Year: 1870

my heart sank within me as thought
of my helpless situation. The woman
was fully my equal in strength and ac-
tivity, and was in every respect as dam
gerous an enemy as the man. With two
such cunning savages against me, my
situation was desperate one indeed
And that there were other confederates
expected | now had no doubt.


"What should do--what could do,
/ kept asking myselfover and over again,
to escape the hand and weapon of the
assassins2 And how, in the intensity of
my anxiety, / avoided exciting the sus-
picions of the would-be murderers is a
mystery to me to this day.


"At an earlier hour than usual that
night, | rolled myself in my blanket and
poncho on the ground, less than dozen
PAGES from the little fire that was kept
burning to guard against the approach
of prowling beasts Of prey. | could not
sleep under the oppressive weight of such
"a terror. But any plea that would en-
able me to escape from the piercing
glances of those cunning, cruel eyes was
welcome to me there.


In mortal agony of suspense | lay.
narrowly watching the countenances of
the murderous chincareros, who we're
squatted before the fire with their faces
toward me. Not whisper even did L
hear from either, nor discover look or n
motion that seemed to be direct ed to the
other yet / was positively convinced
that they were maintaining an earnest
conversation, at frequent intervals as
that they were sitting there in view


At length-it might have be en- ten
o clock, or possibly later-the two arose
and withdrew to some little di stance,
where, as usual, they spread their simple
couch to lie down for the night. APP
parently, after an unusual amo unit OF
fixing and maneuvering about, b, lth dis
posed themselves upon the blan kets at
the same time And had not the fear OF
death increased my watchfulness,I should
certainly have so believed. n ot so,
however.


while the woman was enga ged in
Haunting the blankets about, app, lrently
adjusting them over herself and Luis,
who had first laid down, / caught a mo
mentary glimpse of the latter as he was
hastily scrambling away on all-tou RS, OBJ.
scured, as he thought, by the body and
clothes of the woman.


In an agony of mental terror lay
motionless. What could | do? was my
constant thought. That Luis would soon
return with an overpowering force of cut
throats, | could not doubt. Yet so heavily
lay the spell of fear and despair upon
me that | was for the time completely
deprived of the power of independent
thought or action. was as one dis
armed and bound.


Presently as time went on, the
fercest spasm passed, and something C'i
reaction set in. | resolved upon dc
termined resistance in defense of my
life. My usual strength returned, and |
felt prepared to act on the instant. My
pistols were in readiness for immediate
use-one in my boot, in true Mexican
style, the other in a belt about my waist,
while my short rifle rested under my arm
at my side


Thus alert for any new development,
/ lay listening for the slightest sound to
warn me of the approach of my enemies.
Two wretched hours at least we're passed
in this manner A painfully oppressive
silence reigned throughout. Not even
the rustic of blade of grass was heard,
nor the faintest cracking of a twig. The
assassins could scarcely have slipped
upon me unheard in such a silence.


"But Luis was a wondrous skillful
skulker, as | soon discovered. For
finally, unheralded by the slightest audi
BILE sound, espied him crawling on his
face, snake-like, toward the pallet on
which the woman lay No other moving
form was visible in any direction. His
confederates had evidently not arrived.


81 watched the shadowy form of the
wriggling native, until it was hidden by
the body of the woman, and | felt as
sured at last that there was no longer
danger Of an attack that night. This
assurance relieved somewhat the oppres-
sive suspense that weighed upon my
mind. But to sleep was impossible.
For hours lay covertly watching the in
distinct forms of the natives, and striv-
ing TO fix upon some promising plan of
escape from the fate that threatend me.


Late in the night the moon arose.
1t was not yet visible above the long
range ofhills toward the east, though its
clear. mellow light flooded the broad
plateau beyond us, even to the foot of the
neighboring cliff which bounded the
plain. bringing each rock and shrub into
view with wonderful distinctness.


Ny thoughtful gaze was resting on
the fantastic outlines thus produced,
when suddenly it encountered two human
forms, emerging from the shadow Of
solitary boulder that arose from the midst
of the plateau, and Fastening to cross
the open space that intervened between
the rock and a broad clump Of thorn
bushes that stood much nearer to our
camp.


Instantly the terrible truth flashed
across my mind, with a power and sud
denness that nearly deprived me OF
strength and reason. Luis was not him
self to play the part Of assassin, although
he had communicated to the murderers
the position of the camp. and told them
where to strike TO make sure work.


There was not a moment TO be lost.
The shadow Of the hills lay deep around
us yet, but the desperadoes would GER
tainly be upon me before the rapidly ap-
preaching moonlight could food the spot.