Rumor had also given it the title of a " golden river " ; at all events, the expedition must cross the head waters of the Prieto in its journey eastward ; and this prospect had the effect of quiet- ing the mutineers, at least for the time. There was another influence ; the character of Seguin. There was no single individual in the band who cared to cross him on slight grounds. They knew him too well for that ; and though few of these men set high value on their lives, when they believe themselves, according to " mountain 1 in the right, yet they knew that to delay the expedition for the purpose of gathering gold was neither according to their compact with him nor agreeable to his wishes. Not a few of the band, moreover, were actuated by motives similar to those felt by Seguin himself, and these were equally desirous, of, pushing on to the Nayajo towus. PHANTOM CI . 283 Still another consideration had its influence upon the ma- jority. The party of Dacoma \vould be on our track as soon as they had returned from the Apache' trail. We had, there- fore, no time to waste in gold-hunting, and the simplest of the scalp-hunters knew this. By daybreak we were again on the march, and riding up the banks of the San Carlos. \Ye had now entered the great desert which stretches north- ward from the Gila away to the head waters of the Colorado. We entered it without a guide, for not one of the band had ever traversed these unknown regions. Even Rube knew nothing about this part of the country. \Ye were without compass too, but this we heeded not. There were few in the band who could not point to the north or the south within the variation of a degree : few of them but could, night or day, tell by the heavens within ten minutes of the true time. dive them but a clear sky, with the " signs " of the trees and rocks, and they needed neither compass nor chronom- eter. A life spent beneath the blue heaven of the prairie- uplands and the mountain " parks," where a roof rarely ob- structed their view of the azure vaults, had made astrono- mers of these reckless rovers. Of such accomplishments was their education, drawn from many a perilous experience. To me their knowledge of such things seemed " instinct." But we had a guide as to our direction, unerring as the magnetic needle : we were traversing the region of the " polar plant," the planes of whose leaves, at almost every step, pointed out our meridian. It grew upon our track, and was crushed under the hoofs of our horses as we rode onward. For several days we traveled northward through a coun- try of strange-looking mountains, whose tops shot heaven- ward in fantastic forms and groupings. At one time we saw semi-globular shapes like the domes of churches ; at another, 284 THE SCALP- HUNTERS. Gothic turrets rose before us; and the next opening brought in view sharp needle-pointed peaks, shooting upward into the blue sky. We saw columnar forms supporting others that lay horizontally ; vast boulders of trap-rock, suggesting the idea of some antediluvian ruin, some temple of gigantic Druids ! Along with singularity of formation was the most brilliant coloring. There were stratified rocks, red, white, green, and yellow, as vivid in their hues as if freshly touched from the palette of the painter. No smoke had tarnished them since they had been flung up from their subterranean beds. No cloud draped their naked outlines. It was not a land of clouds, for as we journeyed amongst them we saw not a speck in the heavens ; nothing above us but the blue and limitless ether. I remembered the remarks of Seguin. There was something inspiriting in the sight of these bright mountains ; something life-like, that prevented us from feeling the extreme and real desolation by which we were surrounded. At times we could not help fancying that we were in a thickly populated country ; a country of vast wealth and civilization, as appeared from its architectural grandeur. Yet in reality we were journeying through the wildest of earth's dominions, where no human foot ever trod excepting such as wear the moccasin ; the region of the " wolf " Apache and the wretched Yamparico. We traveled up the banks of the river, and here and there, at our halting-places, searching for the shining metal. It could be found only in small quantities, and the hunters be- gan to talk loudly of the Prieto. There, according to them, the yellow gold lay in i< lumps." On the fourth day after leaving the Gila, we came to a place where the San Carlos canoned through a high sierra. Here we halted for the night. When morning came, we Till-; PHANTOM CITY. 285 found \ve could follow the river no farther without clini' over the mountain ; and Seguin announced his intention of leaving it and striking eastward. The hunters responded te this declaration with a joyous hurrah. The golden vision was again before them. We remained at the San Carlos until after the noon heat, recruiting our horses by the stream ; then mounting, we rode forward into the plain. It was our intention to travel all night, or until we reached water, as we knew that without this, halting would be useless. We had not ridden far until we saw that a fearful " Jornada " was before us ; one of those dreaded " stretches " without grass, wood, or water. Ahead of us we could see a low range of mountains trending from north to south, and beyond these, another range still higher than the first. On the farther range there were snowy summits. We saw that they were distinct chains, and that the more distant was of great elevation. This we knew from the appearance upon its peaks of the " eternal snow." We knew, moreover, that at the foot of the snowy range we should find water, perhaps the river we were in search of ; but the distance was immense. If we did not find it at the nearer sierra, we should have an adventure : the danger of perishing from thirst. Such was the prospect. We rode on over the arid soil ; over plains of lava and cut-rock that wounded the hoofs of our horses, laming many. There was no vegetation around us except the sickly green of the artemisia, or the fetid foliage of the creosote plant. There was no living thing to be seen save the brown and hideous lizard, the rattlesnake, and the desert crickets that crawled in myriads along the parched ground, and were crunched under the hoofs of our animals. " Water ! " was the word that began to be uttered in several languages. " Water 1 " cried the choking trapper. 286 THE SCALP-HUNTKRS. "L'eau! " ejaculated the Canadian. " Agua ! agua ! " shouted the Mexican. We wer" not twenty miles from the San Carlos before our gourd c;< vere as dry as a shingle. The dust of the plains and the hot atmosphere had created unusual thirst, and we had soon emptied them. We had started late in the afternoon. At sundown the mountains ahead of us did not seem a single mile nearer. We traveled all night, and when the sun rose again we were still a good distance from them. Such is the illusory char- acter of this elevated and crystal atmosphere. The men mumbled as they talked. They held in their mouths leaden bullets and pebbles of obsidian, which they chewed with a desperate fierceness. It was some time after sunrise when we arrived at the mountain foot. To our consternation, no water could be found ! The mountains were a range of dry rocks, so parched-like and barren that even the creosote bush could not find nour- ishment along their sides. They were as naked of vegeta- tion as when the volcanic fires first heaved them into the light. Parties scattered in all directions, and went up the ravines ; but after a long while spent in fruitless wandering, we abandoned the search in despair. There was a pass that appeared to lead through the range ; and entering this, we rode forward in silence and with gloomy thoughts. We soon debouched on the other side, when a scene of singular character burst upon our view. A plain lay before us, hemmed in on all sides by high mountains. On its farther edge was the snowy ridge, with stupendous cliffs rising vertically from the plain, towering thousands of feet in height. Dark rocks seemed piled upon THE PHANTOM CITY. 28/ each other, higher and higher, until they became buried under robes of the spotless snow. But that which appeared most singular was the surface of the plain. It was covered with a mantle of virgin whiteness apparently of snow ; and yet the more elevated spot from which we viewed it was naked, with a hot sun shining upon it. What we saw in the valley, then, amid not be stu As I gazed over the monotonous surface of this plain, and then looked upon the chaotic mountains that walled it in, my mind became impressed with ideas of coldness and des- olation. It seemed as if everything was dead around us, and Nature was laid out in her winding-sheet. I saw that my companions experienced similar feelings, but no one spoke ; and we commenced riding down the pass that led into this singular valley. As far as we could see there was no prospect of water on the plain ; but what else could. we do than cross it? On its most distant border, along the base of the snowy mountains, we thought we could distinguish a black line, like that of timber, and for this point we directed our march. On reaching the plain, what had appeared like snow proved to be soda. A deep incrustation of this lay upon the ground, enough to satisfy the wants of the whole human rare ; yet there it lay, and no hand had ever stooped to gather it. Three or four rocky buttes were in our way, near the de- bouchure of the pass. As we rounded them, getting farther out into the plain, a wide gap began to unfold itself, opening through the mountains beyond. Through this gap the sun's rays were streaming ii\, throwing a band of \ellow light across one end of the valley. In this the crystals of the soda, stirred up by the breeze, appeared floating in myriads. As we descended, I observed that objects began to as- a very different aspect from what they had exhibited 288 THE scAi.r-nr\TERS. from above. A-; if by cm hantmcnt. the cold snowy surface all , iisappcared. (Irccn fields lay before us, and tall trees sprang up. covered with a thick and verdant fron- " Cotton-woods ! " cried a hunter, as his eye rested on these still distant groves. "Tall saplins at that \vagh ! " ejaculated another. Water tliar, fellers, I reckin ! " remarked a third. " Yes, siree ! Ver don't see such sprouts as them growin' out o' a dry paraira. Look ! hilloa 1 " ' l'>v gollics, yonder's a house 1 " A house ? One, two, three 1 A house ? Thar's a whole to\\n, if thar's a single shanty. Gee! Jim, look yonder! Wagh ! " I was riding in front with Seguin, the rest of the band strung out behind us. I had been for some time gazing upon the ground, in a sort of abstraction, looking at the : now-white efflorescence, and listening to the crunching of my horse's hoofs through its icy incrustation. These ex- clamatory phrases caused me to raise my eyes. The sight that met them was one that made me rein up with a sudden jerk. Seguin had done the same, and I saw that the whole band had halted with a similar impulse. We had just cleared one of the buttes that had hitherto obstructed our view of the great gap. This was now directly in front of us ; and along its base, on the southern side, rose the walls and battlements of a city ; a vast city, judging from its distance and the colossal appearance of its architec- ture. We could trace the columns of temples, and doors, and gates, and windows, and balconies, and parapets and spires. There were many towers rising high over the roofs, and in the middle was a temple-like structure, with its mas- sive dome towering far above all the others. I Ipoked upon this sudden apparition with a feeling of in- Tin rv, credulity. It was ;i dream, an imagin.. I la ! it was the mir. No ! The mirage could ; i such a ture. There were the roofs, and chimneys, and walls, and windows. There were the parapets of fortified houses, with their regular notches and embrasures. U /nty. It YVas it the C'ibolo of nish padre? Was it that city of - .'nd burr the story of the wandering pri \Yho had proved it a fable? \Yh<> had i.etratcd I country in which the < tic represented the golden of Cibolo to exist ? I saw that Seguin was pux/led, dismayed, as well . self. Me knew nothing of this land. He had never wit- nessed a mirage like that. For some time we sat in our saddles, influenced by .strange emotions. Shall we go forward ? Yes ! \\V must reach water. \Ye are dying of thirst ; and, impelled by thi>. spur onward. \Ve had ridden only a few paces farther when the hunters uttered a sudden and simultaneous cry. A nev. object of terror was before i .g the mountain appeared a string of dark forms. imnintei! men .' YVe dragged our horses to their haunches, our whole line halting as one man. " Injuns ! " was the exclamation of " Indians they must be.'' muttered Seguin. " There are no others here. Indians ! Xo ! There never were such as them. they are not men ! Look ! their h horses, their long guns: they arc giante ! Ky Heaven!" continued he, after a moment's pause, ' they are bodil. Tney arc pkantoi> ; The; \rlamai ions of terror from the hunters behind 290 THE SCALP-HUNTERS. \\Vre these the inh.i' i tin- city ? There was a. striking proportion in the horses and the horsemen. For a moment I was awc-strurk like the rest. Only a moment. A sudden memory Hashed upon me. I thought of the Hart/ Mountains and their demons. 1 knew that the phenomenon before us could be no other ; an optieal delu- sion ; a creation of the mi: I raised my hand above my head. The foremost of the giants imitated the motion. I put spurs to my horse and galloped forward. So did he, as if to meet me. After a 1 :w springs I had passed the re- fracting angle, and, like a thought, the shadowy giants van- ished into air. The men had ridden forward after me, and having also passed the angle of refraction, saw no more of the phantom hosts. The city, too, had disappeared ; but we could trace the outlines of many a singular formation in the trap-rock strata that traversed the edge of the valley. The tall groves were no longer to be seen ; but a low belt of green willows, real will ! be distinguished along the foot of the mountain within the gap. I'nder their foliage there was something that sparkled in the sun like sheets of silver. // aw water/" It was a branch of the Prieto. Our horses neighed at the sight ; and, shortly after, we had alighted upon it.; banks, and were kneeling before the sweet spirit of the stream. Apaches Lassoing Wild CHAPTER XXXV. THE MOKNTAIX OF COLD. KTKR so fatigu- inarch, it to make a long- er halt than usual. We d 1>\ the arroyo all that day and the following night. Jiut the hunters longed tu drink from the Prieto itself ; and the next morning we drew our pick- ets, and rode in the direction of that river. By noon we were upon its banks. A singular river it was, running through a region of bleak, barren, and desolate mountains. Through these the stream had forged its way by numerous canons, and, rushed along a channel at most places inaccessible. It was a black and gloomy river. Where were its sands of gold ? After riding for some distance along its banks, we halted at a point where its bed could be reached.. The hunters, disregarding all else, clambered eagerly over the steep bluffs, 291 THE SCALP-HUNTERS. and descended to the water. They hardly stayed to drink. They crawled through narrow interstices, between detached masses of rock that had fallen from above. They lifted the liitid in their hands, and washed it in their cups ; they harn- .d the quartz rock with their tomahawks, and pounded it betwi Uones. Not a particle of the precious metal could be found. They must either have struck the river too high up, or else the Kl Dorado lay still farther to the north. Wet. v, muttering oaths and expressions of disappointment, they obeyed the signal to " march forward." We rocle up the stream, halting for the night at another '/c water was accessible to our animals, the hunters again searched for gold, and again found it not. Mutinous murmurs were now spoken aloud. The gold country l;\y below them ; they had no doubt of it. The chief took them by the San Carlos on purpose to disappoint them. He knew this would prevent delay. " He cared not for them. His own ends were all he wanted to accomplish. They