st trail?"

"Yes," replied Tom. "An' it's th' best fer us in another way. Thar's
springs in th' river bed up thar an' fer near a mile th' river's allus
wet. Ye see, we got ter throw th' greasers off our trail, which will be
too danged plain, with two hosses an' eight mules. I'd swap th' eight
mules fer two hosses, seein' as how we're fixed, but I dassn't make th'
play, fer everybody in th' caravan would larn of it. Come ter think of
it, thar'll be more hosses an' mules; couple o' friends air goin' with
us. We change our packs tonight, buildin' 'em up with buffaler rugs we
traded th' Comanches fer, in case we part with our goods an' leave th'
caravan afterward. Th' two extra hosses would be enough ter carry our
grub an' supplies, an' they'd let us make better time than th' mules
would."

The Texans nodded and one of them glanced at his leader while he spoke
to Tom. "Reckon if ye got them mules ter Bent's ye could sell 'em, or
trade 'em fer a couple o' hosses?" He hesitated and then said: "We're
runnin' powerful short o' powder an' lead."

"Th' caravan bein' so clost ter Santa Fe, it's got more o' both than it
needs," replied Tom. "If we kin git ye some we'll leave it behind th'
hill at that old cache o' Hanks. If ye go that way, look fer it." He
grinned. "Hank an' me air aimin' ter carry some in one of th' buffaler
rug packs. Thar's two fifty-pound pigs o' lead fastened to each o' th'
cannon carriages, an' they won't have no use fer more than one ter each
gun.

"Wish I war goin' with ye," growled the Texan leader, his eyes flaming
again. "I'm hankerin' ter git Salezar's ears, fer I saw th' polecat
c'llect Texan ears on th' road from San Miguel ter 'Paso, ter keep th'
tally o' his prisoners straight. He strung 'em on a wire, d--n him!" His
face became livid with passion, and murder raised its grisly visage in
his eyes.

Tom paled. "Yes," he said. "He took th' ears o' a friend o' mine that
war sick an' weak with hunger an' cold an' exhaustion, an' couldn't keep
up. He had traded most o' his clothes fer short rides on th' mules o'
th' guards. They killed him near Valencia, an' his ears war took ter
account fer him."

"Valencia!" muttered the leader, pacing back and forth like a panther.
"I remember him! Oh, Christ!" he cried, and then got hold of himself.
"Boyd, I'd give everythin' I own ter git my han's on that Salezar; an'
go ter hell with a smile on my face!" Then he stiffened and reached
convulsively toward his