gunpowder that night, and this was said to have been the grandest,
most successful velorio ever held in that part of the world. At
eleven o'clock I announced that my battery was overheated and too
dangerous to reload, which stopped the praying and the grand baile
began. There were several hundred dancing couples, who enjoyed
themselves to the utmost until sunrise, and nobody thought of leaving
for home until everything eatable and liquid was disposed of.

Now the date of our departure had arrived, and very sad, indeed, was
I to leave these people who had done their very best to make me feel
at home with them and who seemed to be really fond of me. I consoled
Dona Josefita somewhat with the promise that I would return some day
and find her the treasure of La Gran Quivira. Don Juan Mestal, the
freighter, seemed as reluctant to leave as I was; something was
always turning up to delay our start. But at last we were off.

After three days of travel, we came to a small town, where I met a
Mexican whom I knew on the Rio Grande, where he had formerly lived.
He invited me cordially to the wedding of his sister, which was to be
on the next day at old Fort Wingate, an abandoned fort, and then a
Mexican settlement. This man said that he had come on purpose to meet
me, as he had heard of my intentions to leave the country. Although I
did not like the man, who was said to be jealous of Americans, I
accepted his urgent invitation more from curiosity to learn what he
meant to do than for other reasons.

The next morning I started early from camp and rode over to the
little town, distant fifteen miles. When I arrived in front of my
prospective host's house I caught a glimpse of two men, who were
sneaking off toward an old corral. Then I knew what was in the wind,