might go back as poor as they had come, for aught he would never have so good a chance again." Such were their mutterings, embellished v/ith many an oath. Seguin either heard not or did not heed them. He was one of those characters who can patiently bear until a proper cue n may offer itself. He was fiery by nature, like all Creoles ; but time and trials had tempered him to that calmness and coolness that befitted the leader of such a band. When rouse.:! to action, he became what is styled in western phraseology a "Dangerous man; " and the scalp- hunters knew it. He heeded not their murmurings. Long before daybreak, we were once more in our saddles, and moving onward, still up the Prieto. We had observed fues at a distance during the night, and we knew that they weie at the villages of the " Club " Apache'. We wished to THE MOUNTAIN OP GOLD. 293 pass their country without being seen ; and it was our in- tention, \vhen daylight appeared, to ca-'licr among the rocks until the following night. As dawn advanced, we halted in a concealed ravine, whilst several of us climbed the hill to reconnoiter. We could the smoke rising over the distant villages ; but we had pa- them in the darkness, and. instead of remaining in cache, we continued on through a wide plain covered with savage and cactus plants. Mountains towered up on every side of us as we advanced. They rose directly from the plains, exhibit- ing the fantastic shapes which characterize them in those regions. Their stupendous precipices overlooked the bleak, barren tables frowning upon them in sublime silence. The plains themselves ran into the very bases of these cliffs. Water had surely washed them. These plateaux had once been the bed of an ancient ocean. I remembered Seguiivs theory of the inland s Shortly after sunrise, the trail we were following led us to an Indian crossing. Here we forded the stream with the intention of leaving it and hen vard. We halted our horses in the water, permitting them to drink freely. Some of the hunters, moving ahead of the rest, had climbed the high banks. We were attracted by their unusual exclamations. On looking upward, we perceived several of them st-.ndi;-g <>n ll-o tr>p of a hill, and pointing to the north in an earnest and excited manner. Could it be Indians ? '" What ' pushed forward. \ gold mountain ! a gold mountain ! " was the reply. \V spurred our horses hurriedly up the hill. On reaching its top, a strange sight met our gaze. Away to the north, and as far as the eye could see, an object glistened in the sun. It was a mountain, and along its sides, from base to summit, the rocks glittered with the bright semblance of 2Q4 THE SCALP-HUNTERS. gold ! A thousand jets danced in the sunbeams, dazzling the eye as it looked upon them. Was it a mountain of gold ? The men were in a frenzy of delight. This was the moun- tain so often discussed over the bivouac fires. Who of them had not heard of it, whether credulous or not ? It was no fable, then. There it was before them, in all its burning splendor. I turned to look at Seguin. His brow was bent. There was the expression of anxiety on his countenance. He understood the illusion ; so did the Maricopa ; so did Reich- ter. I knew it too. At a glance I had recognized the spark- ling scales of the seJenitc. Seguin saw that there was a difficulty before us. This dazzling hallucination lay far out of our course ; but it was evident that neither commands nor ' persuasion would be heeded now. The men were resolved upon reaching it. Some of them had already turned their horses' heads and were moving in that direction. Seguin ordered them back. A stormy altercation ensued : in short, a mutiny. In vain Seguin urged the necessity of our hastening for- ward to the town. In vain he represented the danger we were in of being overtaken by Dacoma's party, who by this time were upon our trail. In vain the Coco chief, the doc- tor, and myself, assured our uneducated companions that what they saw was but the glancing surface of a worthless rock. The men were obstinate. The sight, operating upon long cherished hopes, had intoxicated them. They had lost all reason. They were mad. " On then I " cried Seguin, making a desperate effort to restrain his passion. " On, madmen, and satisfy yourselves our lives may answer for your folly ! " and, so saying, he turned his horse and headed him for the shining beacon. The men rode after, uttering loud and joyful acclamations. THE MOUNTAIN OF GOLD. 2Q5 At the end of a long day's ride we reached the base of the mountain. The hunters leaped from their horses, and clambered up to the glittering rocks. They reached them. They broke them with their tomahawks and pistol-butts, and cleft them with their knives. They tore off the plates of mica and glassy selenite. They flung them at their feet abashed and mortified ; and, one after another, came back to the plain with looks of disappointment and chagrin. Not one of them said a word, as they climbed into their saddles, and rode sullenly after the chief. We had lost a day by this bootless journey ; but our con- solation lay in the belief, that our Indian pursuers following upon our trail would make the same detour. Our course now lay to the southwest ; but finding a spring not far from the foot of the mountain, we remained by it for the night. After another day's inarch in a southeasterly course, Rube recognized the profiles of the mountains. We were nearing the great town of the Navajoes. That night we encamped on a running water, a branch of the Pri'eto that headed to the eastward. A vast chasm be- tween two cliffs marked the course of the stream above us. The guide pointed into the gap, as we rode forward to our halting-place. " What is it, Rube ? " inquired Seguin. " 'Ee see that gully ahead o' us ? " " Yes ; what of it ? " " The town's thur." Indian Pearl and Shell Beads. CHAPTER XXXVI. NAVAJOA'. T was near evening of the next clay when v,' the foot of the sierra, at the debouchure of the canon. We could not follow the stream any farther, as there was no path by the channel. It would be n> to pass over the ridge that formed the southern jaw of the chasm. There was a plain trail among scrubby pines ; and, fol- lowing our guide, we commenced riding up the mountain. After ascending for an hour or so, by a fearful road along the very brink of the precipice, we climbed the crest of the ridge, and looked eastward. \\e had reached the goal of our journey. The town of the Xavajoes was before us! "Mi'/d/" Mifa el putbloi" " Thar's the town!" " Hurrah ! " were the exclamations that broke from the hunters. "Oh God! at last it is ! ' muttered Seguin, with n sin 296 NAYAJOA. 297 gular expression of countenance. ;> Oh, God be praised ! Hall, comrades ! halt ! '' Our reins were tightened, and we sat on our weary horses looking over the plain. A magnificent panorama, magnificent under any circumstances, lay 1 - ; but its interest \vas heightened by the peculiar circum under which we viewed it. \Ve are at the we an oblong valley, look- ing up it lengthwise. 1 1 i/. not a -callcy, though so called in the language of Spanish America, but a plain walled in on all sides by mountains. It is elliptical in form, the diameter of its foci being ten or twelve miles in length. Its shortest diameter is five or six. It has the surface of a green meadow, and its perfect level is unbroken by brake, bush, or hillock. It looks like some quiet lake transformed into an emerald. It is bisected by a line of silvery brightness that curves gracefully through its whole extent, marking the windings of a crystal stream. But the mountains ! What wild-looking mountains, partic- ularly those on the north side of the valley ! They are granite upheaved. Nature must have warred at the birth of these : the very sight of th .is t lie throes of a troubled planet. Huge rocks hang over, only half resting upon fearful precipices ; vast boulders that seem as though the touch of a feather would cause them to topple clown. Grim chasms open into deep, dark defiles, that lie silent, and solemn, and frowning. Here and there, stunted trees, the cedar and pinon, hang horizontally out, clinging along the cliffs. The unsightly limbs of the c;i> the gloomy foliage of the creosote bush, grow together in seams of the rocks, heighten" ing their ch; cdness and gloom. Such is the southern barrier of the valley. Look upon the northern sierra ! Here is a contrast, a THE SCALP-HUNTERS. new geology. Not a rock of granite meets the eye ; but there are others piled as high, and glistening with the white- ness of snow. These are mountains of the milky quartz. They exhibit a variety of peaks naked and shining ; crags that hang over deep treeless ravines, and needle-shaped summits aspiring to the sky. They too have their vegeta- tion : a vegetation that suggests ideas of the "desert and desolation. The two sierras appear to converge at the eastern end of the valley. We are upon a transverse ridge that shuts it in upon the west, and from this point we view the picture. Where the valley ends eastwardly, we perceive a dark background lying up against the mountains. We know it is a pine-forest, but we are at too great a distance to distinguish the trees. Out of this forest the stream appears to issue ; and upon its banks, near the border of the woods, we per- ceive a collection of strange pyramidal structures. They are houses. It is the town of Navajoa ! Our eyes were directed upon it with eager gaze. We could trace the outlines of the houses, though they stood nearly ten miles distant. They suggested images of a strange architecture. There were some standing apart from the rest, with terraced roofs, and we could see there were banners waving over them. One, larger than the rest, presented the appearance of a temple. It was out on the open plain, and by the glass we could detect numerous forms clustered upon its top the forms of human beings. There were others upon the roofs and parapets of the smaller houses ; and many more moving upon the plain nearer us, driving before them flocks of animals, mules and mustangs. Some were down upon the banks of the river, and others we could see plung- ing about in the water. Several droves of horses, whose mottled flanks showed their breed, were quietly browsing on the open prairie. NAVAJOA. 299 Flocks of wild swans, geese, and gruys winged their way up and down the meandering current of the stream. The sun was setting. The mountains were tinged with an amber-colored light ; and the quartzose crystals sparkled on the peaks of the southern sierra. It was a scene of silent beauty. How long, thought I, ere its silence would be broken by the sounds of ravage and ruin ! \Ye remained for some time gazing up the valley, without any one uttering his thoughts. It was the silence that pre- cedes resolve. In the minds of my companions there were varied emotions at play ; varied in kind as they differed in intensity : differing as widely as heaven from hell. Some were holy. Men sat straining their eyes over the long reach of meadow thinking, or fancying, that in the dis- tance they might distinguish a loved object : a wife, a sister, a daughter, or perhaps the object of a still dearer and deeper affection. No ; the last could not be. None could have been more deeply affected than he who was seeking for his child. A father's love was the strongest passion there. Alas ! there were other emotions in the bosoms of those around me : passions dark and sinful. Fierce looks were bent upon the town. Some of these betokened fierce feel- ings of revenge ; others indicated the desire of plunder ; and others still spoke, fiendlike, of murder ! There had been mutterings of this from day to day as we journeyed. Men disappointed in their golden dreams had been heard to talk about the price of scalps .> By a command from Seguin the hunters drew back among the trees, and entered into a hurried council. How was the town to be taken ? We could not approach it in the open light. The inhabitants would see us before we could ride up, and make their escape to the forest beyond. This woutd defeat the whole purpose of our expedition. 3oo THE SCALP- HUNTERS. Could not a party get round to the eastern end of the valley and prevent this ? Not through the plain itself, for the mountains rested upon its surface, without either loot-hills or paths along their sides. In some places vast cliffs rose to the height of a thousand feet, stepping directly upon the level plain. This idea was given up. Could we not turn the southern sierra, and come in through the forest itself ? This would bring us close to the houses under cover. The guide was questioned, and answered in the affirmative. But that could only be accomplished by making a detour of nearly fifty miles. We had no time for such a journey, and the thought was abandoned. The town, then, must be approached in the night. This was the only plan practicable ; at least, the most likely to to succeed. It was adopted. It was not Seguin's intention to make a night attack, but only to surround the buildings, keeping at some distance out, and remain in ambush till the morning. All retreat would thus be cut off, and we should make sure of taking our captives under the light of day. The men threw themselves to the ground, and, holding their bridles, waited the going down of the sun. Indian Wcaptuu and CHAPTER XXXVII, T H K ^ I <; H T A M 1! V ? C A T> K. ur passes. The 1 > sinks be- ns, and the quartz rock saddens i: somber hue. of twilight hover but . 'lie clui'' . ;vnd then vanish away, it is night. Descending the hills in a long string, we arrive upon the plain. We turn to the :mncl the mountain foot. 'The rocks guid< We proceed with caution, and exchange our words only in whispers. We crawl around and among loose boulders that have fallen from above. We turn many spurs that shoot out into the plain. Occasionally we halt and hold council. After a journey of ten or twelve miles, \ve find ourselves opposite the Indian town. We are not over a mile from it. 301 302 Till-; SCALP- m'XTKRS. We (.in see the fires burning 011 the plain, and hear the voices (if those who move around them. At this point the band is divided. A small party remains, making its cache \\\ a defile among the rocks. These guard the captive chief and the antajo of mul-.-s. Tlie rest move forward, guided by Rube, who carries them round the edge of the forest, here and there dropping a picket of several men as he proceeds. ireal themselves at their respective sta- tions, remain silent, and wait for the signal from the bugle, which is to be given at the hour of daybreak. The night passes >!> >\\ !y and silently. The iires one by one go out. until the plain is wrapped in the gloom of a moonless midnight. Dark clouds travel over the sky. por- tending rain : a rare phenomenon in the ns. The swan utters its wild n< : uya whoops over the stream, and the wolt oon the skirts of the sleeping vil! The vpice of the bull-bat wails through the air. You hearthe ' flap, (lap" of his long wings as he dashes down among the lyos. You h ! !<.of->trokc on the hard plain, the "crop". if ; 1. and the tinkling of the bit- ring; for the horses eat bridled. At intervals, a drowsy- hunter mutters through his sleep, battling in dreams with some terrible foe. Thus goes the night. These are its voices. They cease as daybreak approaches. The wolf howls no longer ; the swan and the blue crane are silent ; the night- hawk has rilled his ravenous maw, and perches on the mountain pine ; the lire-Hies disappear, chased by the colder hours ; and the horses, having eaten what grew within their reach, stand in lounging attitudes, asleep. A gray light begins to steal into the valley. It flickers It brings along the \vhite cliffs of the quartz mountain, with it a raw cold air, that awakens the hunters. One by one they arouse themselves. They shiver as they stand up, and carry their blankets wrapped about their shoulders. They feel \v< .ny, and look paK- and h.