feet and contrived to mount my horse, whose bridle had caught on the
greasewood brush, and I headed for home.

Not long thereafter I met my friend Reyes, who was followed by a
retinue of peons. "Gracias a Dios. Amigo!" he exclaimed, on seeing
me. "I came after your body, if it were to be found, and here you are
alive. When I heard the report of firearms and knowing that those
devils had your weapon, I feared the worst. How on earth did you
manage to escape them? Seeing you down and beset by the whole tribe,
I gave you up for dead and fled."

I told my friend that with God's help and the phantom dog's
assistance I had beaten off my assailants, and I thought that the
cacique had been sorely bitten by the dog. Dona Josefita was very
anxious and excited. When she saw me coming, she cried, "The saints
preserve us, oh here he is! Mercy, how he looks, pobrecito! he is cut
all to pieces. Hurry, Reyes, bring him in here and lay him gently
down. Hombre, husband, coward! how couldst thou abandon thy friend
who fought for thy honor, not fearing the death. I wager that pale
hussy, Jtz-Li-Cama, was, as usual, the cause of this strife between
men!"

The kind lady then attended deftly and skillfully to the dressing of
my wounds, applying soothing herbs and healing ointments, which
tended to allay the fever, and she nursed me with the tenderest care,
so that in a week's time I was as well as ever, though not without a
feeling of regret for my too speedy recovery.

Of course, there arose the rumor of a fierce battle between Americans
and Indians. To silence this silly talk and to avoid unpleasant