e valley up
which we had been riding had narrowed by this time into a strait way
shut in between high and nearly perpendicular walls; and the place that
Rayburn had chosen for us to make our stand in was the mouth of a canon
setting off from the valley nearly at right angles. The walls of this
canon came almost together above, far overhanging their bases, so that
assault from overhead was impossible; some fragments of fallen rock made
a natural breastwork for us to fight behind; and a little stream of
pure, sweet water flowed at our feet. Had this place been made for us
expressly it could not better have suited our purposes; and finding it
so opportunely put fresh heart into us. There was not, of course, a
shadow of resemblance between the two, but, somehow, I fancied that the
place where we stood resembled my old class-room at Ann Arbor; and I
actually found myself repeating the opening sentence of the address that
I delivered when I was formally inducted into the Chair of Topical
Linguistics. I mention this fact not because it is of the slightest
importance in this present narrative, but because I think that it well
illustrates the tendency towards illogical association that is so
curious a characteristic of the human mind.

I was not able to observe this phenomenon attentively, for Rayburn
hustled us all about so sharply that I had no available time just then
for abstract thought. The mules and the horses and El Sabio were driven
into the canon, and we were ranged behind the fragments of rock almost
in a moment. Each man had his Winchester and revolvers in readiness, and
a couple of cases of cartridges had been broken out from the packs and
put where we all had easy access to them. While this work was going
forward we could hear the Indians coming hotly up the valley, and we
were barely ready for them when the foremost of their party came in
sight.

"Wait a little," said Rayburn, quietly. "They don't know which turn
we've taken, and they'll probably get into a bunch to do some talking,
and then we can whack away right into the flock."

While we were thus making ready I could see that Fray Antonio was in
great distress of mind. He was a very brave man, and I know that his
strong desire was to fight with the rest of us. And yet, just as the
Indians showed themselves, he deliberately turned his back upon them and
walked away into the canon's depths. His very lips were white, and there
were beads of sweat upon his bro