barricade, quite efficient to repulse the attacks of hostile Indians,
if defended by determined men. Every freight train when in camp was a
little fort in itself and an interesting sight at nighttime, when the
blazing fires were surrounded by men who were cooking and passing the
time in various ways. Some were cleaning and loading their guns,
others mended their clothes. Here and there you would find some
genius playing dreamy, monotonous Spanish airs on the guitar, in the
midst of a merry group of dancing and singing young Mexicans, many of
whom were not older than I. Card-playing seemed, however, to be their
favorite pastime; all Mexicans are inveterate gamesters, who look
upon the profession of gambling as an honorable and desirable
occupation.

After the first day out I did not see an inebriated man in the whole
party. The Mexicans are really a much maligned and slandered people.
They are often charged with the sin of postponing every imaginable
thing until manana, but, to do them justice, I must say that they
drank every drop of liquor they carried on the first day out; also
ate all the dainties which other people would have saved and relished
for days to come. Surely, not manana, but ahora, or "do it now" was
their soul-stirring battle cry on this occasion.

After several days of travel we encountered herds of buffalo and
mustangs or wild horses, and when our scouts reported numerous Indian
signs, we advanced slowly and carefully, momentarily expecting an
ambuscade and attack. Our column halted frequently while our horsemen
explored suspicious-looking hillocks and ravines.

A dense column of smoke rose suddenly in our front, and I saw several
detachments of Indian warriors on a little hill, who were evidently