Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1861-10-04
9ailg appeal.
AMONG THE SENORAS.
BY DR.. S. COMPTON SMITH.

a group of volunteer soldiers. Their features,
stiH pale from recent confinement, and the sticks
and crutcbes BIZ their sides, with here and there
a bandaged limb exposed to view, told thatthey
were some of those gallant fellows, now con-
valescent from wounds received a few weeks
before upon the neighboring field Of Buena
Vista.
Tney were all young men, and it was plain to
see that they claimed the fsT-Of north as their
home. Ii was evident, also, from their CONVEX
sation. that at that moment their thoughts were
among their distant friends. They had been
permitted, for the first time, to leave their hos
pital, to inhale in this beautiful grove, the pure,
health-giving breath of the mountains, gently
stirring the fragrant blossoms about them, and
as would naturally be the case after being so
long shut up within the walls of the old convent,
the fresh breeze, the flowers, the green grass,
the musical fountains, and the rich foliage OF the
trees about them, with the view of the grand
old mountains towering in the distance, made
their bosoms thrill with delight, and notwlth-
standing their swathed and crippled limbs, they
gave themselves up to the careless abandon OF
happy sehoolfellows.
Recognizing in this group a number of old
acuuaintances, / Joined them, and seating my
self upon the grass beside them, took part with
them in their random conversation. l had been
with them but a few moments, when Il carriage
containing a little party of Mexican ladies, pass
ed the spot, and in doing SO the s%enOrtas, with
characteristic grace and courtesy, returned our
salutations, and playfully scattered handfuls OF
-boquets at our feet, smiling and waving their
handkerchiefs as they disappeared round a turn
Of the drive.
This little incident Immediately changed the
current OF our conversation, and the women OF
the country became the subject.
Itelly ou what is a fact, boys exclaimed one
Of the group, named Charlie Everett, /" IN get
a.. - al nrraeF.En.
was make. The gr60SerS We're put together
without souls, while all the m~aniiHcss Of the ma
ton was bestowed upon the women, God bless
them -
That's salr was the. simultaneous reply.
They're good, kind souls, are these here seno-
ritas," said one, and I'm yet to hear OF he
first Mexican who hasn't a heart running over
with human kindness. I don't know, Charlie,
what some of US chaps would ha' done if II
hadn't been fer them that brought Us knick-
knaeks, and nuTsed Us Ike mothers and sis
tiers. in the hospital yondcr. / reckon in spite
of the doctors, more on us would have lost the
numbers of cur messes than did, if it hadn't a
been for them. 1t makes me almost ashamed
] ever volunteered IL to fight their people"
That's my fix, Ned" joined in another,
and it bothers me how It's possible that the men
can be so much ike the sneaking wolves of the
chaparral, when the women are such angels of
mercy and forgiveness"
We'll, I reckon / can explain that replied
the individual addressed. Its because the
dear creatures have so much goodness that there's
none left for the greasers, and they're mean as
snakes
"rhey are not only kind-hearted aud loving,
these fair Mexicanas, but they are also brave,
fearless souls when danger assails them, and lis
a pity they couldn't change places with the
k0mbres,7 resumed Charlie. And that Tcminds
me, boys, of our little adventure among the
senoras of San Juan de los Minss, and as al OF
YOU may not have heard the story, l VIII teHit."
THAT'S right, Charlei Give Us the story -
we all exclaimed, as we fixed 0uTselvesi in a good
position for listening.
@Well, then he commenced, "you Tcmem-
br the time when a part of our company were
Il -aled 70 T~econn0iter the country IN the direc-
ton Of Victoria, from which il was reported a
large force Of the enemy were advancing upon
Wf"
les yes we remember. It was at the
time Lieutenant Holman was a prisoner, and his
comrades were murdered by the greaseIs, want
III"
Just so, boys. You see, we had cncampcd
one night on a little stream, where there was
plenty of grass; and as our animals had bad a
hard days work, and were hungry, we tied
them out in the bushes, where they could graze
then FL. They were outside the Inc Of sent-
nels, and when daylight came, and we were
nedQy 10 IeSaQdlc, we IGlud 10 OI cud9lln lhli
pne-half Of them had been stolen by the greasers-
Among them was my own noble grey, as gallant
. steed as ever eropt grass in the old Illinois
STATE.
