ter like himself, he whispered--I
overheard him:

"I'll tell yer what it is, Nat: he kin whip his weight in wild-cats or
grizzly b'ars any day in the year--_he_ kin, or my name ain't Bob
Linkin."

Saying this, he stepped forward on the cliff and looked over; and then
he examined the tree, and then the piece of lazo, and then the tree
again, and then he commenced dropping pebbles down, as if he was
determined to measure every object, and fix it in his memory with a
proper distinctness.

Twing and the others had now dismounted. As I turned towards them
Clayley was taking a pull at the major's pewter--and a good long pull,
too. I followed the lieutenant's example, and felt the better for it.

"But how did you find us, Major?"

"This little soldier," said he, pointing to Jack, "brought us to the
rancho where you were taken. From there we easily tracked you to a
large hacienda."

"Ha! you routed the guerilla, then?"

"Routed the guerilla! We saw no guerilla."

"What! at the hacienda?"

"Peons and women; nothing more. Yes, there was, too--what am I thinking
about? There was a party there that routed _us_; Thornley and Hillis
here have both been wounded, and are not likely to recover--poor
fellows!"

I looked towards these gentlemen for an explanation. They were both
laughing, and I looked in vain.

"Hennessy, too," said the major, "has got a stab under the ribs."

"Och, by my soul have I, and no mistake!" cried the latter.

"Come, Major--an explanation, if you please."

I was in no humour to enjoy this joke. I half divined the cause of
their mirth, and it produced in me an unaccountable feeling of
annoyance, not to say pain.

"Be my faith, then, Captain," said Hennessy, speaking for the major, "if
ye must know all about it, I'll tell ye myself. We overhauled a pair of
the most elegant crayteurs you ever clapped eyes upon; and rich--rich as
Craysus--wasn't they, boys?"

"Oh, plenty of tin," remarked Hillis.

"But, Captain," continued Hennessy, "how they took on to your `tiger'!
I thought they would have eaten the little chap, body, bones, and all."

I was chafing with impatience to know more, but I saw that nothing worth
knowing could be had in that quarter. I determined, therefore, to
conceal my anxiety, and find an early opportunity to talk to Jack.

"But beyond the hacienda?" I inquired, changing the subject.

"We trailed you down stream to the canon, where we found blood upon the
rocks