urned
on his side and died, being absolutely ridden to death. I had no time to
waste in mourning the brave little animal that had carried me thus far
so faithfully. My robe was quickly transferred to the other horse, and
the flight resumed. Reaching the base of the hills, I was so fortunate
as to find water; and throwing myself at the foot of a tall cottonwood,
with the lariat of the mustang attached to my wrist, I determined to
snatch an hour's rest, of which both my mustang and myself were very
much in need, after our long and arduous ride.

I was awakened by a violent pulling at my wrist, caused by the horse, in
trying to reach fresh grass. In a few moments I was up, mounted, and
away once more in the direction of the Mexican towns. Towards evening I
came to a river of some magnitude. It was now the dry season, and the
stream was only a rivulet compared to what I judged it must be, when
swollen by the rains and melting snows from adjacent mountains.

I had, during the latter part of my journey, been casting about in my
mind a series of plans, which would enable me to blind my trail, when
lo! here was an opportunity that surpassed my most sanguine
expectations. To urge my horse into the stream was the work of a moment,
and then turning his head with the current, I continued the journey. At
times the water would brush the animal's flanks; again, it would
suddenly shallow, and scarcely cover his fetlocks; occasionally I would
strike a deep hole, and be obliged to swim the animal some rods, before
reaching _terra firma_.

These irregularities in the river-bed were due to its quicksand
formation, which was constantly shifting, shallowing here, deepening
there, and it would have been sure destruction to horse and rider, if we
stopped for a moment in our tracks.

After journeying in this manner for about a mile, I entered a canyon,
whose walls ascended to a height of thousands of feet, perpendicularly.
On emerging from this gloomy pass, a sight met my gaze that made me
shout for joy. Gaining the bank of the stream, I saw extended before me,
waving fields of grain, and in the background, the modest spire of a
little church, which was surmounted by a gilt cross, that fairly
scintillated under the rays of the noon-day sun.

I had arrived then, at last, within the confines of civilization, and my
career as a savage, was about to be abruptly terminated. As I pushed
forward, along the road that skirted the grain fields, and