iend that with God's help and the phantom dog's assistance
I had beaten off my assailants, and I thought that the cacique had been
sorely bitten by the dog. Dona Josefita was very anxious and excited.
When she saw me coming, she cried, "The saints preserve us, oh here he
is! Mercy, how he looks, pobrecito! he is cut all to pieces. Hurry,
Reyes, bring him in here and lay him gently down. Hombre, husband,
coward! how couldst thou abandon thy friend who fought for thy honor,
not fearing the death. I wager that pale hussy, Jtz-Li-Cama, was, as
usual, the cause of this strife between men!"

The kind lady then attended deftly and skillfully to the dressing of my
wounds, applying soothing herbs and healing ointments, which tended to
allay the fever, and she nursed me with the tenderest care, so that in
a week's time I was as well as ever, though not without a feeling of
regret for my too speedy recovery.

Of course, there arose the rumor of a fierce battle between Americans
and Indians. To silence this silly talk and to avoid unpleasant
complications, I surrendered myself to the alcalde of the precinct and
accused myself of having disturbed the peace of the realm. Pleading my
case, I stated that as there was nobody but the peace disturbers
involved, and as said parties did not make any further claim upon the
Honorable Court, therefore, under the statute of the Territory and the
Constitution of the United States, the law required that the court
mulct the guilty parties in the payment of a nominal fine and discharge
the culprits. The Honorable Court decreed that I as an American ought
to know the American law best, and discharged me after I paid my
self-imposed fine. The administering of justice in cases of importance
was, of course, relegated to the United States Circuit Courts, but
Uncle Sam did not care to meddle with the many troublesome alcaldes or
justices of the peace, as he did not understand the Spanish language
very well. This was certainly humiliating and embarrassing, but who can
blame him, as no one is over anxious to be rated an ignorant person.

My Mexican friends decided to give a farewell party in my honor.
Accordingly they made great preparations. They secured the largest
sala, or hall, in the township and scoured the country for
musicians--fiddlers and guitar players. Every person of any social
notability was invited. They drew the line of social respectability at
peons, or bondmen. This was a happy-go-lucky