> The gray dawn lends a ghastly hue to their en and unwashed ku vs. After a short while they coil iiptlu-ir trail-ropes and fasten Among the Aztecs. A Temple of the Sun. them to 'the rings. They look to their flints and priming, and tighten the buckles of their belts. They draw forth from their haversacks pieces of dry tasajo, eating it raw. They stand by their horses, ready to mount. It is not yet time. The light is gathering into the valley. The blue mist that hung over the river during the night is rising upward. We can see the town. We can trace the odd outlines of the houses. What strange structures they are ! Some of them are higher than others : one, two, foui THK SCALP- HUX'l ! The 1 }- arc each in form lik.c .1 pyr:ii> M without iN apex, Kach upper story is smaller than that be- low ii, the roofs of the lower ones serving as terraces for thos v hitish yellow, the color of the <.f which tlicy are l)iiilt. They are without windows, but d;:'H's lead intoeach story from the outside ; and ladders tch from terrac-e to terrace, leaning against the walls. On (if si .me there are poles carrying bannerets. ncipal war-chiefs and great warriors of the i.ation. the temple distinctly. It is like the houses in shape, but higher and of larger dimensions. There is a tall shal< .nt of its roof, and a banner with a strange flouting at its peak. ; the houses \\e see corrals filled with mules and mus- 5, the live-stock of the vilk. The light grows stronger. Forms appear upon the roofs and ; .;ig the terraces. They are human forms envel- 1 in hanging garments, robe-like and striped. We rec- ivajo blanket, with its alternate bands of black and v. With tin.' glass we can see these forms more distinctly ; we can tell their sex. Their hair hangs loosely upon their shoulders, and far down their backs. Most of them are females,, girls and women. There are many children, too. There are men white-haired and old. A few other men appear, but they are not warriors. The warriors are absent. They come down the ladders, descending from terrace to terrace. They go out upon the plain, and rekindle the fires. Some carry earthen vessels, ollas, upon their heads, and pass down to the river. They go in for water. These are nearly naked. We can see their brown bodies and uncovered breasts. They are slaves. THE NTGHT- AMm"SCAl)K. 305 See! the old men are climbing to the top of the temple. They are followed by \vomen and children, some in white, others in bright-colored costumes. > jrls and young lads, the children of the chi< Over a hundred have climbed up. They have reached the highest roof. There is an altar near the staff. A sn rolls up a bla/e : they have kindled a lire upon the altar. Listen ! the chant of \oices, and the beat of an Indian > drt;- The sounds cease, and they all stand motionless and ap- parently silent, facing to the east. What does it mean ? " 11 They are waiting for the sun to appear. These people worship him." The hunters, interested and curious, strain their watching the ceremony. The topmost pinnacle of the quartz mountain is on fire. It is the first flash of the sun ! The peak is yellowing downward. Other points catch the brilliant beams. They have struck the faces of the d v- otees. See ! there are white faces ! One two many white faces, both of women and girls. "Oh, God ! grant that it may be ! " cries Seguin, hurriedly putting up the glass, and raising the bugle to his lips. A few wild notes peal over the valley. The horseim u hear the signal. They debouch from the woods and the defiles of the mountains. They gallop over the plain, de- ploying as they go. In a few minutes we have formed the arc of a circle, con cave to the town. Our horses' heads are turned inwards, and we ride forward, closing upon the walls. We have left the atajo in the delile ; the captive chief, too, guarded by -a few of the men. The notes of the bugle have summoned the attention of 20 306 THE SCAJ t j -lir\l k the inhabitants. They stand for a while in amazement, and without motion. They behold the deploying of the line. They see the horsemen ride inward. Could it be a mork surprise of some friendly tribe ? Xo. That strange voice, the Imgle, is new to Indian ears ; yet some of them have heard it before. They know it to be the war-trumpet of the pale faces I TW a while their consternation hinders them from action. They stand looking on until- we an- near. Then they be- hold pale fa;:es. strange armor, and horses singularly capari- soned. It is the white enemy ! They run from point to point, from street to street. Those who carry water dash clown their ollas, and rush screaming to the houses. They climb to the roofs, drawing the ladders after them. Shouts are exchanged, and exclamations uttered in the voices of men, women, and children. Terror is on every face; terror displays itself "in every movement. Meanwhile our line has approached, until we are within two hundred yards of the walls. We halt for a moment. Twenty men are left as an outer guard., The rest of us, thrown into a body, ride forward, following our leader. Indian Baskets Decorated. CHAPTER XXXVIII. ADELE. K direct ourselves to the threat building, and, sur- rounding it, again halt. The old men are still upon the roof, standing along the parapet. They are frightened, and tremble like children. " Do not fear; we are friends ! " cries Seguin, speaking in a strange language, and making signs to them. His voice is not heard amidst the shrieks and shouting that still continue. The words are repeated, and the sign given in a more emphatic manner. The old men crowd along the edge of the parapet. There is one among them who differs from the rest. His snow- white hair reaches below his waist. There are bright orna- ments hanging from his ears and over his breast. He is attired in white robes. He appears to be a chief, for the rest obey him. He makes a signal with his hands, and the screaming subsides. He stand forward on the parapet, as if to speak to us. 307 308 TIIK SCALP-HUNTERS. Ar (friends!) cries he speaking in Spanish. : we .ire ffiends," rephcs Seguin, in the same 1 ) > not fear us ! \Ye come not to harm \ ' \\'hy harm us ? We arc at peace with the \vhite pueblos to ti \Ye are the children rf Montczuma ; \ve are s. \\'hat want you with u ".- relativ- white captives. They < -ur wives and daught< White captives! You mistake us. We have no cap* you seek are among the nations of the Apach<5, away far to the south." No; they are with you," replies Sequin. '-I have cer- tain information that they are here. Delay us not, then ! \Ye have come a far journey for them, and will not go with- out th ^L ; ' Tjarld itaB'tiinis to his companions. The}- converse in a .. niMfcJttfafcchange signs. Again he faces round to chi he. speaking with em- wrongly informed. \\'e have no whitt captives. n %i I'ish ! 'I''e da&gpk liar ! " cries Rube, pushing out of the crowd, and raising his catskin cap as he speaks. 'He know this child, do 'ee ? " The skinless head is discovered to the gaze of the In- dians. A murmur, indicative of alarm, is heard among 11. The white-haired chief seems disconcerted. He knows the history of that scalp ! A murmur, too, runs through the ranks of the hunters. y had seen white faces as they rode up. The lie ex- asperates them, and the ominous click of rifles being cocked is heard on all sides. " You have spoken falsely, old man, "cries Seguin. " We ADKLE. 309 know you have white captives. luring them forth, then, if you would save your own livi " Quick ! " shouts Garey, raising his riile in a threatening manner; %> quick ! or I'll dye the Max 0:1 yer old skull." " Patience, amigo ! you sli.-li see our white- people; but they are not captives. They are our daughters, the children of Montezuma.'' The Indian descends to the third story of the temple. He enters a door, and presently returns, bringing with him five females dressed in the Xavajo costume. They are women and girls, and, as any one could tell at a glance, of the liispano-Mexican ; But there are those present who know them still better. Three of them are recognixed by as many hunters, and rec- ognize them in turn. The girls rush out to the parapet, stretch forth their arms, and utter exclamations of joy. The hunters call to them : " Pepe ! " " Rafaela ! " " Jesusita ! " coupling their names with expressions of endearment. Ti 1 them to come down, pointing to the lacK " /!<7/' thu old Indian. " He has hidden her." " GJTW//'' cries another, ' perhaps in the cstufa / " " The cstufa ! wliat is it ? " ' \\'here the sacred fire burns ; where he makes his medicine." " Where is it ? lead me to it 1 " "Ay tie mi! we know not the way It is a secret place where they burn people ! Ay Jc ;////" " Hut, senor, it is in this temple; somewhere under the ground. Ifc knows. None but he is permitted to enter it- Carrai .' The estufu is a fearful place. So say the people." An indefinite idea that his daughter may be in danger crosses the mind of Seguin. Perhaps she is dead already, or dying by some horrid means. He is struck, so are we, with the expression of sullen malice that displays itself upon the countenance of the medicine chief. It is altogether an Indian expression : that of dogged determination to die rather than yield what he has made up his mind to keep. It is a look of demoniac cunning, characteristic of men ctf his peculiar calling among the tribes. Haunted by this thought, Seguin runs to the ladder, and again springs upward to the roof, followed by several of the band. He rushes upon the lying priest, clutching him by the long hair. " Lead me to her ! " he cries, in a voice of thunder \ ADRLE. 313 "lead me In this queen: this Mystery Queen! .'vV if my daughter.'' "Your daughter! the Mystery Queen!" replies the Indian, trembling with fear for his life, yet still resisting the appeal. " No, white man ; she is not. The queen is ours. She is the daughter of the Sun. She is the child of a Navajo chief." " Tempt me no longer, old man ! No longer, I Look forth! If a hair of her head has been harmed, all these' shall suffer. I will not leave a living thing in your town. Lead on I Bring me to the estufa ! " "To the esf/tfa! to the cstufa /" shout several voi< Strong hands grasp the garments of the Indian, and are twined into his loose hair. Knives, already red and reeking, are brandished before his eyes, lie is forced from the roof, and hurried down the ladders. He ceases to resist, for he sees that resistance is death ; and half dragged, half leading, he conducts them to the ground-floor of the building. He enters by a passage covered with the shaggy hides of the buffalo. Seguin follows, keeping his eye and hand upon him. We crowd after, close upon the heels of both. We pass through dark wa\ ling as we go, through an intricate labyrinth. We arrive iu a large room dimly lighted. Ghastly images are before us and around us, the mystic symbols of a horrid religion ! The walls are hung with hideous shapes and skins of wild beasts. We can see the fierce visages of the grizzly bear, of the white buffalo, of the carcajou, of the panther, and the ravenous wolf. We can recognize the horns and frontlets of the elk, the cimmaron, and the grim bison. Here and there are idol figures, of grotesque and monster forms, carved from wood and the red claystone of the desert. A larnp is flickering with a feeble glare ; and on a, brazero, 314 THE SCALP-HUNTERS. near the center of the room, burns a small bluish flame. It is the sacred fire. ; the fire that for centuries has blazed to the god Quetzalcoatl ! We do not stay to examine these objects. The fumes of the charcoal almost suffocate us. We run in every direction, overturning the idols and dragging down the sacred skins. There are huge serpents gliding over the floor, and hiss- ing around our feet. They have been disturbed and frightened by the unwonted intrusion. We, too, are frightened, for we hear the. dreaded rattle of the crotalus / The men leap from the ground, and strike at them with the butts of their rifles. They crush many of them on the stone pavement. There are shouts and confusion. We suffer from the exhalations of the charcoal. .We shall be stifled. Where is Seguin ? Where has he gone ? Hark ! There are screams ! It is a female voice 1 There ;ire voices of men too ! \Ye rush towards the spot where they are heard. We clash aside the walls of pendant skins. We see the chief. He has a female in his arms : a girl, a beautiful girl, robed in gold and bright plumes. She is screaming as we enter, and struggling to escape him. He holds her firmly, and has torn open the fawn- skin sleeve of her tunic. He is gazing on her left arm, which is bared to the bosom 1 " It is she ! it is she ! " he cries in a voice trembling with emotion. " Oh God ! it is she ! Adele ! Adele ! dd you not know me ? Me your father ? " Her screams continue. She pushes him off, stretching out her arms to the Indian, and calling upon him to protect her ! The father entreats her in wild and pathetic words. She heeds him not. She turns her face from him, and crouches down, hugging the knees of the priest \ ADELE. 315 " She knows me not ! Oh God ! my child ! my child 1 " Again Seguin speaks in the Indian tongue, and with im- ploring accents " Adele 1 Adele ! / am your father /" " You ! Who are you ? The white men ; our foes ! Touch me not ! Away, white men ! away I " " Dear, dearest Adele ! do not repel me : me, your father ! You remember " " flfy father! My father was a great chief. He is dead. This is my father now. The Sun is my father. I am a daughter of Montezuma ! I am a queen of the Navajoes ! " As she utters these words, a change seems to come over her spirit. She crouches no longer. She rises to her feet. Her screaming has ended, and she stands in an attitude of pride and indignation. " Oh, Adele 1 " continues Seguin, more earnest than ever, " look at me I look ! Do you not remember ? Look in my face 1 Oh heaven ! Here, see ! Here is your mother, Adele 1 See 1 this is her picture ; your angel mother. Look at it 1 Look, oh, Adele I"' Seguin, while he is speaking, draws a miniature from hi . bosom, and holds it before the eyes of the girl. It arrests her attention. She looks upon it, but without any signs of recognition. It is to her only a curious object. She seems struck with his manner, frantic but entreating. She seems to regard him with wonder. Still she repels him. It is evident she knows him not. She has lost every recol- lection of him and his. She has forgotten the language of her childhood ; she has forgotten her father, her mother : she has forgotten all ! * * * 4 * # I could not restrain my tears as I looked upon the face of my friend, for I had grown to consider him such. Like one who has received a mortal wound, yet still lives, he stood in 3i6 THE SCALP- HUNTERS. the center of the group, silent and crushed. His head had fallen upon his breast, his cheek was blanched and bloodless ; and his eye wandered with an expression of imbecility pain- ful to beh'. : .i. I could imagine the terrible conflict that was raging wil He made no further efforts to entreat the girl. He no longer offered to approach her ; but stood for some moments in the same attitude without speaking a word. "Bring her away!" he muttered, at length, in a voice husky and broken ; >; bring her away ! 1'crhaps, in God's mercy, she may yet remember. CHAPTER XXXIX. TIIK \VH1IP. SCAT, P. K repassed the lior- rid chamber, and emerged upon the lowermost terrace of the temple. As I walked forward to the parapet, there was a scene be- low that filled me with appre- hension. A cloud seemed to fall over my heart. The impression was sudden, and, at the moment, indefi- nite as to its cause. Was it the sight (for I saw it) of bio. No. It could not be that. Blood had been Jaefore my eyes too often of late, and I had become accustomed to its wanton shedding. It may have been partially the cause ; but theie were other sights and sounds, hardly affecting the eye and ear, yet sufficiently definite to impress my mind with fear and foreboding. There was a bad electricity in the air not the natural, but the moral atmosphere that reached me through those mysterious channels not yet traced by philosophy. Look back upon your experience. Have you not often felt 3l8 THE SCALP-HUNTERS. sensible that wrath or other bad passions existed in the minds of men before you could perceive it by any definite look, word, or action ? As the wild animal foretells the hurricane when the atmos- phere is tranquil, I instinctively felt that a dark scene was approaching. Perhaps I drew my omens from the very tranquillity that reigned around. In the moral as in the physical world there is a stillness that precedes the storm. In front of the temple were the women of the village ; girls, women, and children ; in all about two hundred. They were variously attired : some were wrapped in their striped blank- ets ; some wore tilmas, and tunics of embroidered fawnskin, plumed and painted with dyes of vivid color ; some were dressed in the garb of civilized life : in rich satins, that had been worn by the dames of the Del Norte ; in flounces that had fluttered in the dance around the ankles of some gay maja ! Not .a few in the crowd were entirely nude, without even the shielding of the fig-leaf. They were all Indians, but of lighter and darker shades ; differing in color as in expression of face. Some were old, wrinkled, and coarse; but there were many of them young, noble-like, and altogether beautiful. They were grouped together in various attitudes. They had ceased their screaming, but murmured among them- selves in low and plaintive exclamations. As I looked, I saw blood running from their ears ! It had dappled their throats and spurted over their garments. A glance satisfied me as to the cause of this. They had been rudely robbed of their golden hangings. Near and around them stood the scalp-hunters, in groups and afoot. They were talking in whispers and low mutter- ings. There were objects about their persons that attracted THE WHITE SCALP. 