On returning to the vaqueros, we found a stranger among
them, Bernabe Cruze by name, who was a _muy amigo_ of Santiago Ortez,
one of our Mexicans. He belonged at the Mission, and when he learned of
our predicament offered to lend us his horse, as he expected to be in
town a few days. The offer was gratefully accepted, and within a quarter
of an hour Manuel Flores had started for Shepherd's with an order to the
merchant to send in seven horses for us. It was less than a two hours'
ride to the ferry, and with the early start we expected Manuel to return
before noon. Making ourselves at home in a coffeehouse conducted by a
Mexican, Deweese ordered a few bottles of wine to celebrate properly
our drive and to entertain Cruze and our vaqueros. Before the horses
arrived, those of us who had any money left spent it in the _cantina_,
not wishing to carry it home, where it would be useless. The result was
that on the return of Flores with mounts we were all about three sheets
in the wind, reckless and defiant.

After saddling up, I suggested to June that we ride by the stage office
and show Mr. Oxenford that we were independent of him. The stage stand
and office were on the outskirts of the scattered village, and while we
could have avoided it, our _segundo_ willingly led the way, and called
for the junior member of the firm. A hostler came to the door and
informed us that Mr. Oxenford was not in.

"Then I'll just leave my card," said Deweese, dismounting. Taking a
brown cigarette paper from his pocket, he wrote his name on it; then
pulling a tack from a notice pasted beside the office door, he drew his
six-shooter, and with it deftly tacked the cigarette paper against the
office door jamb. Remounting his horse, and perfectly conscious that
Oxenford was within hearing, he remarked to the hostler: "When your
boss returns, please tell him that those fellows from Las Palomas will
neither walk with him nor ride with him. We thought he might fret as to
how we were to get home, and we have just ridden by to tell him that
he need feel no uneasiness. Since I have never had the pleasure of an
introduction to him, I've put my name on that cigarette paper. Good-day,
sir."

Arriving at Shepherd's, we rested several hours, and on the suggestion
of the merchant changed horses before starting home. At the ferry we
learned that there had been no serious loss of cattle so far, but that
nearly all the stock from the Frio and San Miguel had drift