New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-02-25

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side by the hill on which were Juan and his com
panions; while on the other the cliffs rose sheer
some two hundred feet At each end of this basin
the hill approached the chit 30 abruptly and 80
closely as form veritable natural gate"ays be-
tween which crawled a winding, rocky roau, drop
ping the west and east both suddenly into Valleys
tributary 20 the river Lerma. On the west tue
cliffs turned northward after the gateway rising
higher and higher. until at abont mile I away My.
where u large stream came into the vaiieV the'
were fall five hundred feet. ..,
'Cdrambd, what keeps them ? said Juan testify.
ola, Jose bring me the horse
'Nhy. colonel SAID one of the loungng Rroup,
'you are hiding the red. Why didn't you bring t1e
Coyote am AFRAID 1t won't bring us goo9 Iuch, -.
Never fear replied Juan, as heavy; tileh-se e
bay, with black points. was led mp nc CuAo.e
has work to do for tonight. and II the bay cannuC
carry me, | can 60 on foot. tdrdmeg! gm .
would be good enough 70 ta1e IN 'IS ' womder
though where that two hundred marched To last
night; OF rather. where they have gone 10 TINS
morning There's no one on the Ioad lNtIahuaca
None but ourselves, captain was the answer. a.
Juan swung himself into the heavy slIVer-pIated
saddle ana turned the bays bend up the slope
I'm ana up through the oaks stepped the STURDY
bay unmnuful of the weight OF his rider, until the
bald top of the hill is reached, anu Juan tnro"S
himself on "A rock TO con the scene below him.
Bnt no sign is there OF the lUng-expeeted tram OF
troops and pack-uules
To the westward half a mile away AID below is
the little white wayside inn-a few wayiaTers IN
duging IN n quiet breakfast with the lnn-ioiK
then beyond. the stage-rOad winding YEARLY lOr
couple OF miles through the bad lands, on winch
points of gray black lava glitIered under the sun.
Further a FAINT cool ripple on the water III the
great reservoir of Tepetongo, Dedded III waving
greer corn; fields mapped out win stone Was
from whch "a white film of mist IL rising STANDS ot
against the ruddy tiles and brick walls OF hat VII
lage-cal it not house, though closed IN ohe sldn'
wall it be - IL. ,,
Westward STILL over the undnlating grass plain
of which brood-nares and cattle are lahlly wehd-
ing their way shelter for the noonlde 10 fomoca
bar no
arid plain, only to open wider again IN the greater
luxurI 4uce of the Maravatio valley, all aDud Win
rich green growth far in whose corner. nearly
thirty miles away. can Jnan discern the MOORISH
splre of the chnrch-that church III which she Is
worshipping maybe Is now praying Tor hun. bui
no mule train vet and his eye wandeTs ON to tho
westward. past the town, over chime upon
chime hill upon hill, peak uron peak dying
away indefinitely under the spring maze, save
wneIe the bald ton of the Capulin rises bue-black
under Its piny garb. Petulantly he Turns to follow
up the stream to the southwark. TO where u Is ehut
i'm by dark cliffs in which lies tho well known cave
and over the tahle.aD to the eastward, where far
far away he inst make out the peak OF Aochi-
feet nigh out of the .air meads OF the broad Lerma
valley Nothing on tho road ahead Oi rs. at any
rate ne muttcrs. But as his eye turns back 10 tue
westward he springs up and forces the pay baCh-
ward down The slope they had come up. scarce
mile away was the pack-train hidden hitherto ID
deep guily-twO companies OF cavalry III front uud
three companies OF Infantry behlh'i' lhe iulo'S
cannot have IA bundled and nifty men Gan thuy ne
going TO entrap lie 7 Impossible! NelL AT All
II change the Oidel OF Dattlb. ~ Ftt ihs'
he mounted, and sent the bay down the NIL &c n
pace that showed lie cared for his own neck as
little as or the horses foIo-eSs.