319 my eye. Curious articles of ornament or use peeped out from their pouches and haversacks ; bead-strings and pieces of shining metal gold it was hung around their necks and over their breasts. These were the plundered bijouterie of the savage maidens. There were other objects upon which my eye rested with feelings of deeper pain. Stuck behind the belts of many were scalps, fresh and reeking. Their knife-hilts and fingers were red ; there was blood upon their hands : there was gloom in their glances. The picture was appalling ; and, adding to its awful im- pression, black clouds were at the moment rolling over the valley, and swathing the mountains in their opaque masses. The lightning jetted from peak to peak, followed by short claps of close and deafening thunder. " Bring up the atajo ! " shouted Seguin, as he descended the ladder with his daughter. A signal was given ; and shortly after the mules, in charge of the arrieros, came stringing across the plain. " Collect all the dry meat that can be found. Let it be packed as speedily as possible," In front of most of the houses there were strings of tasajo hanging against the walls. 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 pris- oners. Twenty will be as many as we can take. You know them : choose those most likely to tempt an exchange." So saying, the chief turned off towards the atajo, leading his daughter with the intention of mounting her on on,e of the mules, 320 THE SCALP-HUNTERS. Rube proceeded to obey the orders given him. In a short time he had collected a number of unresisting captives,, and had put them aside from the rest. They were principally girls and young lads, whose dress and features bespoke them of the nol>/cssc of the nation, the children of chiefs and! warriors. This movement was not regarded in silence. The men' had drawn together, and commenced talking in loud and- mutinous language. 1 ' Wagli : " ;. \< laimed Kirker, a fellow <{ brutal aspect; ' thar are wives a-piece, boys: why not even- man help him- self ? Why not ? " " Kirkers right," rejoined another; "and I've made ^p my mind to have one, or bust/' ' lUit !.<"., are ye goin' to feed 'em on the road ? We ha'n't meat if we take one a-piece." Meat be hanged ! " ejaculated the second speaker; ' we kin reach the Del Xort in four clays or less. \Yhat do we; want with so much meat ? " ' There's meat a plenty." rejoined Kirker. " That's all the captain's palaver. If it runs out we kin drop the weemen, and take what o' them's handiest to carry.'' This was said with a significant gesture, and a ferocity of, expression revolting to behold. Xow, boys ! what say ye ? " " I freeze to Kirker." "And I." "And I." " I'm not goin' to advise anybody," added the brute " Ye may all do as ye please about it ; but this niggttr's not a goin' to starve in the midst o' plenty,'' ' Right, comrade ! right, I say." " Wai. First spoke first pick, I reckin. That's moun- tain law : so, old gal. I cottons to yot^ Come along, will yer ?. " THE WHITE SCALP. 321 Saying this, he seized one of the Indians, a large, fine- looking woiiKin, roughly by the wrist, and commenced drag- ging her towards the atajo. The woman screamed and resisted, frightened, not at what had been said, for she did not understand it, but terrified by Indian Mummies a Thousand Years Old. the ruffian expression that was plainly legible in the counte- nance of the man. " Shut up yer meat-trap, will ye ? " cried he, still pulling her towards the mules : " I'm not goin' to eat ye. Wagh 1 Don't be so skeert. Come ! mount hyar. Gee yup ! " And with this exclamation he. lifted, the woman upon one Q the mules, 322 THE SCALP-HUNTERS. " If ye don't sit still, I'll tie ye ; mind that ! " and he held up the lasso, making signs of his determination. A horrid scene now ensued. A number of the scalp-hunters followed the example of their ruffian comrade. Each one chose the girl or woman he had fancied, and commenced hurrying her off to the atajo. The women shrieked. The men shouted and swore. Sev- eral scrambled for the same prize : a girl more beautiful than her companions. A quarrel was the consequence. Oaths and ejaculations rang out ; knives were drawn and pistols cocked. " Toss up for her 1 " cried one. " Ay, that's fair : toss up I toss up ! " shouted several. The hint was adopted ; the lots were cast ; and the savage belle became the property of the winner. In the space of a few minutes nearly every mule in the atajo carried an Indian damsel. Some of the hunters had taken no part in this Sabine pro- ceeding. Some disapproved of it (for all were not bad) from motives of humanity. Others did not care for being " ham- pered with a squaw," but stood apart, savagely laughing at the scene. During all this time Seguin was on the other side of the building with his daughter. He had mounted her upon one of the mules, and covered her shoulders with his scrape'. He was making such preparations for her journey as the tender solicitudes of the father suggested. The noise at length attracted him ; and, leaving her in charge of his servants, he hurried round to the front. " Comrades ! " cried he, glancing at the mounted captives, and comprehending all that had occurred, " there are too many here. Are these whom you have chosen ? This ques- tion was directed to the trapper Rube. THE WHITE SCALP.. . " No," replied the latter, "them's 'em," and he pointed to the party he had picked out. " Dismount these, then, and place those you have selected upon the mules. We have a desert to cross, and it will be as much as we can do to pass it with that number." And without appearing to notice the scowling looks of his followers, he proceeded, in company with Rube and several others, to execute the command he had given. The indignation of the hunters now showed itself in open mutiny. Fierce looks were exchanged, and threats uttered aloud. " By heaven ! " cried one, " I'll have my gal along, or her scalp." " Vaya /" exclaimed another in Spanish : " why take any of them ? They're not worth the trouble, after all. There's not one of them worth the price of her own hair." " Take the har then, and leave the niggurs 1 " suggested a third. " I say so too." " And I." " I vote with you, hoss." " Comrades ! " said Seguin, turning to the mutineers, and speaking in a tone of extreme mildness, ' remember your promise. Count the prisoners, as we agreed. I will answer for the payment of all. " Can ye pay for them now ? " asked a voice. " You know that that would be impossible." " Pay for them now I Pay for them now ! " shouted several. " Cash or scalps, say I." " Carajo ! where is the captain to get the money when we reach El Paso more than here ? He's neither a Jew nor a banker ; and it's news to me if he's grown so rich. Where, then, is all this money to come from ? " 324 THE SCALP-HUNTERS. " Not from the Calntdo, unless the scalps are forthcoming; I'll warrant that." " True, Jose! They'll give no money to him, more than to us ; and we can get it ourselves if we show the skins for it. That we can." " Wagh ! what cares he for us now that he has got what he wanted ? " . " Not a niggur's cuss. He wouldn't let us go by the Prieto, when we kud 'a gathered the shining stuff in chunks." " Now he wants us to throw away this chance too. We'd be green fools to do it, 1 say." It struck me at this moment that I might interfere with success. Money seemed lo be \\lut the mutineers wanted; at least it was their alleged grievance ; and rather than wit- ness the fearful drama which appeared to be on the eve of enactment, I would have sacrificed my fortune. " Men ! " cried I. speaking so that I could be heard above the din, " if you deem my word worth listening to, it is this : I have sent a cargo to Chihuahua with the last caravan. J'y the time we can get back to El Paso the traders will have returned, and I shall be placed in possession of funds double what you demand. If you will accept my promise I shall see that you be paid. " ; YVagh ! that talk's all very well, but what do we know of you or yer cargo ? " " Vaya ! A bird in the hand's worth two in the bush." " He's a trader. \Yho's goiu' to take his word ? " " Rot his cargo! Scalps or cash, cash or scalps! that's this niggur's advice ; an' if ye don't take it, boys, ye may leave it ; but it's all the pay ye'll ever crook yer claws on." The men had tasted blood, and like theti^er. they thirsted for more. There were glaring eyes on all sides, and the countenances of some exhibited an animal ferociousness hid- eous to look upon. The half-robber discipline that hitherto THE \\THTK i 325 ruled in the band seemed .to 1 :<.p!etely departed, and the authorit^y of the chief to be set at deriaiv ( )n the other side stood the females, clinging and huddling together. They could not understand the mutinous language, but they sa\v threatening attitudes and angry faces. They saw knives drawn, and heard the cocking of guns and pis; They knew there was danger, and they crouched together whimpering with fear. Up to this moment, Seguin had stood giving directions for the mounting of captives. His manner was strain abstracted, as it had been ever since the scene of meeting with his daughter. That greatei caie. gnawing at his la-art, seemed to render him insensible to what was passing. lie was not so. As Kirker ended (for he was the ! a change came over Seguin's manner, cjuiek as a i'ash of lightning. Suddenly rousing himself from his attitude of indifference, he stepped forward in front of the mutin- i 'ire ! " shouted he, in a voice of thunder " dare to dis- honor your oaths ! Hy heavens ! the inr: t man who raises knife or rifle shall die on the instant ! " There was a pause, and a moment of deep silence. "I had made a vo\v," continued he, "that should it please God to restore me my child, this hand should be stained with no more blood. Let any man force me to break that vow, and by heaven his blood shall be the hist to .--tain it ! " A vengeful murmur ran through the trou;!, but no one replied. " You are but a cowardly brute, with . all your bluster," he continued, turning round to Kirker, and looking him in the eye. " Up with that knife ! quick ! or by the God of heaven J will send this bullet through your ruffian heart ! " Seguin had drawn his pistol, and stood in an attitude that told he would execute the threat. His form seemed to have 326 THE SCALP-HUNTERS. grown larger ; his eye dilated, flashing as it rolled, and the man shrank before its glance. He saw death in it if he dis- obeyed, and with a surly murmur he fumbled mechanically at his belt, and thrust the blade back into its sheath. But the mutiny was not yet quelled. These were men not so easily conquered. Fierce exclamations still continued, and the mutineers again began to encourage one another with shouts. I had thrown myself alongside the chief, with my revolvers cocked and ready, resolved to stand by him to the death. Several others had done the same ; among whom were Rube, Garey, Sanchez the bull-fighter, and the Maricopa. The opposing parties were nearly equal, and a fearful con- flict would have followed had we fought ; but at this moment an object appeared that stifled the resentment of all. It was the common enemy ! Away on the western border of the valley we could see dark objects, hundreds of them, coming over the plain. They were still at a great distance, but the practised eyes of the hunters knew them at a glance. They were horsemen ; they were Indians ; they were our pursuers ; the Navajoes ! They were riding at full gallop, and strung over the prairie like hounds upon a run. In a twinkling they would be on us. ' Yonder ! " cried Seguin, " yonder are scalps enough to satisfy you ; but let us see to our own. Come 1 to your horses ! On with the atajo I I will keep my word w ith you at the pass. Mount ! my brave fellows-, mount! " The last speech was uttered in a tone of reconciliation ; but it needed not that to quicken the movements of the hunters. They knew too well their own danger. They could have sustained the attack among the houses, but it would only have been until the return of the main tribe, when they knew that every life would be taken. To make a stand at the town would be madness, and was not thought of. In THE WHITE SCALE'. 327 a moment we were in our saddles ; and the atajo, strung out with the captives and provisions, was hurrying off toward the woods. We purposed passing the defile that opened eastward, as our retreat by the other route was now cut off by the ad- vancing horsemen. Seguin had thrown himself at the head, leading the mule upon which his daughter was mounted. The rest followed, straggling over the plain 'without rank or order. I was among the last to leave the town. I had lingered behind purposely, fearing some outrage, and determined, if possible, to prevent it. " At length," thought I, " they have all gone ; " and, putting spurs to my horse, I galloped after. When I had ridden about a hundred yards from the walls, a loud yell rang behind me ; and reining in my horse, I turned in the saddle and looked back. Another yell, wild and sav- age, directed me to the point whence the former had come. On the highest roof of the temple two men were struggling. I knew them at a glance ; and I knew, too, it was a death- struggle. One was the medicine chief, as I could tell by the flowing white hair. The scanty skirt and leggings, the naked ankles, the close-fitting skull-cap, enabled me easily to dis- tinguish his antagonist. It was the earless trapper ! The conflict was a short one. I had not seen the begin- ning of it, but I soon witnessed the denouement. As I turned, the trapper had forced his adversary against the parapet, and with his long muscular arm was bending him over its edge. In the other hand, uplifted, he brandished his knife ! I saw a quick flash as the blade was plunged ; a red gush spurted over the garments of the Indian ; his arms dropped, his body doubled over the wall, balanced a moment, and then fell with a dull sodden sound upon the terrace below ! The same wild whoop again rang in my ears, and the hun- ter disappeared from the roof, 325 THE SCALP-HUNTERS. I tin '{ling cf some :>'. 