BANCROFT LIBRARY THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA THE WAR-TRAIL; OB, THE HUNT OF THE ILD HORSE. of % Jrairit. BY CAPTAIN MAYNE EEID, AUTHOR OF THE "HUNTER'S FEAST," " SCALP HUNTERS," " BIFJUB RANGERS," "QUADBOO*," AND "THE WHITE CHIEF." Beautifully Illustrated with Original Designs Engraved by N. Orr NEW YORK: ROBERT M. DE WITT, PUBLISHER, 13 FRANKFORT STREET. 3 ferniiD according to Act of CoogKM, in the year 1857, by ROBERT M. DE WITT, fe tie Clerk'* Oftce of the Pietrict Court of the United Slates, for the Southern Digtrict of New York. TKF Publisher begs to inform the Trade and the Public, that portions of this work art now first printed not having been published in England. This is done by expres arrangement with the author, in order to protect the inviolability of the Copyright in this country, as the advance sheets have been secured for the American house at con- liderable expense. 6 Bancroft Library PUBLISHER'S PREFACE. IN presenting to the American Public another volume of these half-wild, half-civilized, half-hunter, half-military adventures, which the author relates in a style so peculiarly his own, it is scarcely necessary to urge any argument in its favor. MATNE REID is so well known and so generally appreciated, that his books possess the entree into every circle the public library, the bachelor's sanctum, the hunter's cabin and the lady's boudoir all gratefully extend to the redoubtable Captain a welcome, as warm as it is sincere. There is a charm pervading these books which is to be found in few others and it lies in that off-hand, dashing style with which the author carries his reader along with him, through all sorts of perils, verging on the very brink of destruction, but invariably, by some happy chance, landing him safe on terra firma. Of course, this is easily effected in a novel, and is what every writer aims at ; but, with most of them, the reader can never lose sight of the fact that he is reading, while in Mayne Reid's books the narration is so blended with the action that we lose our identity, as it were, and all our faculties are absorbed by the scene before us, until we feel as if we ourselves were the participants in the fight or foray he h describing. iv PUBLISHER'S PREFACE. The "WAB-TKAIL" has been pronounced, by good judges, to be the best of the series, which is no small praise when we refer to the encomiums which the American press bestowed upon the "Scalp Hunters," "Eifle Bangers," "White Chief," &c., awarding to them a high position among works eminently instructive and deeply interesting. We congratulate the author upon the success he has achieved, and have no doubt an appreciative public will cordially welcome this his last production. THE PTTBLISI > YORK, June 10. CONTENTS. I SOUVENIRS, . . 9 II. A MEXICAN FRONTIER VILLAGE, , .2 - THE RANGERS ON PICKET, . . 16 IV. MAKING A CAPTIVE, . 23 V. MY CAPTIVE, . .. . . . .28 VI. ISOLINA DE VARGAS, . V 32 VII. AN ORDER TO FORAGE, . . . . . . .41 vm. SON RAMON, . . 49 ix. "UN PAPELCITO," . * 63 X. AN OLD ENMITY, . ' * . 59 XI. RAFAEL LRJRRA, . 65 XII. THE YELLOW DOMINO, 73 XIII. THE BLUE DOMINO, . . '' -; . . f . .78 XIV. LOVE-THOUGHTS, . . t . . . . 87 XV. AN ODD EPISTLE, . % - * .91 XVI. THE MANADA, .,*. . ... .96 XVII THE HUNT OF THE WILD HORSE, 102 XVIII. THE PHANTOM HORSE, , f 105 XIX. A PRAIRIE DREAM, . ... Ill XX. LOST UPON THE PRAIRIE, 115 XXI. A PRAIRIE REPAST, ' . . . . 119 XXII. CHASED BY A "GRIZZLY," * ~ , , 123 XXIII. THE TOUGHEST STRUGGLE OF MY LIFE, ... . 130 XXIV. OLD COMRADES, .*.. 134 XXV. A QUEER CONVERSATION, , * . * ... 139 XXVI. VOWS OF VENGEANCE, .......... 145 xxvii. A "WEED" PRAIRIE ON FIRE, . 151 XXVni. RUBE ROASTED ALIVE, . . . . . . . . .159 XXIX. THE MESA, .166 VI CONTENTS. CHAPTEB .' PAUH XXX GUERBtLLEROS, . .. 172 XXXI. THE PARLEY, . . . 17* XXXII. A DEAD SHOT, 181 XXXIII. A RUNNING-SHOT, 186 xxxiv. RUBE'S CHARGER, 193 XXXV. EL ZORRO, 198 XXXVI. A PLAN OF ESCAPE, 202 XXXVII. ELIJAH QUACKENBOSS, . . . . > ... 206 XXXVIII. THE TRAP EMPTY, 210 XXXIX. SCALING THE CLIFF, . 215 XL. A REINFORCEMENT, . . . . . . ' V " . 222 XLI. THE INDIAN SPY, . . , 226 XLII. THE CABALLADA, . . i . . . "" ' . . 229 XLIII. A CHAPTER OF EXPLANATIONS, 234 XLIV. DUTCH LIGE IN A DIFFICULTY, 241 XLV. A LOVER ON THE TRAIL, ... . . . . . 245 XLVI. A DECLARATION ON HORSEBACK, 253 XLVII. STRAYED FROM THE TRACK, 259 XL VIII. AN ADIOS, . . .,. 266 XLLX. THREATS, . . * ^ f 270 L. AWKWARD ODDS, ... . 276 LI. AN OFFICIAL BLACK LIST, ........ 282 LII. THE ROUTE, 287 LIU. CAMP GOSSIP, 292 LIV. THE RUINED RANCHO, 298 LV. A CRUEL PROSCRIPTION, 302 LVI. THE BIVOUAC OF THE GUERRILLA, 307 LVII. TAKING THE TRAIL, '!' %' . 312 &YIII. THE VOYAGEUR, ^. :,>.v.,v.^, .317 LIX. TRAILING BY TORCH-LIGHT, , . . . . '. . . . 320 LX. THE SOMBRERO, V ' . . 324 LXI. THE TRAIL RECOVERED, ' ' . 327 LXII. WOLVES ON THE TRACK, . . . . " ' -i . 332 LXIII. ACROSS THE TORRENT, . .335 LXIV. A LILLIPUTIAN FOREST, 340 LXV. SCATTERING THE WILD STALLIONS, 344 LXVI. LOST IN A CHAPARRAL, . . . . ' . . . . 349 LXVII. ENCOUNTER WITH JAVALI, 352 IXVIII. THE WOODS ON FIRE, 356 LXIX. SMOKE AND THIRST, ' . . 369 LXX. A BURNT PRAIRIE, . 364 LXXI. THE TALK OF THE TRACKERS, .... '' . .367 LXXII. " INJUN SIGN," ,, . 372 CONTENTS. Vll CHAPTER FAQS LXXIH TRANSLATING THE "SIGN," 376 LXXIV. THE STEED LAZOED, 379 LXXV. THE "INDIOS BRAVOS," 382 LXXVI. ON THE WAR-TRAIL, . .* . 387 LXXVII. THE "WRITING ON THE MAOUEY, 391 LXXVIII. THE SOUTHERN SAVAGE, 395 LXXIX. A SUBTERRANEAN FIRB, ...... 398 LXXX. A RED EPISTLE, . . i 403 LXXXI. MORE WRITING IN RED, , .- /' ^ 407 T.TTTTT. AN INJUN ON THE BACK TRACK, 411 LXXXIII. CAPTURING A COMANCHE, . 416 LXXXIV. "PAINTING INJUN," . ? 419 LXXXV. THE LAST HOURS ON THE TRAIL, 424 L XXXVI. THE COMANCHE CAMP, . . .-,_,,. . . 427 LXXXVII. NO COVER, . . . . >, -,>,, . . . . -431 LXXXVIII. RUBE CONSULTING HIS ORACLE, % 435 LXXXIX. THE TRAPPER'S COUNSEL, 439 XC. TAKING TO THE WATER, 443 XCI. UP STREAM, 447 xcii. COUP D'CEIL OF THE CAMP, 452 XCIII. A FRIENDLY ENCOUNTER, ........ 455 XCIV. SPY IN COUNCIL, 460 XCV. THE COUNCIL IN SESSION, 463 XCVI. THE RENEGADE CLAIMS HIS CAPTIVES, 467 XCVII. SPEECHES IN COUNCIL, , 470 XCVIII. A ROUGH COURTSHIP, 475 ZOIX. THE CRISIS, 479 C THE LAST GALLOP, . ....... 485 CJ -CONCLUSION, . . ^ THE WAE-TEAIL. CHAPTER I. SOUVENIRS. LAND of the nopal and maguey home of Moctezuma and Malinchd ! I cannot wring thy memories from my heart ! Years may roll on, hand wax weak, and heart grow old, bat never till both are cold can I forget thee ! I would not ; for thee would I remember. Not for all the world would I bathe my soul in the waters of Lethe. Blessed be memory for thy sake I Bright land of Anahuac ! my spirit mounts upon the ae'rial wings of Fancy, and once more I stand upon thy shores! Over thy broad savannahs I spur my noble steed, whose joyous neigh tells that he too is inspired by the scene. I rest under the shade of the corozo palm, and quaff the wine of the acrocomia. I climb thy mountains of amygdaloid and porphyry thy crags of quartz, that yield the white silver and the yellow gold. I cross the fields of lava, rugged in outline, and yet more rugged with their coverture of strange vegetable forms the cycas and cactus, yuccas and zamias. I traverse thy table-plains through bristling rows of giant aloes, whose sparkling juice cheers ms on my path. I stand upon the limits of eternal snow; crushing 1* fl 10 THE WAE-TRAIL. the Alpine lichen under my heel ; while down in the deep bar ranca, far down below, I behold the feathery fronds of the palm, the wax-like foliage of the orange, the broad shining leaves of the pathos, the arums, and bananas! O that I could look with living eye on these bright pictures! But even palely out lined upon the retina of memory, they impart a soothing plea sure to my soul Land of Moctezuma! I have other souvenirs of thee, more deeply graven on my memery than these pictures of peace. Thou recallest scenes of war. I traversed thy fields a foeman sword in hand and now, after years gone by, many a wild scene of soldier-life springs up before me with all the vividness of reality. The, Bivouac, I I sit by the night camp-fire ; around are war like forms and bearded faces. The blazing log reflects the sheen of arms and accoutrements saddles, rifles, pistols, canteens, strewing the ground, or hanging from the branches of adjacent trees. Picketed steeds loom large in the darkness, their forms dimly outlined against the sombre background of the forest. A solitary palm stands near, its curving fronds looking hoary under the fire-light. The same light gleams upon the fluted columns of the great organ-cactus, upon agaves and bromelias, upon the silvery tillandsia, that drapes the tall trees as with a toga. The wild tale is told the song is sung the jest goes round the hoarse peal echoes through the aisles of the forest, fright ing the parrot on its perch, and the wolf upon his prowl. Little reck they who sing, and jest, and laugh little reck they of the morrow. ******* The Skirmish! Morning breaks. The fragrant forest is silent, and the white blue light is just tinging the tree-tops. A shot rings upon the air: it is the warning-gun of the picket- sentinel, v>o comes galloping in upon the guard. The enemy SOUVENIRS. 11 npproaches! " To horse!" the bugle thrills in clear loud notes Th'e slumberers spring to their feet they seize their rifles, pistols, and sabres, and dash through the smouldering fires till ashes cloud the air. The steeds snort and neigh ; in a trice they are saddled, bridled, and mounted ; and away sweeps the troop along the forest road. The enemy is in sight a band of guerillas, in all their pictu- resqueness manga and scrape of scarlet, purple, and gold. Lances, with shining points and streaming pennons, overtop the trees. The bugle sounds the charge ; its notes are drowned by the charging cheer. We meet our swarthy foemen face to face ; spear-thrusts are answered by pistol-shots; our sabres cross and clink, but our snorting steeds rear back, and will not let us kill each other. We wheel and meet again, with deadlier aim, and more determined arm ; we strike without remorse we strike for freedom 1 * * * * * * * The. Battle-field I The serried columns and the bristling guns the roar of cannon and the hoarse roll of drums the bugle's wildest notes, the cheer, the charge the struggle hand to hand the falling foeman and his dying groan the rout, retreat, the hoarse huzza for victory ! I well remember, but I cannot paint them. . ******* Land of Anahuac! thou recallest other scenes, far different from these scenes of tender love or stormy passion. The strife is o'er the war-drum has ceased to beat, ancl the bugle to bray ; the steed stands chafing in his stall, and the conqueror dallies in the halls of the conquered. Love is now the victor, and the stern soldier, himself subdued, is transformed into a suing lover. In gilded hall or garden bower, behold him on bended knee, whispering his soft tale in the ear of some dark eyed donfdla, Andalusian, or Aztec! ******* 12 THE WAB-TRAIL. Lovely land! I have sweet memories of thee ; for who could traverse thy fields without beholding some fair flower, ever after to be borne upon his bosom. And yet, not all my souvenirs are glad. Pleasant and painful, sweet and sad, they thrill my heart with alternate throes. But the sad emotions have been tempered by time, and the glad ones, at each returning tide, seem tinged with brighter glow. In thy bowers, as elsewhere, roses must be plucked from thorns ; but in memory's mellowed light I see not the thorns I behold only the bright and beauti ful CHAPTER II. A MEXICAN FRONTIER VILLAGE. A MEXICAN pueblita on the banks of the Rio Bravo del Nort6 a mere rancheria or hamlet. The quaint old church of Morisco-Italian style, with its cupola of motley japan, the resi dence of the cura, and the house of the alcalde, are the only stone structures in the place. These constitute three sides of the plaza, a somewhat spacious square. The remaining side is taken up with shops or dwellings of the common people. They are built of large unburnt bricks (adobes), some of them washed with lime, others gradually colored like the proscenium of a theatre, but most of them uniform in their muddy and forbidding brown. All have heavy, jail-like doors, and windows without glass or sash. The reja of iron bars set vertically, opposes the burglar, not the weather. From the four corners of the plaza, narrow, unpaved, dusty lanes lead off to the country, for some distance bordered on both sides by the adobe* houses. Still further out, on the skirts of the village, and sparsely placed, are dwellings of frailer build A MEXICAN FRONTIER VILLAGE. 