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"Good! Oh, if we had but a rifle each! This pass ." I looked down the gorge. We could have defended it against the whole party, but we were unarmed. The guerilleros now dismounted, tying their horses to the trees and preparing to cross over.
Huge dogs lay basking upon the hot stones, growling at intervals as someone galloped in through the great doorway. Their broad jaws and tawny hides bespoke the Spanish bloodhound the descendants of that race with which Cortez had harried the conquered Aztecs. The guerilleros were seated or standing in groups around the fires, broiling jerked beef upon the points of their sabres.
Instead of the listless defensive attitude lately assumed, the guerilleros were now in motion like a nest of roused hornets, scouring over the plain, and yelling like a war-party of Indians. They did not surround the corral, as I had anticipated they would.
The guerilleros in their retreat had carried off their dead and wounded comrades, and the Americans slept underground in the lone corral: but I could not help fancying that gaunt wolves were skulking round the inclosure, and that the claws of the coyote were already tearing up the red earth that had been hurriedly heaped over their graves.
We began to suffer from thirst, and Raoul asked one of the guerilleros for water. "Carajo!" answered the man, "it's no use: you'll be choked by and by with something else than thirst." The brutal jest called forth a peal of laughter from his comrades. About noon we commenced descending a long hill. I could hear the sound of water ahead. "Where are we, Raoul?" I inquired faintly.
I've got both him and the mother undher me jacket, av I could only rache thim." "Good!" cried the other. "Do!" "It's aisy for ye to say `Do', when I can't budge so much as my little finger." "Never mind. I'll arrange that," answered Raoul. "Hola, Senor!" shouted he to one of the guerilleros. "Quien?" "Que cosa?"
I could perceive that two or three guerilleros dropped from their saddles. Their comrades, with shouts of vengeance, closed upon us nearer and nearer. The long lazos, far in advance, whistled around our heads. I felt the slippery noose light upon my shoulders. I flung out my arms to throw it off, but with a sudden jerk it tightened around my neck.
It would be impossible to describe the rejoicing of our new acquaintances the gratitude lavishly expressed the smiles of love that thanked us. We should have repeated our visits almost nightly; but from that time the guerilleros swarmed in the back-country, and small parties of our men, straggling from camp, were cut off daily.
"This gentleman," said Raoul, still speaking in Spanish, and nodding towards Chane, "has a pocket full of money." A hint upon that head was sufficient; and the guerilleros, who, strangely enough, seemed to have overlooked this part of their duty, immediately commenced rifling our pockets, ripping them open with their long knives.
We had been thrown upon the pavement in the corner of the patio a large court, surrounded by massive walls and flat-roofed houses. These buildings were low, single-storied, except the range in front, which contained the principal dwellings. The remaining three sides were occupied by stables, granaries, and quarters for the guerilleros and servants.
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