hat we must leave
the greater part of our ammunition and stores. That these things would
be abundantly safe in the cave, for any length of time, was not to the
purpose; the essential matter was that we would be deprived of them. It
was hard, too, to think that our animals would fall into the hands of
the Indians--for our only course with them must be to turn them loose in
the canon, whence they certainly would go out in search of pasture into
the valley, and so be captured; but it was still harder to think that we
must go ourselves on foot and with a scant outfit of supplies.

It was not very cheerfully, therefore, that we went back into the cave
and began to sort out from our packs the articles which would be
absolutely necessary to our preservation in the rough work among the
mountains that probably was before us; and our shoulders already ached a
little in anticipation of the heavy loads which they must bear.

It was while we were thus engaged that Pablo begged that I would step
aside with him for a moment that he might speak to my ear alone. I saw
that there were tears upon his cheeks, and as he spoke he scarcely
could restrain his sobs.

"Senor," he said, "you know El Sabio?"

"Surely, Pablo."

"You know, senor, that he is a very small ass."

"It is true."

"And you know--you know, senor, how very tenderly we love each other.
Since I came away from my father and my mother, in Guadalajara, and from
my little brother and sister there, El Sabio is everything in the world
to me, senor. I--I cannot leave him, senor. I should die if we were
parted; and El Sabio would die also. And you say that you have perceived
that he is a very small ass. Do not ask me to leave him, senor."

"But we cannot take him with us, Pablo. What would you have?"

"That is it, senor; truly, I think that we can take him with us. You
see, he is so little; and it is quite wonderful through how small a
place El Sabio can crawl. He can creep like a kitten, senor, and he can
make himself into a very little bunch. And so I think that he can--if we
help him, you know, senor--and speak to him so that he will not be
alarmed, and will try to do his very best to make a small bunch of
himself--I think that we can get him down through the hole, and so take
him with us. But if we cannot, senor, then--you must forgive me,
senor--I love him so very dearly, you know--then I will stay with him
here. It would be better so than that El Sabio should think I