13 out more picturesque appearance ; they are ridge-roofed struc tures, of the split trunks of that gigantic lily, the arborescent yucca. Its branches form the rafters, its tough fibrous leaves the hatch. In these ranchitos dwell the poor peons, the descend ants of the conquered race. The stone dwellings, and those of mud likewise, are fiat-roofed, tiled or cemented, sometimes tastefully japanned, with a para pet breast-high running round the edge. This flat roof is the azotea, characteristic of Mexican architecture. When the sun is low and the evening cool, the azotea is a pleasant lounging-place, especially when the proprietor of the house has a taste for flowers ; then it is converted into an aerial garden, and displays the rich flora, for which the picture-land of Mexico is justly celebrated. It is just the place to enjoy a cigar, a glass of pinole, or, if you prefer it, Catalan. The smoke is wafted away, and the open air gives a relish to the beverage. Besides, your eye is feasted ; you enjoy the privacy of a draw ing-room, while you command what is passing in the street. The slight parapet gives security, while hindering a too free view from below ; you see, without being seen. The world moves on, busied with earthly affairs, and does not think of looking up. I stand upon such an azotea: it is that over the house of the alcalde;, and his being the tallest roof in the village, I command a view of all the others. I can see beyond them all, and note the prominent features of the surrounding country. My eye wanders with delight over the deep rich verdure of its tropic vegetation; I can even distinguish its more characteristic forms the cactus, the yucca, and the agave. I observe that the village is girdled by a belt of open ground cultivated fields where the maize waves its silken tassels in the breeze, contrast ing with the darker leaves of the capsicums and beau-plants (frijoles). This open ground is of limited extent. The chappa- ral, with its thorny thicket of acacias, mimosae, ingas, and Tobi 4 THE WAB-TBAIL. nias a perfect maze oi leguminous trees hems it in; and sc near is the verge of this jungle, that I can distinguish its undergrowth of stemless sabal palms and bromelias the sun- scorched and scarlet leaves of the pita plant shining in the dis tance like lists of fire. This propinquity of forest to the little pueblita bespeaks the indolence of the inhabitants ; perhaps not. It must be remem bered that these people are not agriculturists, but vaqueros (herdsmen) ; and that the glades and openings of that thick chapparal are speckled with herds of fierce Spanish cattle, and droves of small sharp-eared Andalusian horses, of the race of the Barb. The fact of so little cultivation does not abnegate the existence of industry on the part of the villagers. Grazing is their occupation, not farming ; only a little of the latter to give them maize for their tortillas, child to season it with, and black beans to complete the repast. These three, with the half- wild beef of their wide pastures, constitute the staple of food throughout all Mexico. For drink, the denizen of the high table-land finds his favorite beverage the rival of champagne in the core of the gigantic aloe ; while he of the tropic coast- land refreshes himself from the stem of another native endogen, the acrocomia palm. Favored land! Ceres loves thee, and Bacchus too. To thy fields both the god and the goddess have been freely bounteous. Food and drink may be had from them on easy terras. Alas ! as in all other lands one only excepted Nature's divine views have been thwarted, her aim set aside, by the malignity of man. As over the broad world, the blight of the despot is upon thy beauty. Why are these people crowded together hived, as it were, in towns and villages? Herdsmen, one would expect to find scattered by reason of their occupation. Besides, a sky con tinually bright, a genial clime, a picturesqueness of scene all seem to invite to rural life ; and yet I Lave ridden for hours, u A MEXICAN FRONTIER VILLAGE. 15 succession of lovely landscapes rising before my eyes, all of them wild, wanting in that one feature which makes the ruraj picture perfect the house, the dwelling of man ! Towns there are, and at long intervals the huge hacienda of the landed lord, walled in like a fortress ; but where are the ranches, the homes of the common people ? True, I have noticed the ruins of many, and that explains the puzzle. I remember, now that I am on the frontier, that for years past the banks of the Rio Bravo, from its source to the sea, have been hostile ground a war- border 1500 miles in length ! Many a red conflict has occurred is still occurring between those Arabs of the American desert the Horse Indians and the pale-faced descendants of the Spaniard. That is why the ranches exist only in ruins that is why the haciendas are loopholed, and the populace pent up within walls. The condition of feudal Europe exists in free America, on the banks of the Rio Bravo del Norte ! ******* Nearly a mile off, looking westward, I perceive the sheen of water : it is a reach of the great river that glances under the setting sun. The river curves at that point-; and the sum- rait of a gentle hill, half girdled by the stream, is crowLed by the low white walls of a hacienda. Though only one story high, this hacienda appears, from its extent, and the style of its architecture, to be a noble mansion. Like all of its class, it is flat-roofed ; but the parapet is crenated, and small ornamental turrets over the angles and the great gateway relieve the mono tony of its outlines. A larger tower, the belfry, appears in the background, for the Mexican hacienda is usually provided with its little capilla for the convenient worship of the peon retainers. The emblems of religion, such as it is, are thick over the land. The glimmer of glass behind the iron rejas relieves to some extent the prison-like aspect, so characteristic of Mexican country-houses. This is further modified by the appearance over fte parapet of green foliage Forms of tropic vegetation 16 THE WAB-TRAIL. show above the wall ; among others, the gracetul curving fronds of a palm. This must be an exotic, for although the lower half of the Rio Bravo is within the zone of the palms, the species tha k grow so far north are fan-palms (chamarops and sabal). This one is of far different form, with plume-shaped pinnate fronds, of the character of cocos, phcenix or euterpe. I note the fact, not from any botanical curiosity with which it inspires me, but rather because the presence of this exotic palm has a signifi cance. It illustrates a point in the character of him it may be her who is the presiding spirit of the place. No doubt there is a fair garden upon the azotea perhaps a fair being among its flowers. Pleasant thoughts spring up anticipations. I long to climb that sloping hill, to enter that splendid mansion, and longing still, I gaze. ******* The ring of a bugle reminds me of my duties. ; Tis but a stable-call; but it has driven those sweet reflections out of my mind, and my eyes are turned away from the bright mansion, and rest upon the plaza of the pueblita. There, a far different scene greets their glance. CHAPTER III. THE RANGERS ON PICKET. THE centre of the plaza presents a salient point in the pic ture. There the well (dposo), with its gigantic wheel, its huge leathern belt and buckets, its trough of cemented stone-work, offers an oriental aspect. Yerily, it is the Persian wheel ! 'Tis odd to a northern eye, particularly, to find such a structure in this western land; but the explanation is easy. That idea has travelled from Egypt along the southern shores of the Mediter ranean. With the Moors it crossed the Straits of Gibraltar, THE RANGERS ON PICKET. 17 and the Spaniard has carried it over the Atlantic. The reader of the sacred volume will find many a familiar passage illustrated in the customs of Mexico. The genius of the Arab has shaped many a thought for the brain of the Aztec. My eye rests not long upon the Persian wheel, but turns to gaze on the scene of active life that is passing around it. Forms, and varied ones, I trow, are moving there. Gliding with silent step and dubious look his wide calzoneros flapping around his ankles, his arms and shoulders shrouded in the mottled scrape", his black broad-brimmed hat darkening still more his swarth face goes the poblano, the denizen of the adobe* hut. He shuns the centre of the plaza, keeping around the walls ; but at intervals his eyes are turned towards the well with a look of mingled fierceness and fear. He reaches a doorway it is silently opened by a hand within he enters quickly, and seems glad to get out of sight. A little after, I can catch a glimpse of his sombre face dimly outlined behind the bars of the reja. At distant corners, I descry small groups of his class all similarly costumed in calzoneros, striped blankets, and glaze hats; all, like him, wearing uneasy looks. They gesticulate little, contrary to their usual habit, and converse only in whis pers or low mutterings. Unusual circumstances surround them. Most of the women are within ioors ; a few of the poorer class of pure Indian race are seated in the plaza. They are hucksters, and their wares are spread before them on a thin palm- leaf mat (petate), while another similar one, supported umbrella- like on a stem, screens them and their merchandise from the sun. Their dyed woollen garments, their bare heads, their coarse black hair, adorned with twists of scarlet worsted, give them somewhat of a gipsy look. They appear as free of care as the zingali themselves : they laugh, and chatter, and show their white teeth all day long, asking each new-comer to purchase their fruits and Tegetables, their pinole, atole, and agua dulce. Their not unmusical voices ring pleasantly upon the ear. 1 THE WAR-TRAIL. Now and then a young girl, with red lla poised upon her crown, trips lightly across the plaza in the direction of the well Perhaps she is a poblana, one of the belles of the village, ii short-skirted, bright-coloured petticoat, embroidered but sleeve less chemisette, with small satin slippers upon her feet; head, shoulders, and bosom shrouded in the blue-gray reboso ; arms and ankles bare. Several of these are seen passing to and fro. They appear less uneasy than the men; they even smile at intervals, and reply to the rude badinage uttered in an unknown tongue by the odd-looking strangers around the well. The Mexican women are courageous as they are amiable. As a race, their beauty is undeniable. But who are these strangers ? They do not belong to the place, that is evident ; and equally clear it is that they are objects of terror to those who do. At present, they are masters here. Their numbers, their proud confident swagger, and the bold loud