The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1874-07-21

would feel the advantage Oft little sport,
set off at galop towards bend in
tho river where / espied two or three
horses evidently enjoying feed Of gran
illa,' the sweetest grass the country pro-
duces and thinking | should make a
good haul went right at them, when,
to my astonishmont, out of u clump OF
trees came shout, Alto dhi = Halt
there), and pulled up short on discover
ing group Of about twenty-five men.
There was nothing for it but to trot tow
ard them; and as | did SO, | recognized
them as Blancos, by the light blue ribbon
round their hats and to be party COM
manded by Captain Maxine Ramirez,
who, being cut of from the main body of
the Revolutionists, had escaped to the
woods with his men, and there remained
in hiding for three weeks, until an op.
portunity should occur for him to join
his c0mmandapt and the Revolutionary
army. His men had nearly all been in
my service at one time or another horse
tanners, shepherds, ETC., so | felt quite at
home with them at once, and entered TO-
/ w CuuNclsutlOu. lucy all udu thoii
horses saddled and few loose ones
we're straying about. ready to be driven
on before them on changing their camp
grounds (for these flying parties never
sleep two nights consecutivcly in the same
camp, and as often as not change twice
in one night and they were anxiously
expecting the return of the 'bomberos
(scouts) that Maxine had sent out at
down.
These were two young fellows whom |
knew well, cousins to each other, Dami-
an and Tenon Artigas, and who were
nick named respectively 'Noco' and Pc
lado.' They had been born in the dis
trict, and lived in it all their lives !;
knowing every hole and corner in the
woods and Sierras that could contain
sheep in hiding, much less body of men
and horses. | dismounted, and shook
hands with several Of the men, pulled out
my cigar.case, well filled with cigaryatos
dc papei, and passed it round, continuing
in conversation sill one of the men OBJ.
served that TOGO and Pelado were so long
returning that they must have found the
coast clear and gone to take mate at
their aunt Anastacia's; and that If Rami-
rcz saw no objection they might light fires,
and do the same without danger, since
the woods were dryish, and would not
make much smoke. Maxine consented,
and two groups speedily formed around
the fires, the horses standing hobbled
close by, and the lances stuck in the
ground near each mans horse.
Half an hour might have passed thus
in sucking mate (the native substitute
for tea, partaken of through the medium
of hollow gourd or tube), the converse
tion being interlarded by boodthirsty
threats of what would be done should any
unfortunate Colorado fall into their hands
threats of which Il hand passcdSHt,ti.
canty across the throat was Of the mild.
est type. Then the 'cana' (whitc rum
bottle was passed round; and all were
feeling uncommonly social and jolly,
when a sharp cry from Victor Cias made
us spring to our feet.
Here they come, and in hurry
And, true enough, VIC saw the two
scouts, TOGO aud Pelado, galloping down
Il long slope toward US, at pace which
showed it was not for pleasure but for
life they rode.
Jollty was over for the noncc.
la less than minute every man bad
seized his lance and carbine and was in
the saddle. Said [ sweetly, 'AdioS mu-
chachos; | shall be seriously compro.
missed if caught by any Of your enemies /;
and to judge from the way TOGO and Pc
lado are riding, such are not far off. >
With which, and shaking hands with
Maxine, | turned my horses head up.
stream at hard cantcr.
had not gone three hundred yards
when, casting glance behind, saw my
friends tearing after me as hard as their
horses could lay feet to the ground aud
behind them, coming over the crest Of
hill about three.quarters Of a mile off,
at a gallon, body Of men some seventy
or eighty in number, whom | judged to
be government Of Colorado soldiers
No sooner did they sight US than, with
u weird and strange yell, that came down
the breeze with music which sent II
shiver up my spine, they appeared to
hurry forward and as | was by this
time already mixed up among the STAN.
pedes of Maximo's men, | knew well my
fate would De most uncertain notwith-
standing that | was foreigner, carried
no arms and had no party insignia for
on occasions Of this sort men get 70 ab.
sulutely ierocious that they would not
hesitate to "ball" my horse, take potshots
at me, put six inches OF lance blade under
my ribs, or play any other mild or festive
trick, ending with a slit weazand, aud
afterward rejoice at having been able to
wipe out foreigner with impunity.
Therefore gave chirrup to my horse,
and away we went, regular case of SaUre
gui pem for one and all. | never looked
behind, but picked out the best and clean.
est galloping ground to the Paso de la
Calera, where | knew, if once across the
river, | could run for Don Melitos Piris'
house, and be safe for if the Colorados
did see ne arrive there it would not
matter, he being a great Colorado parti.
san, and staunch friend of mine.
The many rations Of grain my horse
had eaten during the winter stood me in
good stead now, for found that without
pressing him kept at the head of the
!, scattered column many Of our party
badly mounted, gradually dropping be
, hind, aud slipping off their tired animals
at the edge of the wood, where they ran
into the scrub on foot, leaving their hor-
scs aud gear an easy prize to the enemy,
and ltlle caring for the loss of steed and
saddle, so they could escape, swimming
the river under cover Of the night, and
r get to some friendly "ranch" with a whole
. skin.
, Two men. Luis Flores aud Victor Ce
, las. both caually well mounted with my.