course answered, "Yes! the sooner the
better, for the safety of the captives."

My feelings, as well as those of Seguin, could not brook delay.
Besides, several of our late comrades were to die on the morrow. We
might still be in time to save them.

How were we to approach the valley?

This was the next point to be discussed.

The enemy would now be certain to have their videttes at both ends, and
it promised to be clear moonlight until morning. They could easily see
such a large body approaching from the open plain. Here then was a
difficulty.

"Let us divide," said one of Seguin's old band; "let a party go in at
each end. That'll git 'em in the trap."

"Wagh!" replied another, "that would never do. Thar's ten miles o'
rough wood thar. If we raised the niggurs by such a show as this,
they'd take to them, gals and all, an' that's the last we'd see o'
them."

This speaker was clearly in the right. It would never do to make our
attack openly. Stratagem must again be used.

A head was now called into the council that soon mastered the
difficulty, as it had many another. That was the skinless, earless head
of the trapper Rube.

"Cap," said he, after a short delay, "'ee needn't show yur crowd till
we've first took the luk-outs by the eend o' the kenyun."

"How can we take them?" inquired Seguin.

"Strip them twenty niggurs," replied Rube, pointing to our captives,
"an' let twenty o' us put on their duds. Then we kin take the young
fellur--him hyur as tuk me for the grizzly! He! he! he! Ole Rube tuk
for a grizzly! We kin take him back a pris'ner. Now, cap, do 'ee see
how?"

"You would have these twenty to keep far in the advance then, capture
the videttes, and wait till the main body comes up?"

"Sartinly; thet's my idee adzactly."

"It is the best, the only one. We shall follow it." And Seguin
immediately ordered the Indians to be stripped of their dresses. These
consisted mostly of garments that had been plundered from the people of
the Mexican towns, and were of all cuts and colours.

"I'd recommend 'ee, cap," suggested Rube, seeing that Seguin was looking
out to choose the men for his advance party, "I'd recommend 'ee to take
a smart sprinklin' of the Delawars. Them Navaghs is mighty 'cute and
not easily bamfoozled. They mout sight white skin by moonlight. Them
o' us that must go along 'll have to paint Injun, or we'll be fooled
arter all; we will."

Seguin, taking this hint, sel