tone of their conversation, attest that they are mas ters of the ground. Who are they ? Odd-looking, I have styled them ; and the phrase is to be taken in its full significance. A more odd-looking set of fellows never mustered in a Mexican plaza, nor elsewhere. There are fourscore of them; and but that each carries a ya'ger rifle in his hand, a knife in his belt, and a Cola's pistol on his thigh, you could not discover the slightest point of resemb lance between any two of them. Their arms are the only things about them denoting uniformity, and some sort of organization ; for the rest, they are as unlike one another as the various shapes and hues of coarse broadcloth, woollen jeans, cottonades, colored blankets, and buckskin, can make them. They wear caps of 'coon-skin, and cat's-skin, and squirrel ; hats of beaver, and felt, and glaze, of wool and palmetto, of every imaginable shape and slouch. Even of the modern monster the silken " tile" samples might be seen, badly crushed. There are coats of broad cloth, few in number, and well worn ; but many are the garments THE RANGEKS ON PICKET. of " Kentucky jeans," of bluish-grey, of copper-colored nigger- cloth, and sky-colored cottonade. Some wear coats made of green blankets, others of blue ones, and some of a scarlet red. There are hunting-shirts of dressed deerskin, with plaited skirt, and cape, fringed and jauntily adorned with beads and embroid ery the favorite style of the backwoods hunter ; but others there are of true Indian cut, open only at the throat, and hang ing loose, or fastened around the waist with a belt the same that secures the knife and pistol. There are cloth jackets, too, such as are worn by sailors, and others of sky-blue cottonade the costume of the Creole of Louisiana; some of red-brown leather the jaqueta of the Spano- American ; and still another fashion, the close-fitting embroidered "spencer" of the Mexican ranchero. Some shoulders are covered by scrape's, and some by the more graceful and toga-like manga. Look lower down: examine the limbs of the men of this motley band : the covering of these is not less varied than their upper garments. You see wrappers of coarse cloth, of flannel, and of baize; they are blue, and scarlet, and green. You see leggings of rawhide and of buckskin; boots of horse-leather reaching to the thighs; "nig ger boots " of still coarser fabric, with the pantaloons tucked under Irogans of unstained calf-skin, and moccasins of varied cut, betokening the fashion of more than one Indian tribe. You may see limbs incased in calzoneros, and others in the heavy stamped leather lotas of the Mexican horseman, resembling the greaves of warriors of the olden time. The heels of all are armed, though their armature is as varied as the costumes. There are spurs of silver and of steel, some plated, and some with the plating worn off ; some strapped, and others screwed into the heel of the boot; some light, with small rowels and tiny teeth, while others are seen (the heavy spur of Mexico) of several pounds' weight, with rowels five inches in diameter, and teeth that might be dashed through tha ribs of a horse ! cruel weapons of the Mexican cavallero. U THE WAR-TRAIL. But these spars in the plaza, these betas and calzoneros, these mangas and scrape's, are not worn by Mexicans. Their present wearers are men of a different race. Most of those tall, stalwart bodies are the product of the maize-plant of Kentucky and Tennessee, or the buckwheat and " hog meat " of the fertile flats of Ohio, Indiana, and the Illinois. They are the squatters and hunters of the backwoods, the farmers of the great western slopes of the Alleghanies, the boatmen of the Mississippi, the pioneers of Arkansas and Missouri, the trappers of prairie-land, the voyageurs of the lake-country, the young planters of the lower states, the French Creoles of Louisiana, the adventurous settlers of Texas, with here and there a gay city spark from the larger towns of the " great West." Yes, and from other sources are individuals of that mixed band. I recognize the Teutonic type the fair hair and whitish-yellow moustache of the German, the florid Englishman, the staid Scot, and his contrast the noisy Hibernian; both equally brave. I behold the adroit and nimble Frenchman, full of laugh and chatter, the stanch soldierly Swiss, and the moustached exile of Poland, dark, sombre, and silent. What a study for an ethnologist is that band of odd-looking men ! Who are they ? You have thrice asked the question. I answer it : They are a corps of " Rangers " a guerilla of the American army. And who aim I ? Their captain their chief. Yes, I am the leader of that queer crew; and, despite their rough motley aspect, I dare affirm, that not in Europe, not in America elsewhere, not upon the great globe's surface, can be found a band, of like numbers, to equal them in strength, daring, and warlike intelligence. Many of them have spent half a life in the sharpening practice of border warfare Indian or Mexi can and from these the others have learnt. Some have been gentlemen upon whom fortune has frowned ; a few have been desperadoes within the pale of civilized life; and a smaller few,. THE K ANGERS ON PICKET. 21 perhaps, outlaws beyond it bad materials wherewith to colonize ; not so bad, if you go but to conquer. Rude as is the coup d'cdl of the corps, I am proud to say that a high sentiment of honor pervades it, higher than will be found in the picked corps de garde of an emperor. True, they appear rough and reckless terrible, I might say ; for most of them with their long beards and hair, dust-begrimed faces, slouched hats, and odd habiliments, belted as they are with knife, pistol, powder-horn, and pouch present such an aspect, that you would wrong them to take them as they look. Few among them are the pure bandits whose aim is plunder. Many a noble heart beats beneath a rude exterior many a one truly humane. There are hearts in that band that throb under the influence of patriotism ; some are guided by a still more nobler impulse, a desire to extend the area of freedom ; others, it is true, yearu but for revenge. These last are chiefly Texans, who mourn a friend or brother slain by Mexican treachery. They have not forgotten the cowardly assassination of Groliad ; they remember the red butchery of the Alamo. Perhaps I alone, of all the band, have no motive for being here ; if one, 'tis slight scarce so noble as vengeance. Mere chance, the love of excitement and adventure, perhaps some weak fondness for power and fame, are all the excuses I can urge for taking a hand in this affair. A poor adventurer, without friends, without home, without country for my native land is no more a nation my heart is not cheered by a single throb of patriotism. I have no private wrong to redress, no public cause, no country for which to combat. During intervals of inaction, these thoughts recur to me, and give me pain. ****** The men have picketed their horses in the church enclosure; Bonae are tied to trees, and others to the reja-bars of the win dows: like their riders, a motley group, various in size, color, 22 THE WAR-TRAIL. and race. The strong high-mettled steed of Kentucky and Ten nessee, the light "pacer" of Louisiana, the cob, the barb, his descendant the " mustang," that but a few weeks ago was run ning wild upon the prairies, may all be seen in the troop. Mules, also, of two distinct races the large gaunt mule of North America, and the smaller and more sprightly variety, native of the soil. My own black steed, with his pretty fern-colored muzzle, stands near the fountain in the centre of the plaza. My eye wanders with a sort of habitual delight over the oval outlines of his body. How proudly he curves his swan-like neck, and with mock anger paws up the dust ! He knows that my eyes are upon him. ****** We have been scarcely an hour in the rancheria ; we are per fect strangers to it : we are the first American troop its people have yet seen, although the war has been going on for some months fnrther down the river. We have been sent here upon picket-duty, with orders to scour the surrounding country as far as it is safe. The object in sending us hither is not so much to guard agaiust a surprise from our Mexican foe, who is not upon this side, but to guard them, the Mexicans, from another enemy an enemy of both of us the Comauche! These Indian Ish- maelites, report says, are upon the "war-trail," and have quite an army in the field. It is said they are foraging further up the river, where they have it all to themselves, and have just pillaged a settlement in that direction butchered the men, as is their wont, and carried off the women, children, and chattels. We came hither to conquer the Mexicans, but we must protect wnile tonqueri*ig them ! Cosas de Mexico ! MAKING A CAPTIVE. 23 CHAPTER IV. MAKING A CAPTIVE. 1 WAS musing upon the singular character of this triangular war, when my reverie was disturbed by the hoof-strokes of a horse. The sounds came from a distance, outside the village ; the strokes were those of a horse at full gallop. I stepped hastily across the azotea, and looked over the para pet, in hopes of obtaining a view of this rapid rider. I was not disappointed the road and the rider came full under my eyes. In the latter, I beheld a picturesque object. He appeared to be a very young man a mere youth, without beard or mous tache, but of singularly handsome features. The complexion was dark, almost brown; but even at the distance of two hun dred yards, I could perceive the flash of a noble eye, and note a damask redness upon his cheeks. His shoulders were covered with a scarlet manga, that draped backward over the hips of his horse; and upon his head he wore a light sombrero, laced, banded, and tasselled with bullion of gold. The horse was a small, but finely proportioned mustang, spotted like a jaguar upou a ground color of cream a true Andalusian. The horseman was advancing at a gallop, without fear of the ground before him : by chance, his eyes were raised to the level of the a/otea, on which I stood ; my uniform, and the sparkle of my accoutrements, caught his glance; and quick as thought, as if by an involuntary movement, he reined up his mustang, until its ample tail lay clustered upon the dust of the road. It was then that I noted the singular appearance of both horse *nd rider. 24: THE WAK-TKAIL. Just at that moment, the ranger, who held picket on that side of the village, sprang forth from his hiding-place, and challenged the horseman to halt. The challenge was unheeded. Another jerk of the rein spun the mustang round, as upon a pivot, and the next instant, impelled by the spur, the animal resumed his gallop. He did not return by the road, but shot off in a new direction, nearly at right angles to his former course. A rifle- bullet would have followed, and most likely have stopped the career of either horse or rider, had not I, just in the nick of time, shouted to the sentry to hold his fire. A reflection had occurred to me: the game was too noble, too beautiful, to be butchered by a bullet ; it was worth a chase and a capture. My horse was by the water-trough. I had noticed that he was not yet unsaddled, and the bridle was still on. He had been warmed by the morning's scout ; and I had ordered my negro groom to walk him round for an hour or so before Letting him at the water. I did not wait to descend by the etcetera ; I sprang upon the parapet, and from that into the piazza. The groom, perceiving my intention, met me half-way with the horse. I seized the reins, and bounded into the saddle. Several of the readiest of the rangers followed my example; and as I galloped down the lane that led out of the rancheria, I could tell by the clattering of hoofs that half a dozen of them were at my heels. I cared not much for that, for surely I was a match for the stripling we meant to chase. I knew, moreover, that speed at the moment was of more importance than strength; and that if the spotted horse possessed as much " bottom" as he evidently did " heels," his rider and I would have it to ourselves in the end. I knew that all the horses of my troop were less swift than my own and from the half-dozen springs I had witnessed on the part of the mustang, I felt satisfied that it remained only for me to over haul him. MAKING A CAPTIVE. 