ene continued for several minutes; and then, all at once, there
was a lull, and a consultation among the women, that told us they were
devising some scheme.

Several girls were sent off to the houses. These presently returned,
bringing a large olla, and another vessel of smaller dimensions. What
did they intend to do with these? We soon learned.

The olla was filled with water from the adjacent stream, and carried up,
and the smaller vessel was set down beside Barney's head. We saw that
it contained the yucca soap of the Northern Mexicans. They were going
to wash out the red!

The Irishman's hand-stays were now loosened, so that he could sit
upright; and a copious coat of the "soft-soap" was laid on his head,
completely covering his hair. A couple of sinewy squaws then took hold
of him by the shoulders, and with bunches of bark fibres applied the
water, and scrubbed it in lustily.

The application seemed to be anything but pleasant to Barney, who roared
out, ducking his head on all sides to avoid it. But this did not serve
him. One of the squaws seized the head between her hands, and held it
steady, while the other set to it afresh and rubbed harder than ever.

The Indians yelled and danced around; but in the midst of all I could
hear Barney sneezing, and shouting in a smothered voice--

"Holy Mother!--htch-tch! Yez may rub--tch-itch!--till yez fetch-tch the
skin aff--atch-ich-ich! an' it won't--tscztsh!--come out. I tell yez--
itch-ch! it's in the grain--itch-itch! It won't come out--itch-itch!--
be me sowl it won't--atch-itch-hitch!"

But the poor fellow's expostulations were in vain. The scrubbing
continued, with fresh applications of the yucca, for ten minutes or
more; and then the great olla was lifted, and its contents dashed upon
his head and shoulders.

What was the astonishment of the women to find that instead of modifying
the red colour, it only showed forth, if possible, more vivid than ever!

Another olla of water was lifted, and soused about the Irishman's ears,
but with no better effect.

Barney had not had such a washing for many a day; at least, not since he
had been under the hands of the regimental barber.

When the squaws saw that, in spite of all their efforts, the dye still
stuck fast, they desisted, and our comrade was again staked down. His
bed was not so dry as before; neither was mine, for the water had
saturated the ground about us, and we lay in mud. But this was a s