be
quite useless to attempt such a thing."

"Cavalleros!"--Carlos addressed himself to both--"I assure you I could
find them. They are not so far off."

Both the Comandante and his captain started, and visibly turned pale.
The cibolero did not affect to notice this.

"Nonsense! my good fellow!" stammered Roblado; "they are--at least--
hundreds of miles off by this--away over the Staked Plain--or to--to the
mountains."

"Pardon me, captain, for differing with you; but I believe I know these
Indians--I know to what tribe they belong."

"What tribe?" simultaneously inquired the officers, both with an
earnestness of manner and a slight trepidation in their voices; "what
tribe?--Were they not Yutas?"

"No," answered the cibolero, while he observed the continued confusion
of his questioners.

"Who, then?"

"I believe," replied Carlos, "they were _not_ Yutas--more likely my
sworn foes, the Jicarillas."

"Quite possible!" assented both in a breath, and evidently relieved at
the enunciation.

"Quite possible!" repeated Roblado. "From the description given us by
the people who saw them, we had fancied they were the Yutas. It may be
a mistake, however. The people were so affrighted, they could tell but
little about them. Besides, the Indians were only seen in the night."

"Why think you they are the Jicarillas?" asked the Comandante, once more
breathing freely.

"Partly because there were so few of them," replied Carlos. "Had they
been Yutas--"

"But they were not so few. The shepherds report a large band. They
have carried off immense numbers of cattle. There must have been a
considerable force of them, else they would not have ventured into the
valley--that is certain."

"I am convinced, your excellency, there could not have been many. A
small troop of your brave soldiers would be enough to bring back both
them and their booty."

Here the lounging lanzeros erected their dwarfish bodies, and
endeavoured to look taller.

"_If_ they were Jicarillas," continued Carlos, "I should not need to
follow their trail. They are _not_ in the direction of the Llano. If
they have gone that way, it was to mislead you in the pursuit. I know
where they are at this moment--in the mountains."

"Ha! you think they are in the mountains?"

"I am sure of it; and not fifty miles from here. If your excellency
would but send a troop, I could guide it direct to the spot, and without
following the trail they have taken