25 My springing down from the roof and up into the saddle had occupied scarcely two minutes' time; and in two more, I had cleared the houses, and was scouring across the fields after the scarlet horseman. He was evidently making to get round the village, and continue the journey our presence had so suddenly interrupted. The chase led through a field of milpas (maize). My horse sank deeply in the loose earth, while the lighter mustang bounded over it like a hare: he was distancing me. I began to fear I would lose him, when all at once I saw that his course was in tercepted by a list of magueys, running transversely right and left. The plants were of luxuriant growth, eight or ten feet high, and placed alternately, so that their huge hooked blades interlocked with each other, forming a natural ckevaux-de-frise. This barrier at first glance seemed impassable for either man or horse. It brought the Mexican to a halt. He was turning to skirt it, when he perceived that I had leaned into the diagonal line, and could not fail to head him. With a quick wrench upon the rein, he once more wheeled round, set his horse against the magueys, plied the spur, and dashed right into their midst. In a moment more, both horse and rider were out of sight; but as I spurred up to the spot, I could hear the thick blades crackle under the hoofs of the mustang. There was no time for reflection. I must either follow, or abandon the pursuit. The alternative was not thought of. I was on my honor, my steed upon his mettle ; and without halt we went plunging through the magueys. Torn and bleeding, we came out on the opposite side; and I perceived, to my satisfaction, that I had made better time than the red rider before me : his halt had lessened the distance be tween us. But another field of milpas had to be passed, and he was again gaining upon me, as we galloped over the heavy ground. When nearly through the field, I perceived something glancing before us: it was water a wide drain or ditch, a zequia 26 THE WAR-TRAIL. for irrigating the field. Like the magueys, it ran transversely to our course. " That will stop him," thought I , " he must take to the right or left, and then " My thoughts were interrupted. Instead of turning either to right or left, the Mexican headed his horse at the zequia, and the noble creature rushing forward, rose like a bird upon the wing, and cleared the canal ! I bad no time to expend in admiring the feat ; I hastened to imitate it, and galloping forward, I set myself for the leap. My brave steed needed neither whip nor spur; he had seen the other leap the zequia, and he knew what was expected of him. With a bound, he went over, clearing the drain by several feet ; and then, as if resolved upon bringing the affair to an end, he laid his head forward, and stretched himself at race-course speed. A broad grassy plain a savannah lay before us, and the hoofs of both horses, pursuer and pursued, now rang upon hard firm turf. The rest of the chase would have been a simple trial of speed, and I made sure of overhauling the mustang before he could reach the opposite side, when a new obstacle presented itself. A vast herd of cattle and horses studded the savannah throughout its whole extent ;. these, startled by our wild gallop, tossed their heads, and ran affrighted in every direction, but fre quently as otherwise, directly in our way. More than once, I was forced to rein in, to save my neck or my horse's from being broken over a fierce bull or a long-horned lumbering ox ; and more than once I was compelled to swerve from my course. What vexed me most was, that in this zigzag race, the mus tang, from practice, perhaps, had the advantage; and while it continued, he increased his distance. We cleared the drove at length ; but to my chagrin I perceived that we were nearly across the plain. As I glanced ahead, I saw the chappara! near, with taller trees rising over it; beyond, I saw the swell of MAKING A CAPTIVE. 27 a hill, with white walls upon its summit. It was the hacienda already mentioned : we were riding directly for it. I was growing anxious about the result. Should the horse man reach the thicket, I would be almost certain to lose him. 1 dared not let him escape. What would my men say, if I went back without him ? I had hindered the sentry from firing, and permitted to escape, perhaps a spy, perhaps some important per sonage. His desperate efforts to get off favored the supposition that he was one or the other. He must be taken ! Under the impulse of fresh determination, I lanced the flanks of my horse more deeply than ever; he knew what was wanted, and stretched himself to his utmost. There were no more cattle, not an obstacle, and his superior speed soon lessened the distance between himself and the mustang. Ten seconds more would do it. The ten seconds flew by. I felt myself within shooting dis tance; I drew my pistol from its holster. II Alto I o yo tiro" (Halt ! or I fire), I cried aloud. There wa? no reply : the mustang kept on ! " Halt !" I cried again, unwil ling to take the life of a fellow-creature "halt I or you are a dead man 1" No reply again. There were not six yards between myself and the Mexican. Riding straight behind him, I could have sent a bullet into his back. Some secret instiuct restrained me ; it was partly, though not altogether, a feeling of admiration : there was an indefinable idea in my mind at the moment. My finger rested on the trigger, and I could not draw it. " He must not escape ! He is nearing the trees ! He must not be allowed to enter the thicket ; I shall cripple the horse." I looked for a place to aim at ; should I hit him in the hips, he might still get off. Where ? At this moment, the animal wheeled, as if guided by his own impulse perhaps by the knees of his rider and shot off in a 28 THE WAR-TRAIL. new direction. The object of this manoeuvre was to pit space be tween us. So far it was successful ; but it gave me just the oppor tunity to aim as I wanted ; and levelling my pistol, I sent a bul let into the kidneys of the mustang. A single plunge forward was his last, and both horse and rider came to the ground. In an instant the latter had disengaged himself from his struggling steed, and stood upon his feet. Fancying he might still attempt to escape to the thicket, I spurred forward, pistol in hand, and pointed the weapon at his head. He had no intention either of further flight or resistance; but facing the levelled tube, and looking me full in the face, he said with an air of perfect coolness : " No matame, cavallero ! Soy muger /" (Do not kill me, sir 1 I am a woman !) CHAPTER V. MY CAPTIVE. " Do not kill me sir! I am a woman /" THIS declaration scarcely astonished me; I was half prepared tor it. During our wild gallop, I had noticed one or two cir cumstances which led me to suspect that the spy I pursued was a female. As the mustang sprang over the zequia, the flowing skirt of the manga was puffed upward, and hung for some moments spread out in the air. A velvet bodice beneath, a tunic-like skirt, the tournure of the form, all impressed me as singular for a cavallero, however rich and young. The limbs I could not see, as the goat-skin armas-de-agua were drawn over them ; but I caught, a glimpse of a gold spur, and the heel of a tiny red boot to which it was attached. The clubbed hair, too, loosened by the violent motion, sprang backward, and ia MY CAPTIVE. 29 two thick plaits, slightly dishevelled, rested upon the croup of the horse. A young Indian's might have done so, but his tres ses would have been jet-black and coarse-grained, whereas those under my eyes were soft, silky, and nut-brown. Neither the style of riding a la Duchesse de Berri nor the manlike cos tume of manga and hat, hindred me from forming my conclusions. Both the style and costume are common to the rancheras of Mexico. Moreover, as the mustang made his last double, I had caught a near view of the side face of his rider. The features of no man not the Trojan shepherd, not Adonis nor Endymion were so exquisitely chiselled as they. Certainly a woman 1 Her declaration at once put an end to my conjectures, but, as I have said, did not astonish me. I was astonished, however, by its tone and manner. Instead of being uttered in accents of alarm, it was pronounced as coolly as if the whole thing had been a jest ! Sadness, not sup plication, was the prevailing tone, which was further confirmed as she knelt to the ground, pressed her lips to the muzzle of the still breathing mustang, and exclaimed : " Ay-de mi ! poire yegua ! muerte ! muerte /" (Alas me ! poor mare ! dead ! dead!) " A woman ?" said I, feigning astonishment. My interroga tory was unheeded ; she did not even look up. " Ay-de-mi ! poire yegua! Lola, Lolita !' she repeated, aa coolly as if the dead mustang was the only object of her thoughts, and I, the armed assassin, fifty miles from the spot ! " You say you are a woman ?" I again asked in my embar rassment scarcely knowing what to say. " Si, senor; nada mas que quiere V. ?" (Yes, sir ; nothing more what do you want ?) As she made this reply, she rose to her feet, and stood confronting me without the slightest sem blance of fear. So unexpected was the answer, both in tone and sentiment, that for the life of me I could not help breaking into a laugh. 30 THE WAB-TBAIL. 11 Yon are merry, eir. You have made me sad ; you have killed my favorite I" I shall not easily forget the look that accompanied these words sorrow, anger, contempt, defiance, were expressed in one and the same glance. My laughter was suddenly checked ; I felt humiliated in that proud presence. " Senorita," I replied, "I deeply regret the necessity I have been under : it might have been worse ?" " And how, pray ? how worse ?" demanded she, interrupting me. " My pistol might have been aimed at yourself, but for a sus picion" II Carrambo !" cried she, again interrupting me, "it could not have been worse ! I loved that' creature dearly dearly as I do my life as I love my father -poire yeguita ita tia !" And as she thus wildly expressed herself, she bent down, passed her arms around the neck of the mustang, and once more pressed her lips to its velvet cheek. Then gently closing its eyelids, she rose to an erect attitude, ancl stood with folded arms, regarding the lifeless form with a sad and bitter expression of countenance. , I scarcely knew what to say. I was in a dilemma with my fair captive. I would have given a month of my " pay-roll " to have restored the spotted mustang to life ; but as that was out of the question, I bethought me of some means of making restitution to its owner. An offer of money would not be deli cate. What then ? A thought occurred to me, that promised to relieve me from my embarrassment. The eagerness of the rich Mexicans to obtain our large American horses frisomes, as they term them was well known throughout the army. Fabulous prices were often paid for them by these ricos, who wanted them for display upon the Paseo. We had many good half-bred bloods in the troop ; one of these, thought I, might be acceptable, even to a MY CAPTIVE. * 31 a&dy who had lost her pet. I made the offer as delicately as 1 could. It was rejected with