other side of the Rio Grande, some twenty leagues
from the rancheria. Their spy had discovered the horsemen by the mesa,
and made them out to be Mexicans--a foe which the lordly Comanche holds
in supreme contempt. Not so contemptible in his eyes are Mexican
horses, silver-studded saddles, speckled serapes, mangas of fine cloth,
bell-buttoned breeches, arms, and accoutrements: and it was to sweep
this paraphernalia that the attack had been made; though hereditary
hatred of the Spanish race--old as the conquest--and revenge for more
recent wrongs, were of themselves sufficient motives to have impelled
the Indians to their hostile attempt.

All this we learned from one of their braves, who remained wounded upon
the ground, and who, upon closer examination, turned out to be a
_ci-devant_ Mexican captive, now completely Indianised!

Fortunately for the Mexican town, the savages, thus checked, abandoned
their design, and returned to their mountain fastnesses sadly humbled.

The rest of the affair was still of easier explanation to Garey and
myself. Rube, as we conjectured, had arrived safe at the rancheria; and
in ten minutes after his story had been told, fifty rangers, with
Holingsworth at their head, rode rapidly for the mesa.

Rube had guided them with his usual craft. Like the Indians, they had
been moving forward during the intervals of darkness; but, coming in the
opposite direction, they had kept the mound between them and their foe,
and, trusting to this advantage, were in hopes of taking the
guerrilleros by surprise.

They had approached almost within charging distance, when the war-whoop
of the savage sounded in their ears, and they were met by the retreating
band.

Knowing that all who came that way must be enemies, they delivered their
fire upon the approaching horsemen, and then galloping forward, found
themselves face to face with the painted warriors of the plains.

The mutual surprise of rangers and Indians, caused by the unexpected
rencontre, proved a happy circumstance for the cowardly guerrilla--who,
during the short halt of their double pursuers, and the confused fight
that followed, were enabled to gallop off beyond reach of pursuit.

It was a curious conjecture what would have been the result had the
rangers not arrived on the ground. Certainly the Indians would have
rescued us from our not less savage foes. My companion and I might have
remained undiscovered, but we should have lost our