caught them napping, charged them afoot--killed twenty-five of them, and
got all their horses."

"I suppose, Colonel, you have been charged by a Mexican lancer?" I
inquired.

"Oh yes, many times," he answered.

"What did you generally do?"

"Well, you see, in those days I reckoned to be able to hit a man every
time with a six-shooter at one hundred and twenty-five yards," explained
the old gentleman--which no doubt meant many dead lancers.

"Then you do not think much of a lance as a weapon?" I pursued.

"No; there is but one weapon. The six-shooter when properly handled is
the only weapon--mind you, sir, I say _properly"_ and here the old eyes
blinked rapidly over the great art as he knew its practice.

"Then, of course, the rifle has its use. Under Captain Jack Hayes sixty
of us made a raid once after the celebrated priest-leader of the
Mexicans--Padre Jarante--which same was a devil of a fellow. We were
very sleepy--had been two nights without sleep. At San Juan every man
stripped his horse, fed, and went to sleep. We had passed Padre Jarante
in the night without knowing it. At about twelve o'clock next day there
was a terrible outcry--I was awakened by shooting. The Padre was upon
us. Five men outlying stood the charge, and went under. We gathered, and
the Padre charged three times. The third time he was knocked from his
horse and killed. Then Captain Jack Hayes awoke, and we got in a big