scorn ! " What, senor !" crbd she, striking the ground with her foot till the rowels rang "what? A horse to me? Mira!" she continued, pointing to the plain : " look there,, sir ! There are a thousand horses ; they are mine. Now. know the value of your offer. Do I stand in need of a horse ?" "But Senorita," stammered I, apologiziugly " these are horses of native race. The one I propose to " "Bah !" she exclaimed, interrupting me, and pointing to the, mustang ; " I would not have exchanged that native for all the frisones in your troop. Not one of them was its equal !" A personal slight would not have called forth a contra diction ; yet this defiance had that effect. She had touched the chord of my vanity I might almost say, of my affection. With some pique I replied : ' One, senor ita ?" I looked towards Moro as I spoke. Her eyes followed mine, and she stood for some moments gazing at him in silence. I watched the expression of her eye ; I saw it kindle into admi ration as it swept over the gracefully curving outlines of my noble steed. He looked at the moment superb ; the short skurry had drawn the foam from his lips, and flakes of it clung against his neck and counter, contrasting finely with the shining black of his skin ; his sides heaved and fell in regular undula tions, and the smoke issued from his blood-red nostrils ; his eye was still on fire, and his neck proudly arched, as though consci ous of his late triumph, and the interest he was now exciting. For a long while she stood gazing upon him, and though ehe spoke not a word, I saw that she recognised his fine points. " You are right, cavallero," said she at length, thoughtfully ; " he is: 1 Just then, a series of reflections were passing through my mind, that rendered me extrenrely uncomfortable ; and I felt WAB-TRAIL. regret that I had so pointedly drawn her attention to the horse Would she demand him ? That was the thought that troubled me. I had not promised her any horse in my troop, and Moro I would not have given for her herd of a thousand ; but on the strength of the offer I had made, what if she should fancy him ? The circumstances were awkward for a refusal ; indeed, under any circumstances refusal would have been painful. I began to feel that I could deny nothing. This proud, beautiful woman already divided my interest with Moro ! My position was a delicate one ; fortunately, I was relieved from it by an incident that carried our thoughts into a new cur rent ; the troopers who had followed me at that moment rode up. She seemed uneasy at their presence ; tbAt could not be won dered at, considering their wild garb and fierce Jooks. I ordered them back to their quarters. They stared for a moment at the fallen mustang with its rich blood-stained trappings, at its late rider, and her picturesque garments ; and then, muttering a few words to one another, obeyed the erdsr. I w* <*** more alone with my captive CHAPTER VI . / I80LINA DE VARGAS. As soon as the men were out of hearing, she said tively : " Tejanos ?" " Some of them are Texans not all." " You are their chief ?" " I am." " CaDtain 1 presume ? w ISOLINA DE VARGAS. 33 " That is my rank." ' And now, Senor Captain, am I your captive ?" The question took me by s jrprise, and, for the moment, I did not know what answer to make. The excitement of the chase, the encounter, and its curious developments perhaps, above all other things, the bewitching beauty of my captive had driven out of my mind 1 the whole purpose of the pursuit ; and foi some minutes I had not been thinking of any result. The inter rogatory reminded me that I had a delicate duty to perform. Was this lady a spy ? Such a supposition was by no means improbable, as any old campaigner can testify. "Fair ladies though never one so fair as she have, ere now, served their country in this fashion. She may be the bearer of some important dispatch for the enemy. If so, and I permit her to go free, the consequences may be serious unpleasant even to myself." Thus ran my reflections. On the other hand, I disliked the duty of taking her back a prisoner. I feared to execute it ; I dreaded her displeasure. 1 wished, to be friends with her. I felt the influence of that myste rious power which transcends all strength the power of beauty. I had been but ten minutes in the company of this brown-skinned maiden, and already she controlled my heart as though she had been its mistress for life I I knew not how to reply. She saw that I hesitated, and again put the question : " Am I your captive ?" " I fear, seiiorita, I am yours." I was prompted to this declaration, partly to escape from a direct answer, and partly giving way to the passion already fast gathering in my bosom. It was no coquetry on my part, no desire to make a pretty passage of words. Though I spoke only from impulse, T was serious ; and with no little anxiety did I watch the eff i t of my speech. Her large istrous eyes rested upon me, at first with a puzzled 2* 34: THE WAR-TRAIL. expression ; this gradually changed to one of more significance one that pleased me better. She seemed for a moment to throw aside her indifference, and regarded me with more atten tion. I fancied, from the glance she gave, that she was con tented with what I had said. For all that, the slight curl upon her pretty lip had a provoking air of triumph in it ; and she resumed her proud hauteur as she replied : " Come, cavallero, this is idle compliment. Am I free to go ?" I wavered betwixt duty and over-politeness : a compromise offered itself. " Lady," said I, approaching her, and looking as seriously as I could into her beautiful eyes, " if you give me your word that you are not a spy, you are free to go : your word I ask nothing more." I prescribed these conditions rather in a tone of entreaty than command. I affected sternness, but my countenance must have mocked me. My captive broke into unrestrained laughter, crying out at intervals : "la spy ! a spy ! Ha, ha, ha ! Senor Capitan, you are jesting ?" " I hope, senorita, you are in earnest. You are no spy, then ? you bear no dispatch for our enemy ?" " Nothing of the sort, mio capitan ;" and she continued her light laughter. " Why, then, did you try to make away from us ?" " Ah, cavallero 1 are you not Tejanos ? Do not be offendea when I tell you that your people bear but an indifferent reputa tion among us Mexicans." " But your attempt to escape was, to say the least, rash and imprudent ; you risked life by it." " Carrambo, yes 1 I perceive I did ;" and she looked signi ficantly at the mustang, while a bitter smile played upon her ISOLINA DE VAKGAS. 35 lips. " I perceive it now ; I did not then. I did not think there was a horseman in all your troop could come up with me. Merced ! there was one. You have overtaken me : you alone could have done it." As she uttered these words, her large brown eyes were onc more turned upon me not in a fixed gaze, but wandering. She gcanried me from the forage-cap on my crown to the spur upon my heel. I watched her eye with eager interest : I fancied that its scornful expression was giving way ; I fancied there was a ray of tenderness in the glance. I would have given the world to have divined her thoughts at that moment. Our eyes met, and parted in mutual embarrassment at least I fancied so ; for on turning again, I saw that her head drooped, and her gaze was directed downward, as if some new thought occupied her. For some moments, both were silent. We might have remained longer thus, but it occurred to me that I was acting rudely. The lady was still my captive. I had not yet given her permission to depart : I hastened to tender it. " Spy or no spy, senorita, I shall not detain you. I shall bear the risk : you are free to go." *' Gracias ! cavallero ! And now, since you have behaved so handsomely, I shall set your mind at rest about the risk. Read !" She handed me a folded paper ; at a glance I recognised the safe-guard of the commander-in-chief, enjoining upon all to respect its bearer the Dona Isolina de Vargas. " You perceive, mio capitan, I was not your captive after all ? ha ! ha 1 ha \ " Lady, you are too generous not to pardon the rudeness to which you have been subjected ? J; " Freely, capitan freely." " I shudder at thought of the risk you have run. Why did vou act with such imprudence ? Your sudden flight at sight of 36 THE WAR-TRAIL. our picket caused suspicion, and of course it was our duty to follow and capture you. With the safe-guard, you had no cause for flight." " Ha I it was that very safe-guard that caused me to fly." " The safe-guard, senorita ? Pray, explain 1" " Can I trust your prudence, capitan ?" '' I promise" " Know, then, that I was not certain you were Americanos, for aught I could see, you might have been a guerilla of my countrymen. How would it be if this paper, and sundry others I carry, were to fall into the hands of Canales ? You perceive, capitan, we fear our frie.nds more than our enemies." I now fully comprehended the motive of her wild flight. " You speak Spanish too well, mio capitan," continued she. " Had you cried ' Halt ! J in your native tongue, I should at once have pulled up, and perhaps saved my pet. Ah, me 1 poire yegua /" As she uttered the last exclamation, her feelings once more overcame her ; and sinking down upon her knees, she passed her arms around the neck of the mustang, now stiff and cold. Her face was buried in the long thick mane, and I could perceive the tears sparkling like dew-drops over the tossed hair. " Poire Lola," she continued, " I have good cause to grieve I had reason to love you well. More than once you saved me from the fierce Lipan and the brutal Comanche. What am I to do now ? I dread the Indian foray ; I shall tremble at every sign of the savage. I dare no more venture upon the prairie , I dare not go abroad ; I must tamely stay at home. Mia que- nda! you were my wings : they are dipped I fly no more." All this was uttered in a tone of extreme bitterness ; and I, I who so loved my brave steed, could appreciate her feelings. With the hope of imparting eyen a little consolation, I repeated my offer. I6OLINA DE VARGAS. 37 " Senorita," I said, " I have swift horses in my troop some of noble race"- " You have no horse in your troop I value." " You have not seen them all ?" " All every one of them to-day, as you filed out of the city." " Indeed !" 