mall
vexation, compared with many others we were forced to put up with.

For a long time the Indian women and children clustered around us, each
in turn minutely examining the head of our comrade. We, too, came in
for a share of their curiosity; but O'Cork was "the elephant."

They had seen hair like ours oftentimes upon their Mexican captives;
but, beyond a doubt, Barney's was the first red poll that had ever been
scratched in the valley of Navajoa.

Darkness came on at length, and the squaws returned to the village,
leaving us in charge of the guards, who all the night sat watchfully
beside.

CHAPTER FIFTY ONE.

ASTONISHING THE NATIVES.

Up to this time we had no knowledge of the fate that was designed for
us; but, from all that we had ever heard of these savages, as well as
from our own experience of them, we anticipated that it would be a cruel
one.

Sanchez, however, who knew something of their language, left us no room
to doubt such a result. He had gathered from the conversation of the
women what was before us. After these had gone away, he unfolded the
programme as he had heard it.

"To-morrow," said he, "they will dance the mamanchic--the great dance of
Montezuma. That is a fete among the girls and women. Next day will be
a grand tournament, in which the warriors will exhibit their skill in
shooting with the bow, in wrestling, and feats of horsemanship. If they
would let me join them, I could show them how."

Sancho, besides being an accomplished torero, had spent his earlier
years in the circus, and was, as we all knew, a most splendid horseman.

"On the third day," continued he, "we are to `run amuck,' if you know
what that is."

We had all heard of it.

"And on the fourth--"

"Well? upon the fourth?"

"They will roast us!"

We might have been more startled at this abrupt declaration had the idea
been new to us, but it was not. The probability of such an end had been
in our thoughts ever since our capture. We knew that they did not save
us at the mine for the purpose of giving us an easier death; and we
knew, too, that these savages never made men prisoners to keep them
alive. Rube was an exception; but his story was a peculiar one, and he
escaped only by his extreme cunning. "Their god," continued Sanchez,
"is the same as that of the Mexican Aztecs; for these people are of that
race, it is believed. I don't know much about that, though I've heard
men talk of it. He is cal