1 nu 1 . and a : turning my head th.it ii ilin*. Putty liar, too, it ur. patch mine ; but rrtain its meaning, riy eye. An object :ikc a streak of snow- white l! not that. It was hair. // i^rs a There were < down the silvery strands as they shook, and aci . near the middle, was lie track of the trapper's knife Beads of Wampum Shells ami Turquoise. CHAI'TKR XL, THE FIT. I IT 1\ Till: I 'ASS. llit: woods, and fol- i.m trail up stream. I LS fast as i!d be driven. A scramble bi lit us to the eastern < . Mere the sierras imp the river, form- ing a canon. It was a grim gap, similar to that we had passed on entering from the west. but : ; till im>ie fearful in its features. Unlike the former, there \\;is no road over the mountains on either side. The valley was Leaded in by precipitous cliffs, and the trail lay through the canon, up the bed of the stream. The latter was shallow. Dun it became a tor- rent; and then the valley was i the east, but that was a rare occurrence in tK's rain! ns. We entered the canon without halting, and galloped over the detritus, and round huge boulders that lay in its bed. Fai above us rose the frown inf- cliffs, thousands of feet over- head. Great rocks scarped cut, abutting over, the stream ; shaggy pines hung top downward, clinging in their seams] 1'HK SCALP-HUNTERS. shapeless bunches of cacti and mezcals crawled along the clitYs : their picturesque but gloomy foliage adding to the wildness of the scene. It was dark within the pass, from the shadow of the jut- ting masses : but now darker than usual, for black storm- clouds were swathing the cliffs overhead. Through these, at short intervals, the lightning forked and flashed, glancing in the water at our feet. The thunder, in quick, sharp per- cussions, broke over the ravine ; but as yet it rained not. \\V plunged hurriedly through the shallow stream, follow- ing the guide. There were places not without danger, where the water s\\ept around angles of the cliff, with an impetu- osity that almost lifted our horses from their feet ; but we had no choice, and we scrambled on, urging our animals with voice and spur. Alter riding for a distance of several hundred yards, we reached the head of the canon and climbed out on the bank. Now. cap'n," cried the guide, reining up, and pointing to the mtr.mce. " livur's yur place to make stand. . We kin keep them back till thur sick i' the guts ; that's what we kin do." You are sure there is no pass that leads out but this one ? " " Ne'er a crack that a cat kud get out at; that ur, 'ceptin' they go back by the other eend ; an' that'll take them a round-about o' two days, I reckin." ' We will defend this, then. Dismount, men ! Throw yourselves behind the rocks 1 " , ' If 'ee take my advice, cap, I'd let the mules and weemen keep for'arcl, with a lot o' the men to look arter 'em ; them that's ridin' the meanest critters. It'll be nose an' tail when we do go ; and if they starts now, yur see we kin easy catch up with 'em t'other side o' the parairar." THE FIGHT IN THE PASS. 331 " You are right, Rube ! We cannot stay long here. Our provisions will give out. They must move ahead. Is that mountain near the line of our course, think you ? " As Seguin spoke, he pointed to a snow-crowned peak that towered over the plain, far off to the eastward. " The trail we oughter take for the ole mine passes clost by it, cap'n. To the south'art o' yon snowy, thur's a pass ; it's the way I got clur myself." " Very well ; the party can take the mountain for their guide. I will despatch them at once." About twenty men, who rode the poorest horses, were selected from the band. These, guarding the atajo and cap- tives, immediately set out and rode off in the direction of the snowy mountain. El Sol went with this party, in ch. of Dacoma and the daughter of our chief. The rest of us prepared to defend the pass. Our horses were tied in a defile ; and we took our stands where we could command the embouchure of the canon with our rifles. We waited in silence for the approaching foe. As yet no war-whoop had reached us ; but we knew that our pursuers could not be far off; and we knelt behind the rocks, strain- ing our eyes down the dark ravine. It is difficult to give an idea of our position by the pen. The ground we had selected as the point of defense was unique in its formation, and not easily described ; yet it is necessary you should know something of its peculiar character in order to comprehend what followed. The stream, after meandering over a shallow, shingly chan- nel, entered the canon through a vast gate-like gap, between two giant portals. One of these was the abrupt ending of the granite ridge, the other a detached mass of stratified rock. Below this gate the channel widened for a hundred yards or so, where its bed was covered with loose boul- 332 THE SCALP-HUNTERS. ders and logs of drift timber. Still farther clown the cliffs approached each other, so n<:ar that only two horsemen could ride between i! ist ; an< ; ! this the chan- nel agai:- i. and the bed of the stream was filled with th;;t had fallen from the mountain. The pl.ice we occupied was anv>ng the rocks and drift, with '\v the great gap which formed its the position from necessity, as at this point the hank shelved out and offered a way to the open Country, by which our pursuers could outflank us, should How them to TV, therefore, to prevent ili ; s; an ! is to defend the lower inel. \\'e knew that h.:lo\v that ream pn both sides, so that aid In- ii :ul out of its bed. If h at the shelving bank, we w >uM h i up from any farther ad- n by n turning to the vail : .1 end, a distance At all events, we should hold ! ;. until tl ot a long start; and then, ,v- it in the night. ukl hav -idon the v\ uld not allow us to hold out for nny length of i. \i the >ihn ur leader we had thrown ourselves among the r . . K< thunder was now pealing over our head-s and r< eanon. Black clouds -i tlliant jets. Big drops, still f. tiling thinly, -' own upon the stones. As Seguin had told me, rain, thunder, and lightning are rare phenomena in these regions; IM.I \vh(?n they do occur, it is with th;;t e which - i .zes the storms of the tropics. The elements, escaping from their wonted conti- -THE FIGHT IX THE PASS. 333 nence, rage in fiercer war. The long-gathering electricity, suddenly displaced fi <[uilihrir,in. seems to revel in havoc, iv," ;nder the harmonies of nature. The eve of the gv . in scanning the features of this plateau land, could r. :i i:i the character of its atm ins. the deep barrancas, the broken ban! :id the clay-cut channels of the an >/Y>. 's, all leslinecl that \ve were in a land of sudden floods., Away to ;. towards the headwaters of the river, that the storm was raging in its full fury. The itains in tlv.;t direction weiv no longer visible. Thick "ain-cK-ui!.> v. IB, and we could hear \\'e knew that it would soon be upon us. " W ltd a v Our pur. The deb; unexpect ' T \verecl anotheY. " I s'pose thar puttin' on a 1 t the t >wn." \'!1 get their paint I off , 1 reckin. Look to r-rimin'. bosses! that'i .ny adv ; uts." " Th for that ! " cried old " Why ? Do you want to git soaked, old case ? " "That's adzactly what this child wants." " Well, it's more 'n I do. I'd like to know what ye want to get wet for. Do ye wish to put your old carcass into an agey ? " " If it rains two hours, do 'c.-e see," continued Rube, with- out paying attention to the last interrogatory, " we needn't stay hyur, do 'ee see ? " " Why not, Rube ? '' inquired Seguin, with interest. 334 Tin-: SCALP- HUNtERS, "Why, cap," replied the guide, " I've seed a skift o' a shower make this hyur crik that 'ee wudn't care to wade it. Hooray ! it ur r.-comin', sure enuf ! Hooray ! As the trapper uttered these exclamations, a vast blnck cloud came rolling down from the east, until its gipnt wings canopied the defile. It was filled with rumbling thunder, breaking at intervals into louder percussions, as the red bolts passed hissing through it. From this cloud the rain fell, not in drops, but, as the hunter had predicted, in " spouts." The men. lustily throwing the skirts of their hunting-shirts over their gun-locks, remained silent under the pelting of the storm. Another sound, heard between the peals, now called our attention. It resembled the continuous noise of a train of wagons passing along a gravelly road. It was the sound of hoof-strokes on the shingly bed of the (anon. It was the horse-tread of the approaching Navajoes ! Suddenly it ceased. They had halted. For what pur- pose ? Perhaps to reconnoiter. This conjecture proved to be correct; for in a few mo- ments a small red object appeared over a distant rock. It was the forehead of an Indian, with its vermilion paint. It was too distant for the range of a rifle, and the hunters watched it without moving. Soon another appeared, and another, and then a number of dark forms were seen lurking from rock to rock, as they advanced up the canon. Our pursuers had dismounted, and were approaching us on foot. Our faces were concealed by the " wrack " that covered the stones ; and the Indians had not yet discovered us. They were evidently in doubt as to whether we had gone on, and this was their vanguard making the necessary reconnais- sance. In a short time the foremost, by starts and runs, had got THK FIGHT i\ THE PASS. 335 close up to the narrow part of the canon. There was a boulder below this point, and the upper part of the Indian's head showed itself for an instant over the rock. At the same instant half a do/en rifles cracked ; the head di peared : and, the moment after, an object was seen down upon the pebbles, at the base of the boulder. It was the brown arm of tl: . lying palm upward. We knew that the leaden messengers had done their work. The purMici>. though at the expense of one of their num- ber, had how ascertained the fact of our pr< '1 as our position ; and the advance party were seen retreating as they had approached. The men who had tired reloaded their pie< 6S, and. '. ing doun .^ before, \\atched with sharp eyes and cocked rifles. It was a long time before \\e heard an) thing more of the enemy; but \\e knew that they were deliberating on some plan of attack. There was but one way by which they could defeat us: by charging up the canon, and fighting us hand-to-hand. I'.y an attack of this kind their main loss would be in the first volley. They might ride upon us before we could reload ; and, far outnumbering us, would soon decide the day with their : lances. \Ve knew all this; but we knew, too, that a first volley, when well delivered, invariably staggers an Indian charge, and we ivlied on such a hope for our safety. \Ye had arranged to fire by platoons, and thus have the advantage of a second discharge, should the Indians not re- treat at the first. For nearly an hour the hunters crouched under the drench- ing rain, looking only to keep dry the locks of their pieces. The water, in muddy rivulets, began to trickle through the shingle, and, eddying around the rocks, covered the wide channel in which we now stood, ankle-deep. Both above 336 TOE SCALl'-Hi'XT. and below us, the stream, gathered up l>y .the narrowing of the channel, was running with conside table \elmity. The sun had set, at least it seemed so, in the dismal ravine where we were. \Ye \\ere S.>TO\\ ing impatient for the ap- pearance of our enemy. Perhaps they have gone round," suggested one. \o ; thar a-waitin' till night. They'll try it then.'' "Let 'em wait, then," muttered Rube, ef thur green emif. A half an hour more '11 do ; or this -child don't understan' weather signs." " Hist ! hist ! " cried several voices together. " See ; they are coming ! " All eyes were bent down the pa>.s. A < ro\\d of dark ob- jects appeared in the distance, filling up the bed of the stream. They were the Indians, and on horseback. We knew from this that they were about to make a dash. Their movements too confirmed it. They had formed two-deep, and held their bows ready to deliver a flight of arrows as they galloped up. "Look out, boyees !" cried Rube; "thur a-comin' now in airnest. Look to yur sights, and give 'em gos ; do 'ee hear ? " As the trapper spoke, two hundred voices broke into a simultaneous yell. It was the war-cry of the Xavajoes ! As its vengeful notes rang upon the canon, they were an- swered by loud cheers from the hunters, mingled with the wild whoops of their Delaware and Shawano allies. The Indians halted for a moment beyond the narrowing of the canon, until those who were rearmost should close up. Then, uttering another cry, they dashed forward into the gap. So sudden was their charge that several of them had got fairly through before a shot was fired. Then came the re- ports of the guns ; the " crack crack crack " of rifles ; the louder detonations of the Spanish pieces, mingled with the THK FIGHT r\- -ruff PASS. 337 whizzing sound of Indian arrows. Shouts of encourage- ment and defiance were given on both sides ; and groans \veie heard, as the grooved bullet or the poisoned barb tore up the yielding flesh. ral of the Indians had fallen at the first V( 1U . number had ridden forward to the spot o! our ambush, and tired their arrows in our faces. But our rifles had not all been emptied; and these daring savages were seen to drop from their saddles at the straggling and successive reports. The ma'in body wheeled behind the rocks, and were now forming for a second charge. This was the moment of danger. Our guns were idle, and we could not prevent them from passing the gap, and getting through to the open coun- try. I saw Seguin draw his pi>lol. and rush forward, calling upon those who were similarly armed to follow his example. We ran after our leader down to the very jaws of the canon, and stood waiting the charge. It was soon to come * for the enemy, exasperated by many circumstances, were determined on our destruction, cost what it might. Again we heard their tierce war-cry, and amidst its wild echoes the savages came galloping into the gap. i; Xow's yur time," cried a voice ; " fire ! Hooray ! " The cracks of fifty pistols were almost simultaneous. The foremost horses reared up and fell back, kicking and sprawl- ing in the gap. They fell, as it were, in a body, completely choking up the channel. Those who came on behind urged their animals forward. Some stumbled on the heap of fallen bodies. Their horses rose and fell again, trampling both dead and living among their feet. Some struggled over and fought us with their lances. We struck back with our clubbed guns, and closed upon them with our knives and tomahawks. 33 8 THE SCALP- HUXTKRS. The stream rose and foamed against the rocks, pent back by the prostrate animals. We fought thigh-deep in the gathering flood. The thunder roared overhead, and the lightning flashed in our faces, as though the elements took part in the conflict ! The yelling continued wild and vengeful as ever. The hunters answered it \vith fierce shouts. Oaths flew from foaming lips, and men grappled in the embrace that ended oajy in death 1 And now the water, gathered into a deep dam, lifted the bodies of the animals that had hitherto obstructed it, and swept them out of the gap. The whole force of the enemy would be upon us. Good heavens ! they are crowding up, and our guns are empty I At this moment a new sound echoed in our ears. It was not the shouts of men, nor the detonation of guns, nor the pealing of the thunder. It was the hoarse roaring of the torrent ! A warning cry was heard behind us. A voice called out, " Run for your lives ! To the bank 1 to the bank 1 " I turned, and beheld my companions rushing for the slope, uttering words of terror and caution. At the same instant my eye became fixed upon an approaching object. Not twenty yards above where I stood, and just entering the canon, came a brown and foaming mass. It was water, bearing on its crested front huge logs of drift and the torn branches of trees. It seemed as though the sluice of some great dam had been suddenly carried away, and this was the first gush of the escaping flood ! As I looked it struck the portals of the canon with a con- cussion Jike thunder ; and then, rearing back, piled up to a height of twenty feet. The next moment it came surging through tije gap. I heard their terrified cry as the Indians wheeled their THE FIGHT IN THE PASS. 339 horses and fled. I ran for the bank, following my com- panions. I was impeded by the water, which already reached to my thighs; but with desperate energy I plunged and weltered through it, till I had gained a point of safety. I had hardly climbed out when the torrent rolled past with a hissing, seething sound. I stood to observe it. From where I was I could see down the ravine for a long reach. The Indians were already in full gallop, and I saw the tails of their hindmost horses just disappearing round the rocks. The bodies of the dead and wounded were still lying in the channel. There were hunters as well as Indians. The wounded screamed as they saw the coming flood. Those who had been our comrades called to us for help ; we could do nothing to save them. Their cries had hardly reached us when they were lifted upon the crest of the whirling cur- rent, like so many feathers, and carried off with the velocity of projectiles ! " Thar's three good fellows gone under ! Wagh ! " " Who are they ? " asked Seguin, and the men turned round with inquiring looks. " Thar's one Delaware, and big Jim Harris, and " Who is the third man that's missing ? Can any one tell ? " " I think, captain, it's Kirker." " It is Kirker, by the 'tarnal I I seed him down. Wagh ! They'll lift his har to a sartinty." " Ay, they'll fish him out below. That's a sure case." " They'll fish out a good haul o' thur own, I reckin. It'll be a tight race, anyhow. I've heern o' a horse runnin' agin a thunder shower ; but them ^liggurs '11 make good time, if thur tails ain't wet afore they git t'other eend they will." As the trapper spoke, the floating and still- struggling bodies of his comrades were carried to a bend in the canon, and whirled out of sight. The channel was now filled with 340 THE SCALP-HUNTERS. the foaming yellow flood thai frothed against the rocks as it forged onward. Our danger was over for the time. The canon had be- come impassable ; and, after gazing for a while upon the torrent, most of us with feelings of awr. wo turned away, and walked toward the spot where we had left our horses. CHAl'TKK XLI. Tin-: I:\UK.