14 Indeed, yes, noble capitan. I saw yoi as you carried your self so cavalierly at the head of your troop of filibusteros ha, ha, ha 1" " Senorita, I saw not you." " Carrambo ! it was not for the want of using your eyes. There was not a balcon or reja into which you did not glance not a smile in the whole street you did not seem anxious to reci procate ha, ha, ha ! I fear, Senor Capitan, you are the Don Juan de Tenorio of the North." " Lady, it is not my character.' ' " Nonsense, you are proud of it. I never saw man who was not. But come ! a truce to badinage. About the horse you have none in your troop I value, save one" I trembled as she spoke. " It is he.," she continued, pointing to Moro. I felt as if I should sink into the earth. My embarrassment prevented me for some time from replying. She noticed my hesitation, but remained silent, awaiting my answer. " Benorita," I stammered out at length, " that steed is a great favorite an old and tried friend. // you desire to possess him, he is he is at your service." In emphasizing the " if," I was appealing to her generosity. It was to no purpose. " Thank you," she replied, coolly ; " he shall be well cared for. No doubt he will serve my purpose. How is his mouth ?" I was choking with vexation, and could not reply. I began hate her. 38 THE WAR-TRAIL. " Let me try him," continued she. " Ah ! you have a curb bit that will do ; but it is not equal to ours. I use a mame- luke. Help me to that lazo." She pointed to a lazo of white horsehair, beautifully plaited, that was coiled upon the saddle of the mustang. I unloosed the rope mechanically I did and in the same way adjusted it to the horn of my saddle. I noticed that the noose- ring was of silver ! I shortened the leathers to the proper length. " Now, capitan I" cried she, gathering the reins in her small gloved hand " now I shall see how he performs." At the word, she bounded into the saddle, her small foot scarcely touching the stirrup. She had thrown off her manga, and her woman's form was now displayed in all its undulating outlines. The silken skirt draped down to her ankles, and under neath appeared the tiny red boot, the glancing spur, and the lace ruffle of her snow-white calzondllos. A scarlet sash bound her waist, with its fringed ends drooping to the saddle ; and the tight bodice, lashed with lace, displayed the full rounding of her bosom, as it rose and fell in quiet, regular beating for she seemed in no way excited or nervous. Her full round eye expressed only calmness and courage. I stood transfixed with admiration. I thought of the Ama zons : were they beautiful like her ? With a troop of such war riors one might conquer a world I A fierce-looking bull, moved by curiosity or otherwise, had separated from the herd, and was seen approaching the spot where we were. This was just what the fair rider wanted. At a touch of the spur, the horse sprang forward, and galloped directly for the bull. The latter, cowed at the sudden onset, turned and ran ; but his swift pursuer soon came within lazo distance. The noose circled in the air, and, launched forward, was seen to settle around the horns of the animal. The horse was now wheeled round, and headed in an opposite direction. The rope tightened with a sudden pluck, and the bull was throwu ISOLINA DE VAKG-A8. 39 with violence on the plain, where he lay stunned and apparently lifeless. Before he had time to recover himself, the rider turned her horse, trotted up to the prostrate animal, bent over in the saddle, unfastened the noose, and, after coiling it upon her arm, came galloping back. " Superb 1-^-magnificent !" she exclaimed, leaping from the saddle, and gazing at the steed. " Beautiful I most beautiful 1 Ah, Lola, poor Lola I I fear I shall soon forget thee !" The last words were addressed to the mustang. Then turning to me, she added : " And this horse is mine ?" '* Yes, lady, if you will it," I replied, somewhat cheerlessly, for I felt as if my best friend was about to be taken from me. " But I do not will it," said she, with an air of determination ; and then breaking into a laugh, she cried out : " Ha I capitan, I know your thoughts. Think you I cannot appreciate the sacrifice you would make ? Keep your favorite. Enough that one of us should suffer ;" and she pointed to the mustang " Keep the brave black ; you well know how to ride him. Were he mine, no mortal could influence me to part with him." " There is lut one who could influence me." As I said this, I looked anxiously for the answer. It was not in words I expected it, but in the glance. Assuredly there was no frown ; I even fancied I could detect a smile a blending of triumph and satisfaction. It was short-lived, and my heart fell again under her light laugh. " Ha, ha, ha 1 That one is of course your lady-love. Well, noble capitan, if you are true to her, as to your brave steed, she will have no cause to doubt your fealty. I must leave you Adios 1" " Shall I not be permitted to accompany you to your home ?' " Gracias ! no, senor. I am at home. Miraf my father's house 1" She pointed tc the hacienda. " Here is one who will look to the remains of poor Lola ;" and she signalled to a vaouero at that moment coming from the herd. " Remember, 4.0 THE WAB-TBAIL. capitan, you are an euemy ; I must not accept your politeness neither may I offer you hospitality. Ah ! you know not us you know not the tyrant Santa Anna. Perhaps even at this moment his spies are" She glanced suspiciously around as she spoke. " O Heavens !" she exclaimed with a start, as her eyes fell upon the form of a man advancing down the hill ' Santisima Virgen ! it is Ijurra !" " Ijurra ? " Only my cousin ; but" She hesitated, and then sud denly changing to an expression of entreaty, she continued : " leave me, sefior I Por amor Dios ! leave me 1 Adieu, adieu !" Though I longed to have a nearer view ot Ijurra," the hur ried earnestness of her manner overcame me ; and without making other reply than a simple " A dios," I vaulted into my saddle, and rode off. On reaching the border of the woods, curiosity a stronger feeling, perhaps mastered my politeness ; and, under the pre tence of adjusting my stirrup, I turned in the saddle, and glanced back. Ijurra had arrived upon the ground. I beheld a tall, dark man, dressed in the usual costume of the ricos of Mexico : dark cloth polka jacket, blue military trousers, with scarlet sash around his waist, and low-crowned, broad-brimmed iiat upon hi? head. He appeared about thirty years ot age, whiskered, moustached, and, after a fashion, handsome. It was not his age, nor his personal appearance, nor yet his costume, that had my attention at the moment. I watched only his actions. He stood confronting his cousin, or rather he stood over her, for sho appeared to cower before him in an attitude of fear 1 He held a paper in one hand, and I saw he was pointing to it as ho spoke. There was a fierce, vulture-like expression upon his face ; and even in the distance I could tell, from the tonejj of his voice, that he was talking angrily. Why should she fear him 1 Why submit to such rude rebuke ? He must have AN ORDER TO FORAGE. 41 a strange power over that spirit who could force it thus tamely to listen to reproach? These were my reflections. My impulse was to drive the spurs into the sides of my horse, and gallop back upon the ground. I might have done so had the scene lasted much longer; but I saw the lady suddenly leave the spot, and walk rapidly in the direction of the hacienda. I wheeled round again, and plunging under the shadows of the forest, soon fell into a road leading to the rancheria. My thoughts full of the incident that had just passed, I rode uncon sciously, leaving my horse to his own guidance. My reverie was interrupted by the challenge of one of my own sentries, which admonished me that I had arrived at the entrance of the village. CHAPTER YII. AN ORDER TO FORAGE. MY adventure did not end with the day ; it was continued into the night, and repeated in my dreams. I rode the chase over again ; I dashed through the magueys, I leaped the zcquia, and galloped through the affrighted herd ; I beheld the spotted mustang stretched lifeless upon the plain, its rider bending and weeping over it. That face of rare beauty, that form of exqui site proportion, that eye rotund and noble, that tongue so free, and heart so bold all were again encountered in dreamland. A dark face was in the vision, and at intervals crossed the picture like a cloud. It was the face of Ijurra. I think it was that awoke me, but the reveille of the bugle was in my ears as I leaped from my couch. *2 THE WA.K-TRAIL. For some moments I was under the impression that the adventure had been a dream : an object that hung on the oppo site wall came under my eyes, and recalled the reality it was my saddle, over the holsters of which lay a coil of white horse hair rope, with a silver ring at the end. I remembered the lazo. When fairly awake, I reviewed my yesterday's adventure from first to last. 1 tried to think calmly upon it ; I tried to get out of my thoughts, and return seriously to my duties. A vain attempt ! The more I reflected upon the incident, the more I became conscious of the powerful interest its heroine had excited within me. Interest, indeed ! Say rather passion a passion that in one single hour had grown as large as my heart ! It was not the first love of my life. I was nigh thirty years of age. I had been enamored before more than once, it may be and I understood what the feeling was. I needed no Cupid to tell me I was in love again to the very ends of my fingers. To paint the object of my passion is a task I shall not attempt. Beauty like hers must be left to the imagination. Think of the woman you yourself love or have loved ; fancy her in her fair est moments, in bower or boudoir perchance a blushing bride and you may form some idea No, no, no ! you could Lever have looked upon woman so lovely as Isolina de Yargas. Oh ! that I could fix that fleeting phantom of beauty that I couid paint that likeness for the world to admire ! It cannot be. The most puissant pen is powerless, the brightest color too cold. Though deeply graven upon the tablets of my heart, I cannot multiply the impression. It is idle to talk of wavy hair, profuse and glossed of almond eyes with long dark fringes of pearl- white tee.th, and cheeks tinted with damascene. All these had she, but they are not peculiar characteristics. Other women are thus gifted. The traits of her beauty lay in the intellectual as much as the physi cal in a happy combination of both. The soul, the spirit, had AN ORDER TO FORAGE 43 its Rhare in producing this incomparable picture. It was to behold the play of those noble features, to watch the changing cheek, the varying smile, the falling lash, the flashing eye, the glance now tender, now sublime it was to look on all this, to be impressed with an idea of the diviuest loveliness. ******* As I ate my frugal breakfast, such a vision was passing before me. I contemplated the future with pleasant hopes, but not without feelings of uneasiness. I had not forgotten the abrupt parting no invitation to renew the acquaintance, no hope, no prospect that I should ever behold that beautiful woman again, unless blind chance should prove my friend. I am not a fatalist, and I therefore resolved not to rely upon mere destiny, but, if possible, to help it a little in its evolution. Before I had finished my coffee, a dozen schemes had passed through my mind, all tending towards one object the renewal of my acquaintance with Isolina de "Vargas. Unless favored by some lucky accident, or, what was more desirable, by the lady herself, I knew we might never meet again. In such times, it was not likely she would be much " out of doors ;" and in a few days, hours perhaps, / might be ordered en route never more to return to that interesting outpost. As the district was, of course, under martial law, and I was de facto dictator, you will imagine that I might easily procure the right of entry anywhere. Not so. Whatever be the license of the rude soldier as regards the common people of a conquered country, the position of the officer with its higher class is essentially different. If a gentle man, he naturally feels a delicacy in making any advances towards an acquaintance ; and his honor restrains him from th freer forms of introduction. To take advantage of his position of power would be a positive meanness, of which a true gentle man cannot be guilty. Besides, there may be rancour on the part of the conquered there usually is ; but even when no feeling exists, another barrier stands n the way of free asso* 44 THE WAR-TRAIL. ciation between the officer and " society." The latter feels that the position of affairs will not be permanent ; the enemy will in time evacuate, and then the vengeance of mob-patriotism is tc be dreaded. Never did the ricos of Mexico feel more secure than while under the protection of the American army. Many of them were disposed to be friendly, but the phantom of the future, with its mob tmeutes, stared them in the face, and under this dread they were forced to adopt a hypocritical exclusiveness. Epaulettes must not be seen glancing through the windows of their drawing-rooms I Under such circumstances, my situation was difficult enough. I might gaze upon the outside walls of that handsome hacienda till my heart ached, but how was I to effect an entrance ? To charge a fort, a battery, an intrenched camp to storm a castle, or break a solid square one or all would have been child's play compared with the difficulty of crossing that glacial line of etiquette that separated me from my beautiful enemy. To effect this purpose, a dozen schemes were passed through my mind, and rejected, till my eyes at length rested upon the most interesting object in the apartment the little white rope that hung upon my saddle-bow. In the lazo, I recognized my ' forlorn-hope.' That pretty implement must be returned to its owner. I myself should take it home I So far destiny should be guided by me ; beyond, I should have to put my trust in destiny. I think best under the influence of a cigar ; and lighting one, I ascended to the azotea, to complete my little scheme. I had scarcely made two turns of the roof, when a horseman galloped into the plaza. He was in dragoon uniform, and I saw he was an orderly from head-quarters, and inquiring for the com mander of the outpost. One of the men pointed to me ; and the orderly trotting forward, drew up in front of the alcalde's house, and announced to me that he was^the bearer of a dispatch from the general-in-chief, at the same time showing a folded paper. 