man who seemed to have no fear. His eyes shone
wickedly and he was stripped for the fight. A red bandanna kerchief
tied around his head, he glided stealthily about, thirsty for Indian
blood as any wolf. They told me that his mother and sister had died at
the hands of the cruel Apaches.

To me the rider said, "Senor Americanito, I know your gun is loaded
right and is ready to shoot straight. Look you, if you plant a bullet
just below an Indian's navel, you will see him do a double somersault,
which is more wonderful to behold than any circus performance you ever
saw."

Here was a man good to see, a descendant of the famous Don Fernando
Cortez, conquistador, and molded on the lines of Pizarro, the wily
conqueror of Peru, and he heartened our crew amazingly. He exhorted the
men to be brave and fight like Spaniards, and he prayed to the saints
to preserve us; and piously remembering his enemies, he called on the
devil to preserve the Indians. Such zealous devotion found merited
favor with the blessed saints in Heaven, for they granted his prayer,
and the Indians did not attack us that day.

On the following day, Don Emillo Cortez came again and asked me to ride
with him as a scout. He had brought a young man to drive the team in my
stead. Gladly I accepted his invitation. He arranged a pillion for his
saddle and mounted me behind him, facing the horse's tail. Then he
passed a broad strap around his waist and my body and armed me with a
Henry repeating rifle, then a new invention and a very serviceable gun.
In this manner I had both hands free and made him the best sort of a
rear guard. We cantered toward a sandy hill on our left. A coyote came
our way, appearing from the crest of the hill. The animal was looking
back over its shoulder and veered off when it scented us. Don Emilio
halted his horse. "That coyote is driven by Indians," said he; "do you
think you can hit it at this distance?" I thought I could by aiming
high and a little forward. At the crack of my rifle the coyote yelped
and bit its side, then rolling on the grass, expired. "Carajo! a dead
shot, for Dios!" exclaimed Don Emilio. "That will teach the heathen
Indians to keep their distance; they will not be over-anxious to meet
these two Christians at close quarters!"

We were not molested on this day nor on the next, but on the day
thereafter we were in terrible danger. The Indians fired the dry grass,
and if the wind had been stronger we must have been bur