for us; and
during this I matured my plans, part of which I had arranged upon the
route.

A short survey of the ground convinced us that it could not have been
better fitted for an ambuscade had we chosen it at our leisure. The
gorge or canon did not run directly up the cliff, but in a _zigzag_
line, so that a man at the top could only alarm another coming up after
him by shouting or firing his piece. This was exactly what we wanted,
knowing that, although we might capture a few of the foremost, those in
the rear, being alarmed, could easily take to the river bottom and make
their escape through the thickets. It was our design to make our
prisoners, if possible, without firing a single shot; and this, under
the circumstances, we did not deem an impossible matter.

The pass was a dry arroyo, its banks fringed with large pines and
cotton-woods, matted together by llianas and vines. Where the gorge
debouched into the uplands its banks were high and naked, with here and
there a few scattered palmettos that grew up from huge hassocks of
bunch-grass.

Behind each of these branches a rifleman was stationed, forming a
deployed line, with its concave arc facing the embouchure of the gorge,
and gradually closing in, so that it ended in a clump of thick chaparral
upon the very verge of the precipice. At this point, on each side of
the path, were stationed half a dozen men, in such a position as to be
hidden from any party passing upward, until it had cleared the canon and
its retreat was secured against. At the opposite end of the elliptical
deployment a stronger party was stationed, Clayley in command and Raoul
to act as interpreter. Oakes and I took our places, commanding the
separate detachments on the brow.

Our arrangements occupied us only a few minutes. I had to deal with
men, many of whom had "surrounded" buffaloes in a somewhat similar
manner; and it did not require much tact to teach them a few
modifications in the game. In five minutes we were all in our places,
waiting anxiously and in perfect silence.

As yet not a murmur had reached us from below, except the sighing of the
wind through the tall trees, and the "sough" of the river as it tumbled
away over its pebbly bed. Now and then we heard a stray shot, or the
quick, sharp notes of a cavalry bugle; but these were far off, and only
told of the wild work that was still going on along the road towards
Encerro and Jalapa.

Not a word was spoken by us