1 directed him to pass it up on the point of his sabre, which he iidj AN OKDER TO FOBAGE. 4:5 4^4 then saluting me, he turned his horse and galloped back as ho had come. \ opened the dispatch, and read: " HEAD-QUARTERS, ARMY OF OCCUPATION, July lh t 1846. " SIR You will take a sufficient number of your men, and pro- ce&J to the hacienda of Don Ramon de Yargas, in the neigh borhood of your station. You will there find 5,000 head ol beeves, which you will cause to be driven to the camp of the Anwrican army, and delivered to the commissary-general. You wilj find the necessary drivers upon the ground, and a portion of you x " troop will form the escort. The enclosed note will enable you ;O understand the nature of your duty. CAPTAIN WABHRLD." "A. A. Adjutant-general." '* Surely," thought I, as I finished reading " surely there is a " Pi evidence that shapes our ends." Just as I was cudgelling my drains for some scheme of introduction to Don Ramon de Vai$as, here comes one ready fashioned to my hand." I thought no more about the lazo : the rope was no longer an object of prime interest. Trimmed and embellished with the graceful excuse of " duty," I should now ride boldly up to the hacienda, and enter its gates with the confident air of a welcome guect. Welcome indeed ! A contract for 5000 beeves, and at war-prices ! A good stroke of business on the part of the old Don. Of course, I shall see him " embrace him" hobnob with him over a glass of Canario or Xeres get upon the most inti mate terms, and so be " asked back/' I am usually popular with old gentlemen, and I trusted to my bright star to place me en rapport with Don Ramon de Yargas. The coralling of the cattle would occupy some time a brace of hours at the least. That would be outside work, and I could intrust it to my lieutecant or a sergeant. For myself, I was determined to stay by the 46 THE WAR-TRAIL. walls. The Don must go out to look after ms vaqueros. It would be rude to leave me alone. He would introduce me to his daughter he could not do less : a customer on so large a scale ! We should be left to ourselves, and then Ha ! Ijur- ra ! I had forgotten him. Would he be there ? The recollection of this man fell like a shadow over the bright fancies I had conjured up. A dispatch from head-quarters calls for prompt attention, and my reflections were cut short, by the necessity of carrying the order into execution. Without loss of time, I issued orders foi about fifty of the rangers to " boot and saddle. 1 ' I was about to give more than ordinary attention to my toilet, when it occurred to me I might as well first read the " note'' referred to in the dispatch. I opened the paper ; to my surprise, the document was in Spanish. This did not puzzle me, and I read : " The 5000 beeves are ready for you, according to the contract, but /cannot take upon me to deliver them. They must betaken from me with show of force ; and even a little rudeness on the part of tkose you send would not be out of place. My vaqueros are at your service, but 7 must not command them. You may press them. "RAMON DE VARGAS." This note was addressed to the commissary-general of the Ameri can army. Its meaning, though to the uninitiated a little ob scure, was to me as clear as noonday ; and although it gave me a high opinion of the administrative talents of Don Ramon de Yargas, it was by no means a welcome document. It rendered null every act of the fine programme I had sketched out. By its directions, there was to be no " embracing," no hobnobbing over wine, no friendly chat with the Don, no tett-a-tete with his beauti ful daughter no ; but, on the contrary, I was to ride up with a swagger, bang the doors, threaten the trembling porter, kick AN ORDER TO FORAGE. 47 the peons, and demand from their master 5000 head of beef-cat* tie all in true freebooting style ! A nice figure I shall cut, thought I, in the eyes of Isolina ; but a little reflection convinced me that that intelligent creature would be in the secret. Yes, she will understand my motives, I can act with as much mildness as circumstances will permit. My Texan lieutenant will do the kicking of the peons, and that without much pressing. If she be not cloistered, I will have a glimpse at her ; so here goes. " To Horse /" The bugle gave the signal ; fifty rangers with Lieutenants llolingsworth and Wheatley leaped into their saddles, and next moment were filing by twos from the plaza, myself at their head. A twenty minutes' trot brought us to the front gate of the hacienda, where we halted. The great door, massive and jail- like, was closed, locked, and barred ; the shutters of the windows as well. Not a soul was to be seen outside, not even the ap parition of a frightened peon. I had given my Texan lieutenant his cue ; he knew enough of Spanish for the purpose. Flinging himself out of the saddle, he approached the gate,, and commenced hammering upon it with the butt of his pistol. " Ambre la puerta /" (Open the door !) cried he. No answer. 11 La puerta la puerta /" he repeated in a louder ton<\ Still no answer. " Ambre la puerta /" once more vociferated the lieutenant, at the same time thundering on the woodwork with his weapon. When the noise ceased, a faint " Quien es ?" (Who is it ?) was heard from within. " Yo /" hawled Wheatley, " ambre ! ambre .'" " Si, senor" answered the voice, in a somewhat tremulous key. "Anda! anda ! Somos hombres de bien" (Quick then 1 We are honest men.) A rattling of chains and shooting of bolts now commenced, and lasted for at least a couple of minutes, at the end of whic* 4:8 THE WAR-TRAIL. time the great folding-doors opened inward, displaying to view the swarthy leather-clad porter o, the brick-paved saguan, and a portion of the patio, or courtyard within. As soon as the door was fairly open, Wheatley made a rnsh at the trembling porter, caught him by the jerkin, boxed both his ears, and then commanded him, in a loud voice, to summon the dueno ! This conduct, somewhat unexpected on the part of the rangers, seemed to be just to their taste ; and I could hear be hind me the whole troop chuckling in half-suppressed laughter. Guerilleros as they were, they hadn n ver been allowed much license in their dealings with the inhabitants the non-combatants of the country, and much less had they witnessed such con duct on the part of their officers. Indeed, it was cause of com plaint in the ranks of the American army, and with many officers too, that even hostile Mexicans were treated with a lenient consideration denied to themselves. Wheatley's behaviour, therefore, touched a chord in the hearts of our following, that vibrated pleasantly enough ; they began to believe that the cam paign was about to become a little more jolly. "Senor," stammered the porter, "the du du dueno has given or orders he wi wi will not s see any one." " Will not !" echoed Wheatley ; " go, tell him he must /" " Yes. amigo," I said soothingly ; for I began to fear the man would be too badly frightened to deliver his message. " Go, say to your master that an American officer has business with him. and must see him immediately." The man went off, after a little more persuasion from the free hand of Wheatley, of course leaving the gates open behind him. We did not wait for his return. The patio looked inviting ; and directing Holingaworth to remain outside with the men, and the Texan lieutenant to follow me, I headed my horse for the great archway, and rode in. DON RAMON. 49 CHAPTER VIII. DON RAMON. ON entering the courtyard, a somewhat novel scene presented itself a Spanish picture, with some transatlantic touches. The patio of a Mexican house is its proper front. Here you no longer look upon jail-like doors and windows, but facades gaily frescoed, curtained verandahs, and glazed sashes that reach to the ground. The patio of Don Ramon's mansion was paved with brick. A fountain, with its tank of japanned mason- work, stood in the centre ; orange-trees stretched their fronds over the water : their golden globes and white wax-like flowers per fumed the atmosphere, which, cooled by the constant evapora tion of the jet d'eau, felt fresh and fragrant. Round three sides of the court extended a verandah, its floor of painted tiles ris ing but a few inches above the level of the paved court. A row of portales supported the roof of this verandah, and the whole corridor was railed in, and curtained. The curtains were close- drawn, and except at one point the entrance between two of the portales the corridor was completely screened from our view, and consequently all the windows of the house, which opened into the verandah. No human face greeted our searching glances. In looking to the rear, into the great corral, or cattle- yard, we could see numerous peons in their brown leathern dresses, with naked legs and sandalled feet ; vaqueros in all their grandeur of velveteens, belt-buttons, and gold or silver lace ; with a number of women and young girls in colored nagnas and rebosos. A busy scene was presented in that quarter. It was the great cattle enclosure, for the estate of Don Ramon de 3 THE WAR-TRAIL. Vargas was a ha,de.nda de ganados, or grand cattle-farm a title which in no way detracts from the presumed respectability ot its owner, many of the noble hidalgos of Mexico being only graziers on a large scale. On entering the patio, I only glanced back at the corral ; my eyes were busy with the curtained verandah, and, failing there, were carried up to the azotea, in hopes of discovering the object of my thoughts. The house, as I have elsewhere stated, was but a single story in height, and from the saddle, I could almost, look into the azotea. I could see that it was a sanctuary of rare plants, and the broad leaves and bright corollas of some of the taller ones appeared over the edge of the parapet. Abun dance of fair flowers I could perceive, but not that for which I was looking. No face yet showed, no voice greeted us with a welcome. The shouts of the vaqueros, the music of singing-birds caged along the corridor, and the murmur of the fountain, were the only sounds. The two former suddenly became hushed, as the hoofs of our horses rang upon the stone pavement, and the heedless water alone continued to utter its soft monotone. Once more my eyes swept the curtain, gazing intently into the few apertures left by a careless draping ; once more they sought the azotea, and glanced along the parapet : my scrutiny stiil re mained unrewarded. Without exchanging a word, Wheatley and I sat silent in our saddles-, awaiting the return of the portero. Already the peons, vaqueros, and wenches had poured in through the back gateway, and stood staring with astonishment at the unexpected guests. After a considerable pause, the tread of feet was heard upon the corridor, and presently the messenger appeared, and announced that the dueno was coming. In a minute after, one of the curtains was drawn back, and an old gentleman made his appearance behind the railing. He was a person of large frame, and although slightly stooping with age, his step was firm, and his whole aspect bespoke a wonderful energy and resolution DON RAMON. 