\-. K st. i keel our horses upon the open plain, am!, returning to the thicket, cut ! and kindled fi \\V tV!; secure. ( >nr pursu< had th to tin- valley, hy turning the mount? P "'ting for the falling "f the flood \Vc knew that t] 'd be as sudden as its rise, should the rain cease; l>ut 'In -torm still raged with unabated fury. \Vt could soon overtake the atajo ; but we determined to remain for some time at the canon, until men and horses had refreshed themselves by eating. Both were in need of food, as the hurried events of the preceding days had given no opportunity for a regular bivouac. The fires were soon blazing under shelter of the over- hanging rocks ; and the dried meat was broiled for our suppers, and eaten with sufficient relish. Supper ended, we sat, with smoking garments, around the red embers. Several of the men had received wounds. These were rudely dressed by their comrades, the doctor having gone forward with the atajo. 341 THE SCALP-HUNTERS. We remained for several hours by the canon. The tem- pest still played around us, and the water rose higher and higher. This was exactly what we wished for ; and we had the satisfaction of seeing the flood increase to such a height that, as Rube assured us, it could not subside for hours. It was then resolved that we should continue our journey. It was near midnight when we drew our pickets and rode off. The rain had partially blinded the trail made by El Sol and his party, but the men who now followed it were not much used to guide-posts, and Rube, acting as leader, lifted it at a trot. At intervals the flashes of lightning showed the mule tracks in the mud, and the white peak that beckoned us in the distance. We traveled all night. An hour after sunrise we over- took the atajo, near the base of the snow mountain. We halted in the mountain pass ; and after a short while spent in cooking and eating breakfast, continued our journey across the sierra. The road led through a dry ravine, into an open plain that stretched east and south beyond the reach of our vision. It was a desert. ****** I will not detail the events that occurred to us in the pas- sage of that terrible Jornada. They were similar to those we experienced in the deserts to the west. We suffered from thirst, making one stretch of sixty miles without water. We passed over sage-covered plains, without a living object to break the death-like monotony that extended around us. We cooked our meals over the blaze of the artemisia. But our provisions gave out ; and the pack-mules, one by one, fell under the knives of the hungry hunters. By night we camped without fires : we dared not kindle them ; for though, as yet, no pursuers had appeared, we knew they must be on our trail. We had traveled with such speed that they had not been able to come up with us. THK HARRAXCA. 343 For three days we headed towards the southeast. On the evening of the third we descried the Mimbres mountains towering up on the eastern border of the desert. The peaks of these were well known to the hunters, and became our guides as we journeyed on. We approached the Mimbres in a diagonal direction, as it was our purpose to pass through the sierra by the route of the old mine, once the prosperous property of our chief. To him even- feature of the landscape was a familiar object. I observed that his spirits rose as we proceeded onward. At sundown we reached the head of the Barranca del Oro ; a vast cleft that traversed the plain leading down to the de- serted mine. This chasm, like a fissure caused by some terrible earthquake, extended for a distance of twenty miles. On either side was a trail ; for on both the table-plain ran in horizontally to the very lips of the abyss. About midway to the mine, on the left brow, the guide knew of a spring, and we proceeded toward this with the intention of camping by the water. \Ye dragged wearily along. It \\as near midnight when we arrived at the spring. Our horses were unsaddled and staked on the open plain. Here Seguin had resolved that we should rest longer than usual. A feeling of security had come over him as he ap- proached these well-remembered scenes. There was a thicket of young cotton trees and willows fringing the spring, and in the heart of this a fire was kin- dled. Another mule was sacrificed to the manes of hunger ; and the hunters, after devouring the tough steaks, flung themselves upon the ground and slept. The horse-guard only, out by the cabiillatia, stood leaning upon his rifle silent and watchful. Resting my head in the hollow of my saddle, I lay down by the fire. Seguin was near me with his daughter. The 344 'nil :'-nrxTi Mexican girls and the Indian captives lay clustered over the ground, \vrapped in their tilmas and striped blankets. They were all asleep, or sec; I was as wearied as tlu- rest, but my thoughts kept me awake. My mind was busy with the bright future. "Soon," thought [."shall I e horrid sceiu s ; soon shall I breathe a pjivr atmosphere in the sweet companion- ship of my beloved /or. 1'eauliful 7-oe ! before two days have passed I shall again be with you, hold you to my bosom, press your impassioned lips,*call you my loved : my own ! Again shall we wander through the silent garden by the the ri\er grove^ ; again shall we sit upon the moss-grown .scats in the still evening hours; again shall we utter ,hose wild words that caused our hearts to vibrate with mutual happiness ! /oe, pure and innocent as the an: The child-like simplicity of that question "Enrique, what is to marry ? " Ah ! sweet /6e ! you shall soon learn. Ere long 1 shall teach you. Ere long wilt thou be mine ; forever mine ! ' /6e ? Zoe ! are you awake ? Do you lie sleepless on your soft couch ? or am [ present in your dreams ? Do you long for my return, as I to hasten it? Oh that the night were past ! I cannot wait for rest. I could ride on sleepless tireless on on ! " My eye rested upon the features of Adele, upturned and shining in the blaze of the lire. I traced the outlines of her sister's face : the high, noble front, the arched eyebrow, and the curving nostril. But the brightness of complexion was not there ; the smile of angelic innocence was not there. The hair was dark, the skin browned ; and there was a wild- ness in the expression of the eye stamped, no doubt, by the experience of many a savage scene. Still was she beautiful, but it was beauty of a far less spiritual order than that of my betrothed. THE BARRANCA. 345 Her bosom rose and fell in short, irregular pulsations. Once or twice. whilf i b.ilf awoke, and muf in the Indian tongue. Her .sleep was troubled and broken. During the journey, Seguin had waited upon her with all the tender solicitude of a father; but she had received his attentions with indifference, or at :. nded them with a cold thankfulness. It was difficult to analyze the feelings that aetr.ated her. Most of the time she remained silent and sullen. The fatiier endeavored, c.ncc or twice, to resuscitate the memories of her childhood, but without sun ess; and with sorrow at his heart he had each time relinquished the attempt. I thought he was asleep. I was mistaken. On looking more attentively in his face, I saw that he was regarding her with deep interest, and listening to the broken phrases that fell from her lips. There was a picture of sorrow and anxiety in his look that touched me to the heart. A> 1 watched him, the girl murmured some words, to me unintelligible, but among them I recognized the name " Dacoma." I -,iw that Seguin started as he heard it. " Poor child ! " said he, seeing that I was awake ; " she is dreaming, and a troubled dream it is. I have half a mind to wake her out of it." -he needs rest,'' I replied. Ay, if that be rest. Listen ! again ' Dacoma.' " It is the name of the captive chief." " Ay ; they were to have been married, according to their laws/ ' But how did you learn this? " " From Rube : he heard it while he was a prisoner at the town." " And did she love him, do you think 346 THE SCALP-HUNTERS. " No. It appears not. She had been adopted as the daughter of the medicine chief, and Dacoma claimed her for a wife. On certain conditions she was to have been given to him ; but she feared, not loved him, as her words now testify. Poor child ! a wayward fate has been hers." " In two journeys more her sufferings will be over. She will be restored to her home, to her mother." " Ah ! if she should remain thus it will break the heart of my poor Adele." " Fear not, my friend. Time will restore her memory. I think I have heard of a parallel circumstance among the frontier settlements of the Mississippi." " Oh ! true ; there have been many. We will hope for the best." " Once in her home the objects that surrounded her in her younger days may strike a chord in her recollection. She may yet remember all. May she not ? " " Hope ! hope ! " " At all events, the companionship of her mother and sister will soon win her from the thoughts of savage life. Fear not! She will be your daughter again." I urged these ideas for the purpose of giving consolation. Seguin made no reply ; but I saw that the painful and anxious expression still remained clouding his features. My own heart was not without its heaviness. A dark foreboding began to creep into it from some undefined cause. Were his thoughts in communion with mine ? " How long," I asked, " before we can reach your house on the Del Norte ? " I scarce knew why I was prompted to put this question. Some fear that we were still in peril from the pursuing foe? " The day after to-morrow,'' he replied, " by the evening. Heaven grant we may find them safe ! " I started as the, words issued from his lips. They had THE fcARRANCA. 347 brought pain in an instant. This was the true cause of my undefined forebodings. " You have fears ? " I inquired hastily. " I have." " Of what ? of whom ? " " The Navajoes." " The Navajoes ! " " Yes. My mind has not been easy since I saw them go eastward from the Pinon. I cannot understand why they did so, unless they meditated an attack on some settlements that lie on the old Llanos' trail. If not that, my fears are that they have made a descent on the valley of El Paso, perhaps on the town itself. One thing may have prevented them from attacking the town : the separation of Dacoma's party, which would leave them too weak for that ; but still the more danger to the small settlements both north and south of it." The uneasiness I had hitherto felt arose from an expres- sion which Seguin had dropped at the Pinon spring. My mind had dwelt upon it, from time to time, during our desert journeyings ; but as he did not speak of it afterwards, I thought that he had not attached so much importance to it. I had reasoned wrongly. " It is just probable," continued the chief, " that the Pase- nos may defend themselves. They have done so heretofore, with more spirit than any of the other settlements, and hence their long exemption from being plundered. Partly that, and partly because our band has protected their neighbor- hood for a length of time, which the savages well know. It it to be hoped that the fear of meeting with us will prevent them from coming into the Jornada, north of the town. If so, ours have escaped." " God grant," I faltered, " that it may be thus ! " " Let us sleep," added Seguin. " Perhaps our apprehen- 348 THK SCAUMIUXTKRS. sions are idle, and they can benefit nothing. To-morrow we shall march forward without halt, if our animals can bear it. Go to rest, my friend ; you have not much time." So saying, he laid his head in his saddle, and composed himself to sleep. In a short while, as if by an act of volition, he appeared to be in a profound slumber. With me it was different. Sleep was banished from my eyes, and I tossed about with a throbbing pulse and a brain filled with fearful fan* ies. The very reaction from the bright dreams in which I had just been indulging rendered my apprehensions painfully active. I began to imagine scenes that might be enacting at that very moment: my betr. -thed struggling in the arms of some licentious savage; for these southern Indians, 1 knew, possessed none of that cold contiiu-me and chivalrous delicacy that characterize the red men of the i! forest." I fancied her carried into a rude captivity ; becoming the " squaw " of some brutal brave ; and with the agony of the thought I rose to my feet and rushed out upon the prairie. Half frantic, I wandered, not heeding whither I went. I must have walked for hours, but I took no note of the time. I strayed back upon the edge of the barranca. The moon was shining brightly, but the grim chasm, yawning away into the earth at my feet, lay buried in silence and darkness. My eye could not pierce its fathomless gloom. I saw the camp and the caballada far above me on the bank: but my strength \\as exhausted, and, giving way to my weariness, I sank down upon the very brink of the abyss. The keen torture that had hitherto sustained me was followed by a feeling of utter lassitude. Sleep conquered agony, and 1 slept. CHAl'lT.R XLII. MUST have Slept an hour or more. Had my dreams be^n realities they would have rilled the measure of an age. At length the raw air of the morning chilled and awoke me. The moon had gone down, for I remembered that she was close to the horizon when I last saw her. Still it was far from being dark, for I could see to a considerable dis- tance through the fog. " Perhaps the day is breaking," thought I, and I turned my face to the east. It was as I had guessed : the eastern sky was streaked with light ; it was morning. I knew it was the intention of Srin.iin tu .start early, -and I was about summoning r, -solution to iai.se ni\ -u-lf when voices broke on my ear. Tin-re were short exclamatory phrases and hoof-strokes upon the prairie turf. " They are up, and preparing to start." \Yith this thought, I leaped to my f^ct, and commenced hurrying to- wards the camp. 1 had not walked ten paces when I became conscious that the voices were behind me ! 