A gallant figure he was--hls tall FORM swinging IN
the saddle with that peculiJr loUsc and graceful
Mexican seat the euds OF his gauGy sGTdpe niteam-
ing out over the horses quarters; the bIOad "hlte
lelt hat heavily Carnlshed with silver flashing IN
and out of the dark GA k-rees; while The SILVER bu-
tons Oh his jaguar-stin oVeralIs tinkled merry
tune
who wee mounting fast and furious the CLEAN of
battle in every eve.
TO the east aud tell him to follow down opposite TO
is; to give the leading companies volley when he
hears the old signal and then out on them with the
,aacb1fes Let him leave i've men Only IN the pass
10 cut oil the straggleTs. Rafael, 90 down on loot
TO jose and tell him, the III ment he hears us tru,
to set half dozen men throwing down me wall wall
above the inn. and cbne himself Up; aud we'll
drive thr whole down the bill to the west ald
then into the canon. and have the mules at the
coast in three days. and the plumber safe IN the
LaurelIs. Kun! run! Follow me down TO the ngDtr
In five minutes they were enscon4ed III a thick
grove OF scrub OAK. scarce one hundred ieet from
fine road Now, men. STEADY Remember the old
word " Death to the Span.ard" Save all the In
dos. Well let the cavalry get past for GaDrlel
contents of your trd6acos aud then 9us on them
with the mdchcios and ride them down!
But many horse was paving the ground eager
": many a man was DeryJusly blowing at his
pruning ere the helmets of the first few Dragons
Half a dozen men riding neglpentlY. chatting
and smoking; aud then a space of IA hundred yards
or so TO the main body of dragons, in number sOe
sixty Tn the long line of ioity paCk-Inulcs; the
mules gruuting and putting NJ the seep-eyort five
with their lnGlan driver, and each with ITS little
Leather saddle bags, which might contain four
Thousand dollars IN silver, or sIXty thousand dollars
in gold. who knows AS the dragons came OppO-
SITE to the amblscade the infantry bringing up the
rear were Just rising the slope little below wheIe
Jose was posted
shrill whistle from Juan, -an OF bullets ON to
both cavalry and infantry. VIVA charge ~
which the impetus o. the morse told moro than the
mdcl6tts h,ckoIug around their heads. wild
confusion, as the pack-traiu turns AT numbering
canter down the hill. bursting through the already
broken line OF infantry below. lew gallant raj
lies against the inevitable, where three or four
Spaniatds, back to back, try TO save themselves.
although the day DO lOst-to 10 purpose Though.
The be-nOuthed tTabucO rains bullets around
them, the desperate charge OF tine hUrsemen with
the indchrte stabbing death. the lasso swinging
more certain death for the fugltves. Spain cannot
fight against this Cd 49, ana alter one LOOK over
the neld, Medina with a few picked men Il 80 GER
tain of the result that he is hnrT ing after the tran
to stop them they shake the bags of .thoir backs
or founder the .nselNes.
Over rocks bOulaers and ugly country OF all sorts
dasbes the bay, to te brought up plugging aud rear
ING ~ Juan heads the train inst the broken wall
and forces them into the fields, and in ~O Nun
utes they are seanled down and walking slowly on
toward the gorge. Gabriel is getting together
ne arms and horses of the soldiers above. and jose
with half q dozen men Is sent dOwD 10 the little
tavern to see that no one plays false there though
the Maravatio road. and nan with the booty rides
slowly onward. Down through The green corn
fields stopping and again to throw down the
stone walls dividing them. winds the train of
mules aud hOTsemen, some OF the latter stanChing
then fresh wounds; anon one or two dropping
back to help along comiade who has had rather
more than his share of the fight, and who with that
logged 1Otec courage. or, possibly want % keen
appreciaiOn of pain that more civilized races have,
keeps on horseback to the last.
The BOTTOM of the hill is reached. and then they
strike a trail winding along the stream up INTO the
canon
Even with the sun almost at high noon, how dim
aud iorbdding the gorge looks, scarce one hundred
feet broad at tho bottom. inclosed IN rugged rock
walls five hundred feet high, which from below
look as If they met at the TOP The harsh bark or
raven ia all the response to the stream Cascading
down into gray and black pools the mules tired
Iuh, NJ