51 His eyes were large and brilliant, shadowed by heavy brows, npon which the hair still retained its dark color, although that of his head was white as snow. He was simply habitedin a jacket of nankeen cloth, and wide trousers of like material. He wore neither waistcoat nor cravat. A full white shirt of finest linen covered his breast, and a sash of dull blue color was twisted round his waist. On his head was a costly hat of the " Guay aquil grass," and in his fingers a husk cigarrito, smoking at the end. Altogether, the aspect of Don Ramon for it was he despito its assumed sternness, was pleasing and intelligent ; and I should have relished a friendly chat with him, even upon his own account. This, however, was out of the question. I must abide by the gpirit of my orders; the farce must be played out ; so, touching the flanks of my horse, I rode forward to the edge of the veran dah, and placed myself vis-a-vis to the Don. " Are you Don Ramon de Vargas ?" "Si, senor," was the reply, in a tone of angry astwnish- ment. " I am an officer of the American army" I spoke loud, and in Spanish, of course, for the benefit of the peons and vaqueros. " I am sent to offer you a contract to supply the army with beeves. I have here an order from the general-in-chief " " I have no beeves for sale," interrupted Don Ramon in a loud indignant voice.; " I shall have nothing to do with the American army." '* Then, sir," retorted I, " I must take your beeves without your consent. You will be paid for them, but take them I must ; my orders require that I should do so. Moreover, your vaqueros must accompany us, and drive the cattle to the Ameri can camp." As I said this, I signalled to Holingsworth, who rode in with ais following ; and then the whole troop, filing through the back 52 THE WAB-TEAIL. gateway, began to collect the frightened vaqueros, and set them about their work. " I protest against this robbery!" shouted Don Ramon. " It is infamous contrary to the laws of civilized warfare. I shall appeal to my government to yours I shall have redress." " You shall have payment, Don Ramon," said I, apparently trying to pacify him. ''Payment, carrambo ! payment from robbers, filibus ters " " Come', come, old gentleman !" cried Wheatley, who was only half behind the scenes, and who spoke rather in earnest, " keep a good tongue .in your head, or you may lose something of more value to you than your cattle. Remember whom you are talking to." " Tejanos ! ladrones !" hissed Don Ramon, with an earnest ap plication of the latter phrase that would certainly have brought Wheatley's revolver from his belt, had I not, at the moment, whispered a word in the lieutenant's ear. " Hang the old rascal !" muttered he, in reply to me ; "I thought he was in earnest. Look here, old fellow !" he con tinued, addressing himself to Don Ramon, " don't you be scared about the dollars. Uncle Sam's a liberal trader and a good paymaster. I wish your beef was mine, and I had his promise to pay for it. So take things a little easier, if you please ; and don't be so free of your ' filibusteros' and 'ladrones:' freeborn Texans ain't used to such talk." Don Ramon suddenly cut short the colloquy by angrily clos ing the curtains, and hiding himself from our sight. During the whole scene, I had great difficulty in controlling my countenance. I could perceive that the Mexican labored under a similar difficulty. There was a laughing devil in the corner of his keen eye that required restraint ; and I thought once or twice either he or I should lose our equanimity, /cer tainly should have done so, but that my heart and eyes wera UN PAPELCITO. 53 most of the time in other quarters. As for the Don, he was playing an important part ; and a suspicion of his hypocrisy, on the minds of some of the leathern-clad greasers who listened to the dialogue, might have afterwards brought him to trouble. Most of them were his own domestics and retainers, but not all. There were free rancheros among them some who belonged to the pueblita itself some, perchance, who had figured in pronun- ciamentos who voted at elections, and called themselves citizens. The Don, therefore, had good reasons for assuming a character; and well did the old gentleman sustain it. As he drew the curtain, his half-whispered " Adios, capitan !" heard only by myself, sounded full of sweetness and promise; and 1 felt rather contented as I straightened myself in the sad dle, and issued the order for rieving his cattle. CHAPTER IX. WHEATLEY now rode after the troop, which with Holingsworth had already entered the corral. A band of drivers was speedily pressed into service; and with these the two lieutenants proceeded to the great plain at the foot of the hill, where most of Don Ramon's catMe were at pasture. By this arrangement I was left alone, if I except the company of half-a-dozen slippered wenches, the deities of the cocina, who, clustered in the corner of the patio, eyed me with mingled looks of curiosity and fear. The verandah curtains remained hermetically closed, and though I glanced at every aperture that offered a chance to an observing eye, no one appeared to be stirring behind them. " Too high-bred perhaps indifferent ?" thought I. The latter 5 THE WAB-TRAIL. supposition was by no means gratifying to my vanity. " After all, now that the others are gone out of the way, Don Ramon might ask me to step inside. Ah ! no these n.estizo women would tell tales : I perceive it would never do. I may as welj give it up. I shall ride out, and join the troop." As I turned my horse to put this design into execution, the fountain came under my eyes. Its water reminded me that I was thirsty, for it was a July day, and a hot one. A gourd cup lay on the edge of the tank. Without dismounting, I was able to lay hold of the vessel, and filling it with the cool sparkling liquid, I drained it off. It-was very good water, but not Canario or Xeres. Sweeping the curtain once more, I turned with a disappointed glance, and jagging my horse, rode doggedly out through the back gateway. Once in the rear of the buildings, I had a full view of the great meadow already known to me ; and pulling up, I sat in the saddle, and watched the animated scene that was there being enacted. Bulls, half wild, rushing to and fro in mad fury ; vaqueros mounted on their light mustangs, with streaming sash and winding lazo ; rangers upon their heavier steeds, offer ing but a clumsy aid to the more adroit and practised herdsmen ; others driving off large groups that had been already collected ao'i brought into subjection : and all this amidst the fierce bel- ': wings of the bulls, the shouts and laughter of the delighted troopers, the shriller cries of the vaqueros and peons. The whole formed a picture that, under other circumstances, I should have contemplated with interest. Just then, my spirits were not attuned to its enjoyment, and although I remained for some minutes with my eyes fixed upon it, my thoughts wandered else where. I confess to a strong faith in woman's curiosity. That suoh a scene could be passing under the windows of the most aristocratic mansion, without its most aristocratic inmate deigning to take a peep at it, I could not believe. Besides, Isolina was the very UN PAPELcrro. 55 rerc.rse. " Ha ! Despite that jealous curtain, those beautiful eyes are glancing through some aperture window or loophole. I doubt not ;" and with this reflection, I once more turned my face to the buildings. Just then, it occurred to me that I had not sufficiently recon noitred the front of the dwelling. As we approached it, we had observed that the shutters of the windows were closed ; but these opened inward, and since that time one or other of them might have been set a little ajar. From my knowledge of Mexi can interiors, I knew that these front windows were those of the principal apartments of the sola, and grand cuarto, or draw ing-room precisely those where the iamates at that hour should be found. " Fool !" thought I, " to have remained so long in the patio. Had I gone round to the front windows I might have 'Tis not too late there's a chance yet." Under the impulse of this new hope, I rode back through the corral, and re-entered the patio. The brown-skinned mestizas were still there, chattering and flurried as ever, and the curtain had not been stirred. A glance at it was all I gave ; and with out stopping, I walked my horse across the paved court, and entered under the arched saguan. The massive gate stood open, as we had left it ; and on looking into the little box of the portero, I perceived that it was empty. The man had hid himself, in dread of a second interview with the Texan lieutenant ! In another moment, I had emerged from the gateway, and was about turning rny horse to inspect the windows, when I heard the word " Capitan," pronounced in a voice that sounded soft as a silver bell, and thrilled to my heart like a strain of music. I looked towards the windows. It came not thence ; they were close shut as ever. Whence Before I had time to ask myself the question, the " Capitan" was repeated in a some what louder key, and I now perceived that the voico proceeded fcbore from the azotea. 56 THE WAB-TKAIL. I wrenched my horse round, at the same time turning my eyes upward. I could see no one ; but just at that moment au arm, that might have been attached to the bust of Venus, was pro truded through a notch in the parapet. In the small hand, wickedly sparkling with jewels, was something white, which 1 could not distinguish until I saw it projected on the grass at the same moment that the phrase " Un papelcito" reached my ears. Without hesitation I dismounted made myself master of the papelcito ; and then leaping once more into the saddle, looked upward. I had purposely drawn my horse some distance from the walls, so that I might Command a better view. I was not disappointed Isolina I The face, that lovely face, was just dis tinguishable through the slender embrasure, the large brown eyes gazing upon me with that half-earnest, half-mocking glance I had already noticed, and which produced within me both pleasure aud pain 1 I was about to speak to her, when I saw the expression sudden ly change ; a hurried glance was thrown backwards, as if the approach of some one disturbed her ; a finger rested momentarily on her lips, and then her face disappeared behind the screening wall of the parapet. I understood the universal sign, and re mained silent. For some moments I was undecided whether to go or stay. She had evidently withdrawn from the front of the building, though she was still upon the azotea. Some one had joined her ; and I could hear voices in conversation ; her own contrasting with the harsher tones of a man. Perhaps her father perhaps that other relative less agreeable supposition ! I was about to ride off, when it occurred to me that I had bet ter first master the contents