. They knew, however, that "Dutch Lige"--such was his sobriquet--
could shoot "plum centre;" and notwithstanding his quiet demeanour, had
proved himself "good stuff at the bottom;" and this shielded him from
the ridicule he would otherwise have experienced at their hands.

Than Quackenboss, a more ardent student of botany I never saw. No
labour retarded him in the pursuit. No matter how wearied with drill or
other duties, the moment the hours became his own, he would be off in
search of rare plants, wandering far from camp, and at times placing
himself in situations of extreme danger. Since his arrival on Texan
ground, he had devoted much attention to the study of the _cactaceae_;
and now having reached Mexico, the home of these singular endogens, he
might be said to have gone cactus-mad. Every day his researches
disclosed to him new forms of cactus or cereus, and it was in connexion
with one of these that he was now recalled to my memory. I remembered
his having told me--for a similarity of tastes frequently brought us
into conversation--of his having discovered, but a few days before, a
new and singular species of _mamillaria_. He had found it growing upon
a _prairie mound_--which he had climbed for the purpose of exploring his
botany--adding at the same time that he had observed the species only
upon the top of this mound, and nowhere else in the surrounding country.

This mound was our mesa. It had been climbed by Elijah Quackenboss!

If he, awkward animal that he was, had been able to scale the height,
why could not _we_?

This was my reflection; and without staying to consider what advantage
we should derive from such a proceeding. I communicated the discovery
to my companions.

Both appeared delighted; and after a short scrutiny declared the path
practicable. Garey believed he could easily go up; and Rube in his
terse way said, that his "jeints wa'nt so stiff yit;" only a month ago
he had "clomd a wuss-lukin bluff than it."

But now the reflection occurred, to what purpose should we make the
ascent? We could not escape in that way! There was no chance of our
being able to descend upon the other side, for there the cliff was
impracticable. The behaviour of the guerrilleros had given proof of
this. Some time before, Ijurra, with another, had gone to the rear of
the mound, evidently to reconnoitre it, in hopes of being able to assail
us from behind. But they had returned and their gestures betoke