349 356 THE SCALP-HUNTKKS. I stopped and listened. Yes ; beyond a doubt I was going from them. " I have mistaken the way to the camp ! " and I stepped forward to the edge of the barranca for the purpose of assur- ing myself. What was my astonishment to find that I had been going in the right direction, and that the sounds were coming from the opposite quarter. My first thought was that the band had passed me and were moving on the route. " But no ; Seguin would not. Oh ! he has sent out a party to search for me : it is they." I called out " Hilloa ! " to let them know where I was. There was no answer ; and I shouted again, louder than before. All at once the sounds ceased. I knew the horse- men were listening, and I called once more at the top of my voice. There was a moment's silence ; then I could hear a muttering of many voices and the trampling of horses as they galloped towards me. I wondered that none of them had yet answered my signal : but my wonder was changed into consternation when I perceived that the approaching party were on the other side of the barranca ! Before I could recover from my surprise, they were opposite me and reining up on the bank of the chasm. They were still three hundred yards distant ; the width of the gulf ; but I could see them plainly through the thin and filmy fog. There appeared in all about a hundred horse- men ; and their long spears, their plumed heads, and half- naked bodies, told me at a glance they were Indians ! I stayed to inquire no further, but ran with all my speed for the camp. I could see the horsemen on the opposite cliff keeping pace with me at a slow gallop. On reaching the spring I found the hunters in surprise, and vaulting into their saddles. Seguin and a few others THE FOE. 351 had gone out on the extreme edge, and were looking over. They had not thought of an immediate retreat, as the enemy, having the advantage of the light, had already discovered the strength of our party. Though only a distance of three hundred yards separated the hostile bands, twenty miles would have to be passed before they could meet in battle. On this account Seguin and the hunters felt secure for the time ; and it was hastily resolved to remain where we were, until we had examined who and what were our opponents. They had halted on the opposite bank, and sat in their saddles gazing across. They seemed puzzled at our appear- ance. It was still too dark for them to distinguish our com- plexions. Soon, however, it grew clearer ; our peculiar dress and equipments were recognized ; and a wild yell, the Nav- ajo war-cry, came pealing over the abyss! " It's Dacoma's party ! " cried a voice, " they have taken the wrong side o' the gully." " No," exclaimed another, " thar's too few o' them for Dacoma's men. Thar ain't over a hundred." " Maybe the flood tuk the rest," suggested the first speaker. " Wagh ! how could they 'a missed our trail, that's as plain as a wagon-track ? 'Tain't them nohow." ' Who then ? It's Navagh. I kud tell thar yelp if I wur sleepin'." " Them's head-chief's niggurs," said Rube, at this moment riding forward " Look 'ee ! yonder's the ole skunk hisself, on the spotted hoss ! " " You think it is they, Rube ? " inquired Seguin. " Sure as shootin', cap." " But where are the rest of his band ? These are not all.'' " They ain't far off, I'll be boun'," Hish-sh, ! I hear them 352 THE SCALP-HUXTERS. " Vender's a crowd ! Look, boy:-, look 1 '' Through the fog, now flowing , nv ,iy. a dark body of mounted men were sivn coming up the opposite side. They advanced with shouts and ejaculations, as though they were driving cattle. It was so. As the fog rose up, we could see a drove of horses, horned cattle, and sheep, covering the plain to a great distance. Behind these iv.de mounted Indians, who galloped to and fro. goading the animals with iheir spears, and pushing them forward. " Lord, what a plunder! " exclaimed one of the hunters. ' Ay, them's the fellows have made .something by thar expe- dition, ll't- are com in' back empty as we went. \Yagh ! " I had been engaged in saddling my horse, and at this moment came forward. It was not upon the Indians that my eye rested, nor upon the plundered cattle. Another object attracted my gaze, and sent the blood curdling to my heart. Away in the rear of the advancing drove I saw a small Y, distinct from the rest. Their light dresses fluttering la the wind told me that they were not Indians. They were v.omen ; they were captiv There appeared to be about twenty in all : but my feelings were such that I took little heed of their number. I saw that they were mounted, and that each was guarded by an Indian, who rode by her side. With a palpitating heart I passed my eye over the group from one to the other ; but the distance was too great to dis- tinguish the features of any of them. I turned towards the chief. He was standing with the glass to his eye. I saw him start ; his cheek suddenly blanched ; his lips quivered convulsively, and the instrument fell from his fingers to the ground ! With a wild look he staggered back, crying out " Mon Die it ! Man Dicu ! O God > thou hast striqken me now 1 " THE F' 353 I snatched up the telescope to assure myself. But it needed not that. As I was raising it an object running along the opposite side caught my eye. It was the dog Alp ! I leveled the glass, and the -next moment was j ing through it on the face of my betrothed ! So close did she seem that I could hardly restrain my>elf from calling to her. I could distinguish her pale, 1'tauti- ful features. Her cheek was wan with weeping, and her golden hair hung disheveled from her .shou": the withers of her horse. She was covered with a and a young Indian rode beside her, mounted upon a sl> horse and dressed in the habiliments of a Mexican hussar! I looked at none of the others, though a glance showed me her mother in the string of captives that came after. The Srovc of horses and cattle soon passed up, and the females with their guards arrived opposite us. The captives were left back on the. prairie, while the warriors rode forward to where their comrades had halted by the brow of the bar- ranca. It was now bright day; the fog had cleared away, and across the impassable gulf the hostile bands stood gazing at each other ! CIIAI'TKK XLII1. Ni;\V MISERY. T was a most singular rencontre. Here were two parties of men, heart-foes to one another, each returning from the country of the other, loaded with plunder and carrying a train of cap- tives ! They had met midway, and stood within musket range, gazing at each other with feelings of the most bitter hostility, and yet a conflict was as impossible as though twenty miles of the earth's surface lay between them. On one side were the Navajoes, with consternation in their looks, for the warriors had recognized their children. On the other stood the scalp-hunters, not a few of whom, in the captive train of their enemies, could distinguish the features of a wife, a sister, or a daughter. Each gazed upon the other with hostile hearts and glances of revenge. Had they met thus on the open prairie, they would have fought to the death. It seemed as though the hand of God had interposed to prevent the ruthless shedding of blood, which, but for the gulf that lay between these foe- men, would certainly have ensued. 354 KE\V MISERY. 355 I cannot describe how I felt at the moment. I remember that, all at once, I was inspired with new vigor both of mind and body. Hitherto I had been little more than a passive spectator of the events of our expedition. I had been act- ing without any stimulating heart-motive ; now I had one that roused me to desperate energy. A thought occurred to me, and 1 ran up to communicate it. Seguin was beginning to recover from the terrible blow. The men had learnt the cause of his strange behavior, and stood around him, some of them endeavoring to console him. Few of them knew aught of the family affairs of their chief, but they had heard of his earlier misfortunes ; the loss of his mine, the ruin of his property, the captivity of his child. Now, when it became known that among the prisoners of the enemy were his uife and daughter, even the rude hearts of the hunters were touched with pity at his more than common sufferings. Compassionate exclamations were heard from them, mingled with expressions i.'' "That's jest, what we want," said Garey. "We kin go yonder, and fight them till they've had a bellyful." The trapper, as he spoke, pointed to the foot of the Mim- bres, that lay about ten miles off to the eastward. " Maybe they'll wait till more comes up. There's more of head-chief's party than these ; there were nearly four hundred when they passed the Pifion." \ " Rube, where can the rest of them be ? " demanded Seguin, " I can see down to the mine, and they are not upon the plain." ' Ain't a-gwine to be, cap. Some luck in that, I reckin. The ole fool has sent a party by t'other trail. On the wrong scent them is." " Why do you think they have gone by the other trail ? " " Why, cap, it stans for raizon. If they wur a-comin' ahint, some o' them niggurs on t'other side wucl 'a gone back afore this to hurry 'em u'p, do 'ee see ? Thur hain't gone ne'er a one, as I seed." " You are right, Rube," replied Seguin, encouraged by the probability of what the other had asserted. " What do you advise us ? " continued he, appealing to the old trapper, whose NEW MISERY. 357 counsel he was in the habit of seeking in all cases of similar difficulty. ' \Val, cap, it's a twistified piece jo* business as it stans ; an' I hain't figured it out to my satisfaction jest yet. If 'ee'll gi me a kupple o' minutes, I'll answer ye to the best o' my possibilities." " Very well ; we will wait for you. Men 1 look to your arms, and see that they are all in readir During this consultation, which had occupied but a few seconds of time, we could see that the enemy was similarly employed on the other side. They had drawn around their chief, and from their gesticulations it was plain they were deliberating how they should act. Our appearance, with the children of their principal men as captives, had filled them with consternation at what they saw, and apprehensions of a fearful kind for what they saw not. Returning from a successful foray, laden with spoil, and big with the prospect of feasting and triumph, they sud- denly preceived themselves out-generaled at their own game. They knew we had been to their town. They conjectured that we had plundered and burnt their houses, and massacred their women and children. They fancied no less ; for this was the very work in which they had themselves been en- gaged, and their judgment was drawn from their own conduct. They saw moreover that we were a large party, able to defend what we had taken, at least against them ; for they knew well that with their fire-arms the scalp-hunters were an overmatch for them, when there was anything like an equality of numbers. With these ideas, then, it required deliberation on their part, as well as with us ; and we knew that it would be some time before they would act. They, too, were in a dilemma. The hunters obeyed the injunctions of 'Seguin, and r<*- mained silent, waiting upon Rube to deliver his advice. 358 THE SCALP-HUNTERS. The old trapper stood apart, half resting upon his rifle, which he clutched with both hands near the muzzle. He had taken out the " stopper," and was looking into the barrel, as if he were consulting some oracular spirit that he kept bottled up within it. It was one of Rube's peculiar " ways," and those who knew this were seen to smile as they watched him. After a few minutes spent in this silent entreaty, the oracle seemed to have sent forth its response ; and Rube, returning the stopper to its place, came walking forward to the chief. " Billee's right, cap. If them Injuns must be fit, it's got to be did whur thur's rocks or timmer. They'd whip us to shucks on the paraira. That's settled. \Val, thur's two things ; they'll eyther come at us ; if so be, yunder's our ground " (here the speaker pointed to a spur of the Mimbres ; " or we'll be obleeged to foller them. If so be. we can do it as easy as fallin' off a log. They ain't over leg-free." " But how should we do for provisions, in that case ? We could never cross the desert without them." " Why, cap, thur's no difeeculty 'bout that. \Vi' the pa- rairas as dry as they are, I kud stampede that hul cavayard as easy as a gang o' bufflers ; and we'd come in for a share o' them, I reckin. Thur's a wus thing than that, this child smells." " What ? " " I'm afeerd we mout fall in wi' Dacoma's niggurs on the back track; that's what I'm afeerd on." " True; it is most probable." " It ur, unless they got overtuk in the keiiyon ; an' I don't think it. They understan' that crik too well." The probability of Dacoma's band soon joining those of the head chief was apparent to all, and cast a shadow of despondency over every face. They were, no doubt, still in pursuit of us, and would soon arrive on the ground. NEW MISERY. 359 " Now, cap," continued the trapper, " I've gi'n ye my notion o' things, if so be we're boun' to fight; but I have my behopes we kin get back the weemen 'ithout vvastin' our gun-fodder." " Hqw ? how ? " eagerly inquired the chief and others. ' Why, jest this a-way," replied the trapper, almost irritat- ing me with the prolixity of his style. " 'Ee see them Injuns on t'other side o' the gulley ? " " Yes, yes," hastily replied Seguin. " Wai ; 'ee see these hyur ? " and the speaker pointed to our captives. " Yes, yes ! " " Wai ; 'ee see them over yander, though thur hides be a coppery color, has feelins for thur childer like white Chris- tyuns. They eat em by times, that's true ; but thur's a re- leegius raizon for that, not many hyur understands, I reckin." And what would you have us do ? " " Why, jest hei.st a bit o' a white rag an' offer to swop prisoners. They'll understan' it, and come to tarms, I'll be boun'. That putty leetle gal with the long har's head chief 's darter, an' the rest belongs to main men o' the tribe : I picked 'em for that. Besides, thur's Dacoma an' the young queen. They'll bite thur nails off about them. 'Ee kin give up the chief, and trade them out o' the queen best way ye kin." " I will follow your advice," cried Seguin, his eye bright- ening with the anticipation of a happy result. " Thur's no time to be wasted, then, cap ; if Dacoma's men makes thur appearance, all I've been a-sayin' won't be worth the skin o' a sand-rat." " Not a moment shall be lost ; " and Seguin gave orders to make ready the flag of peace. " It 'ud be better, cap. fust to gi' them a good sight o' what we've got. They hain't seed Dacoma yet, nor the queen, Thur in the bushes." f/)0 TIIK SC \1 I'-nrXTKRS. " Right ! " answered Seguin. " Comrades ! living forward the captives to the edge of the barranca. Bring the Navajo chief. Bring the- - my daughter ! " The men hurried to obey the command ; and in a few minutes the captive children, with I hi conn and the mystery queen, '01 ward to the very brink of thf chasm. iiat had shrouded them were removed, and they .posed in their usual costumes before the eyes of the Indians. 1 )acoma still wore his helmet, and the queen was conspicuous in the rich plume-embroidered tunic. They were at once recognized ! singular import burst from the Xavajoes as they beheld these new proofs of their discomfiture. The warriors unslung their lances, and thrust them into the earth with im- nt indignation. Some of them drew scalps from their : uck them on the f their spears, and shook them at us over the brow of the abyss. They believed that Da; :nd had been destroyed, as well as their ml children ; and they threatened us with shouts and In the midsfof all this, we noticed a movement among the more staid warrior.-. A consultation was going on. It ended. A party were M en to gallop toward the cap- live women, who had been left far back upon the plain. "Great heavens!'' cried I, struck with a horrid idea, "they are goin- to butcher them ! .Quick with the (' But before the banner could be attached to its staff, the M- xican women were dismounted, their rebozos pulled off, and they were led forward to the precipice. It was only meant for a counter-vaunt, the retaliation of a pang ; for it was evident the savages knew that among their captives were the wife and daughter of our chief. These were placed conspicuously in front, upon the very brow of the barranca. CHAPTER XLIV. Til!' FLAG "i i RUl t. [HEY might ha\< : themselves tlii' pains. Th. H agony was already felt ; but, indeed, a SCCHC follo\\.