ther for a few moments as to what was best to
be did, while the Ingins all this time was keeping up a lively fire for
them. We made as strong a corral of the wagons as we could, driving out
what oxen the Mexicans had put in the one they had made, but you can't
do much with only nine wagons, nohow. Fortunately, while we was fixing
things, the red cusses suddenly retreated out of the range of our
rifles, and we first thought they had cleared out for good. We soon
discovered, however, they were only holding a pow-wow; for in a few
minutes back they come, mounted on their ponies, with all their fixin's
and fresh war-paint on.

"Then they commenced to circle around us again, coming a little
nearer--Ingin fashion--every time they rid off and back. It wasn't
long before they got in easy range, when they slung themselves on the
off-side of their ponies and let fly their arrows and balls from under
their critters' necks. Their guns warn't much 'count, being only old
English muskets what had come from the Hudson Bay Fur Company, so
they didn't do no harm that round, except to scare the Mexicans, which
commenced to cross themselves and pray and swear.

"We four Americans warn't idle when them Ingins come a charging up; we
kept our eye skinned, and whenever we could draw a bead, one of
them tumbled off his pony, you bet! When they'd come back for their
dead--we'd already killed three of them--we had a big advantage, wasted
no shots, and dropped four of them; one apiece, and you never heard
Ingins howl so. It was getting kind o' dark by this time, and the
varmints didn't seem anxious to fight any more, but went down to the
river and scooted off into the sand hills on the other side. We waited
more than half an hour for them, but as they didn't come back, concluded
we'd better light out too. We told the Mexicans to yoke up, and as good
luck would have it they found all the cattle close by, excepting them
what pulled the wagon what the Ingins had cut out, and as it was way
down the Trail, we had to abandon it; for it was too dark to hunt it up,
as we had no time to fool away.

"We put all our outfit into the train; it wasn't loaded, but going empty
to the Missouri, to fetch back a sawmill for New Mexico. Then we made a
soft bed in the middle wagon out of blankets for the kid, and rolled
out 'bout ten o'clock, meaning to put as many miles between us and them
Ingins as the oxen could stand. We four hoofed it along for a while,
then r