"WeI, We discovered by the signs that the
thieves did not number more than three or fOm
and there was a young Mexican with US who
said he knew all the country theTeabOuts, and
could easily follow on their trail, if any Of the
bows were disposed 10 recover then animals. So,
taking him as their guide, Lieutenant Holman
and three Of our fellows started out in pursuit.
We were to remain in camp until they returned,
for we had 10 doubt thew would soon Oyertake
the raseals and bring back the horses.
But we waited al that day, and the next, and
still our friends did not make their appearance
At length, on the third day, fearful Of foul play.
Frank Sprague, our orderly sergeant, was sent
out with eight men, including myself, 10 ascer-
rain the fate Of our comrades.
We had not been absent from the camp but
a few hours, when, coming to the edge Of a
deep gulley, we found among the prieky pears
a hat, which we recognized as having belonged
10 our Mexican, and close at hand were the
marks OF a Struggle in thehiufy soil, with stains
Of blood upon the stones ami leaves. a closer
examination showed us where a body had been
dragged TO the edge of the guley, and after,
with some difficulty clambeTing to the dry bed
Of & winter torrent below, we found the dead
body of the guide. He had been shot through
the body, and afterwards dispatched with
knives.
"a still closer scrutiny of the locality also re-
vealed to Us the mutilated corpses OF the other
companions of the lieutenant but the body o:
the Young officer was nowhere to be found, and
we congratulated ourselves that he had escaped
the fate Of his comrades, and might then be
wa~nderingin the ehapaTTal. For hours we search
ed the thiekef, but nothing more than the trail
Of the stolen horses could be found. This we
followed till near night, when, On turning an alb
rnpt SPUR Of the hills, we came Suddenly in
sight of the little rancho withthe extensive name
of San Juan de los Mmas, or San Juan Of the
Mines, for it was in the vicinity Of an old aban-
donad silver mine. 1t had been once a cOnsid-
cradle village, but now consisted only Of a few
strongly-bult adobe dwellings, and was appa-
Tently occupied as a cattle rancho
"Sad, weary, hungry and foOi-sore, we hailed
this discovery with JOY, for we had no doubt we
would at least find rest and refreshnent, till the
following morning, when we were determined
70 follow up the trail Of the stolen horses.
ave had caught a glance of this promising
haven of repOse only, when Frank SpTague, who
was In advance, stopped Suddenly in the path,
and throwing himself upon the ground, notion
81 us TO follow his example.
WHATS up now, Frank | inquired, as I
stretched myself by his side.
"sLook Wonder, Charlie we have holed the
EuLLAllaACa AAhAAAA - A-AA VI - 4lnitn anu
over wonder, in the corral, beyond the houses,
are our horses Don't You see ? there's the cap
tain's nag; and there's Bill Mason's soTel; and
there's your gray Pontiac, and all the rest Of
themf'
~ looked IN the direction the sergeant indica-
ted, and there, sure enough, were all our stolen
horses and the animals poor Holman and his
companions had ridden away from the camp in
pursuit Of the thieves.
Besides these, there were in another corral
some score Of Mexican horses. wbesc backs,
stin wet with saddle marks. plainly showed iltat
they had Just been ridden there.
al tell Won, boys said Frank, 'the ranctc is
fun Of g~Teascrs. They arc doubtless some Of
Che gang Of Canales' cut-tlToat gueTillas; and il
was them who stolen our horses and murdered
eur friends. Now, you know we must have our
property, and ayenge the deaths Of the hoys.
But there are only nine of US, while to judge
from the number Of saddle horses IN Wonder cor
raj, there are more than three times that number
OF greasers-
Well what Of that, sergeant p we all ex-
claimed, mtenupting him; what are three 10
one, or even twice that number We can wlip
them, and let us pitch I'M
"Hold, boysi Yes, we could Win them easy
enough in a fair fight; but yon forget tbev have
greatly the advantage Of us, in the protection If
them strong adobe walls. We must have re-
course to stratagem, and attempt no attack tin
night So let us creep cautiously among fhe
th'"tets till then, and by the light Of the moon
give them the best we have