-d thai -h. I'p to thi-; moment v. e had inn been recognized by th. , I'he diManee had been to. - ! our brownetl faces and u:i \Ji-.tuinixl habiliments were of theniseives a dis- guise. But the instincts of love are quick and keen, and the eyes of my betrothed were upon me. I saw her start forward ; 1 heard the agonized scream ; a pair of snow-white arms were extended, and she sank, fainting, upon the cliff. At thr-: same instant Madame Seguin had recognized the chief, and if ad called to him by name. Seguin shouted to her in reply, and cautioned her in tones of entreaty to remain patient and si' 1 Several of thfi other females, all young and handsome, had ; .L'd their lovers and brothers, and a scene fol- lowed that was painful to witness. But my eyes were fixed upon //. , ! w that she re- covered from her swoon. I saw the savage in hussar trap- 362 THE SCALP- HUNTERS. pings dismount, and, lifting her in his arms, carry her back upon the prairie. I followed them with impotent gaze. I saw that he was paying her kind attentions ; and I almost thanked him, though I knew it was but the selfish gallantry of the lover. In a short while she rose to her feet again, and rushed back toward the barranca. I heard my name uttered across the ravine. Hers was echoed back; but at the moment both mother and daughter were surrounded by their guards and carried back. Meanwhile, the white flag had been got ready, and Seguin, holding it aloft, stood out in front. We remained silent, watching with eager glances for the answer. There was a movement among the clustered Indians. We heard their voices in earnest talk, and saw that some- thing was going on in their midst. Presently, a tall, fine-looking man came out from the crowd, holding an object in his left hand of a white color. It was a bleached fawn-skin. In his right hand he carried a lance. We saw him place the fawn-skin on the blade of the lance, and stand forward holding it aloft. Our signal of peace was answered. " Silence, men 1 " cried Seguin, speaking to the hunters ; and then, raising his voice, he called aloud in the Indian language " Navajoes 1 you know whom we are. We have passed through your country, and visited your head town. Our object was to search for our dear relatives, who we knew were captives in your land. Some we have recovered, but there are many others we could not find. That these might be restored to us in time, we have taken hostages, as you see. We might have brought away many more, but these THE FLAG OF TRUCE. 363 we considered enough. We have not burned your town ; we have not harmed your wives, your daughters, nor your children. With the exception of these, our prisoners, you will find all as you left them." A murmur ran through the ranks of the Indians. It was a murmur of satisfaction Tlv."- had been under the full be- lief that their town was destroyed and their women massa- cred ; and the words of Seguin, therefore, produced a singuJar effect. We could hear joyful exclamations and phrases in- terchanged among the' warriors. Silence was again restored, and Seguin continued " We see that you have been in our country. You have made captives as well as we. You are red men. Red men can feel for their kindred as well as white men. We know this ; and for that reason have I raised the banner of peace, that each may restore to the other his own. It will please the Great Spirit, and will give satisfaction to both of us ; for that which you hold is of most value to us. and that which we have is dear only to you. Xavajocs ! I have spoken. I await your ansv When Seguin had ended, the warriors gathered around the head chief, and we could see that an earnest debate was going on amongst them. It was plain there were dis- senting voices ; but the debate was soon over, and the head chief, stepping forward, gave some instructions to the man who held the flag. The latter in a loud voice replied to Seguin 's speech as follows i White chief ! you have spoken well, and your words have been weighed by our warriors. You ask nothing more than what is just and fair. It would please the Great Spirit and satisfy us to exchange our captives ; but how can we tell that your words are true ? You say that you have not burned our town nor harmed our women and children. How can we know that this is true ? Our town is far off ; so are our 364 THE SCALP- HUNTERS. ivomen, if they be still alive. We cannot ask them. We have only your word. It is not enough." Seguin had already anticipated this difficulty, and had or- dered one of our captives, an intelligent lad, to be brought forward. The boy at this moment appeared by his side. " Question him / " shouted he, pointing to the captive lad. " And why may we not question our brother, the chief Dacoma ? The lad is young. He may not understand us. The chief could assure us better." " Dacoma was not with us at the town. He knows not what was done tin Let D.Morna answer that." ' r.roth'-i 1 " replied Seguin. "you are wrongly supicious, but you shall have his answer,'' and he addressed some words to the Navajo chief, who sat near him upon the ground. The question was then put directly to Dacoma by the speaker on the other side. The proud Indian, who seemed exasperated with the humiliating situation in which he was placed, with an angry wave of his hand and a short ejacula- tion answered in the negative. " Now, brother," proceeded Seguin, " you see I have spo- ken truly. Ask the lad what you first proposed." The boy was then interrogated as to whether we had burnt the town or harmed the women and children. To these two questions he also returned a negative answer. " Well, brother," said Seguin, " are you satisfied ? " For a long time there was no reply. The warriors were n gathered in council, and gesticulating with earnestness and energy. We could see that there was a party opposed to pacific measures, who were evidently counseling the others to try the fortune of a battle. These were the younger braves ; and I observed that he in the hussar costume, who, THE FLAG OF TRUCE. 365 as Rube informed us, was the son of the head chief, appeared to be the leader of this party. Had not the head chief been so deeply interested in the result, the counsels of these might have carried war- riors well knew the scorn that would await them among neighboring tribes should they return without captive. lie- sides, there were numbers who felt another sort of interest in detaining them. They had looked upon the daughters of the Del Norte, and " saw that they were fajr." But thf counsels of the older men at length prevailed, and the spokesman replied : " The Navajo warriors have considered what they have heard. They believe that the white chief has spoken the truth, and they agree to exchange their prisoners. That this may be done in a proper and becoming manner, they pro; that twenty warriors l>e chosen on each side; that tlu' war- riors shall lay down their anus on the prairie in present > all ; that they shall uhen conduct their captives to the crossing of the barranca by the mine, and there settle the term-; of their exchange ; that all the others on both sides shall remain where they now are until the unarmed warriors have got ba< k with the exchanged prisoners ; that the white banners shall then be struck, and both sides be freed from the treaty. These are the words of the Navajo warriors. It was some time before Seguin could reply to this propo- sal. It seemed fair enough ; but yet there was a manner about it that led us to suspect ome design, and we paused a moment to consider it. The concluding terms intimated an intention on the part of the enemy of making an attempt to retake their captives ; but we cared little for this, provided we could once get them on our side of the barranca. It was very proper that the prisoners should be conducted to the place of exchange by unarmed men, and twenty was a proper number ; but Seguin well knew how the Navajoes 366 THE SCALP-HUNTERS. would interpret the word " unarmed ; " and several of the hunters were cautioned in an undertone to " stray " into the bushes, and conceal their knives and pistols under the flaps of their hunting whirls. \Ye thought that we observed a similar maneuver .uoing on upon the opposite bank with the tomahawks of our adversa We could make but little objection to the terms proposed ; and as Sc-uin knew that time saved was an important object, he hastened to accept them. As soon as this was announced to the 1 Xavajoes, twenty men already chosen, no doubt -stepped out into the open prairie, and striking their lances into the ground, rested iist them their bows, quivers, and shields. \Ve saw no tomahawks, and we knew that every Navajo carries this wea- pon. They all had the means of concealing them about their persons ; for most of them were dressed in the garb of civilized life; in the plundered habiliments of the rancho and hacienda. We < ared little, as we, too. were sufficiently armed. \Ye saw that the party selected were men of power- ful strength. In fact, they were the picked warriors of the tribe. Ours were similarly chosen. Among them were Kl Sol and (iarey. Rube, and the bull-fighter Sanchez. Seguin and I were of the number. Most of the trappers, with a few Delaware Indians, completed the complement. The twenty \\ selected ; and. stepping out on the open ground, as the Xavajoes had done, we piled our rifles in the presence of the enemy. Our captives were then mounted and made ready for start- ing. The queen and the Mexican girls were brought for- ward among the rest. This last was a piece of strategy on the part of Seguin. He knew that we had captives enough to exchange one for one, without these ; but he saw, as we all did, that to leave FLAG OF TRI the queen behind would interrupt the negotiation, and per- haps put an end to it altogether. He had resolved, therefore, on taking her along, trusting that he could better negoi for her on the ground. Failing this, there would be but one appeal to arms : and he knew that our party was well prepared for that alternative. Both sides were at length ready, and. at a signal, com- menced riding down the barranca, in the direction of the mine. The rest of two bands remained eyeing each other across the' gulf, with glances of mistrust and hatred. Nei- ther party could move without the other seeing it ; for the plains in which they were, though on opposite sides of the barranca, were but segments of the same hori/.ontal plateau. A horseman proceeding from either party could have I seen by the others to a distance of many miles. The flags of truce were still waving, their spears stuck into the ground: but each of the hostile bands held their In - saddled and bridled, ready to mount at the lirst movement of the other. CHAPTER XLV. A VKXKD TRKATY. like ITHIN the barranca was the mine. The shafts, rude diggings, pierced the cliffs on both sides, S > in.uiy caves. The- bottom between the clit'1's was bisected by a rivulet that murmured among loose rucks. On the banks of this rivulet stood the old smelting-houses and ruined ranches of the miners. Most of them were roofless and crumbling to decay. The ground about them was shaggy and choked up. There were briers, mezcal plants, and cacti ; all luxuriant, hirsute, and thorny. Approaching this point, the road on each side of the bar- ranca suddenly dips, the trails converging downward, and meeting among the ruins. \Yhen in view of these, both parties halted, and signaled each other across the ravine. After a short parley, it was proposed by the Nava joes that the captives and horses should remain on the top of the hill, each train to be guarded by two men. The rest, eighteen on each side, should descend to the bottom of the barranca, meet among the houses, and, 368 A VKXKD TRRATV. having smoked the calumet, arrange the terms of the ex- change. Neither Scguin nor I liked this proposal. We saw that, in the event of a rupture in the negotiation (a thing \ve more than half anticipated), even should our party overpower the other, we coukl gain- nothing. Before we could reach the Navajo captives, up the steep hill, the two guards would hurry them off ; or (we dreaded to think of it) butcher them Indian Peace Pipes. on the ground ! It was a fearful thought, but there was nothing improbable in it. We knew, moreover, that smoking the peace-pipe would be another waste of time ; and we were on thorns about the approach of Dacoma's party. But the proposal had come from the enemy, and they were obstinate. We could urge no objections to it without be- traying our designs ; and we were compelled, though loth, to accept it. 24 370 Till-: SC A LP-Ht' \TERi4. \Ye dismounted, leaving our horses in charge of the guard, and descending into the ravine, stood face to face with the warriors of Navajo. They were eighteen picked men ; tall, broad-shouldered, and muscular. The expression of their faces was savage, subtle, and grim. There was not a smile to be seen, and the lip that at that moment had betrayed one would have lied. There was hate in their hearts and vengeance in their looks. For a moment both panics stood scanning e^ach other in silence. These were no common foes; it was no common hostility that for years had nerved them against each other; and it was no common cause that had now, for the first time, brought them face to face without arms in their hands. A mutual want had forced them to their present attitude of peace, though it was more like a truce between the lion and tiger which have met in an avenue of the jungly forest, and stand eyeing one another. Though by agreement without arms, both were sufficiently armed, and they knew that of each other. The bandies of tomahawks, the hafts of knives, and the shining butts of pistols, peeped carelessly out from the dresses both of hunters and Indians. There was little effort made to conceal these dangerous toys, and they were on all sides visible. At length our mutual reconnaissance came to a period, and we proceeded to business. There happened to be no breadth of ground clear of weeds and thorny rubbish, where we could seat ourselves for the " smoke." Seguin pointed to one of the houses, an adobe 7 structure in a tolerable state of preservation, and several entered to examine it. The bdilding had been used as a smelting-house, and broken trucks and other implements were lying over the floor. There was but one apartmen^ A VEXED TREATY. 37 1 not a large one either, and near its center stood a brazero covered with cold slag and ashes. Two men were appointed to kindle a fire upon the brazero ; and the rest, entering, took their seats upon the trucks and masses of quartz rock ore that lay around the room. As I was about seating myself, an object leaped against me from behind, uttering a low whine that ended in a bark. I turned, and beheld the dog Alp. The animal, frenzied with delight, rushed upon me repeatedly ; and it was some time before I could quiet him and take my pl;uv. At length we all were seated upon opposite sides of the fire, each party forming the arc of a circle, concave to the other. There was a heavy door still hanging upon its hinge ; and as there were no windows in the house, this was suffered to remain open. It opened to the inside. The fire was soon kindled, and the clay-stone calumet filled with '' kini-kinik." It was then lighted, and passed from mouth to mouth in profound silence. We noticed that each of the Indians, contrary to their usual custom of taking a *vhiff or two, smoked long and slowly. We knew it was a ruse to protract the ceremony and gain time ; while we I answer for Seguin and myself were chafing at the delay. When the pipe came round to the hunters, it passed in quicker time. " The unsocial smoke was at length ended, and the nego- tiation began. At the very commencement of the "talk." I saw that we were going to have a difficulty. The Navajoes, particularly the younger warriors, assumed a bullying and exacting atti- tude that the hunters were not likely to brook ; nor would they have submitted to it for a moment but for the peculiar 372 THE SCALP-HUXTERS. position in which their chief w;r- placed. For his sake they held in as well as they could ; but the tinder was apparent, and would not hear many sparks before it blazed up. The first question was in relation to the number of the prisoners. The enemy had nineteen, while we. without in- cluding the queen or the Mexi< ;n girls, numbered twenty- one. This was in our favor ; but, to our surprise, the In- dians insisted that their captives were grown women, that most of ours were children, and that two of the latter should be exchanged for one of the former ! To this absurdity Seguin replied that we could not agree ; but, as he did not wish to keep any of their prisoners, he would exchange the twenty-one for the nineteen. "Twenty-one!" \< Inimed .: by, you have twet:' . We counted them on the bank." ' Six of those ym counted are our own people. They are whites and Mexi. " Six whites ! " retorted the sav.'.gi ; " there are but live. Who is the sixth ? " Perhaps it is our queen ; s/t<- is light in color. Perhaps the pale chief has mistaken her for a white ! '' ' Ha ! ha ! ha ! " roared the savages in a taunting laugh. "Our queen a white ! Ha! h;! ha ! " "Your queen," said Seguin, in a solemn voice; "your queen, as you call her, is my d