ntre focus. Now
then, are you all set? Ready?"

At this moment the speaker turned and saw Raymon and
myself.

"Here, youse," he shouted, "get further back, you're in
the picture. Or, say, no, stay right where you are.
You," he said, pointing to me, "stay right where you are
and I'll give you a dollar to just hold that horror; you
understand, just keep on registering it. Don't do another
thing, just register that face."

His words were meaningless to me. I had never known before
that it was possible to make money by merely registering
my face.

"No, no," cried out Raymon, "my friend here is not wanting
work. He has a message, a message of great importance
for General Villa."

"Well," called back the boss, "he'll have to wait. We
can't stop now. All ready, boys? One--two--now!"

And with that he put a whistle to his lips and blew a
long shrill blast.

Then in a moment the whole scene was transformed. Rifle
shots rang out from every crag and bush that bordered
the gully.

A wild scamper of horses' hoofs was heard and in a moment
there came tearing down the road a whole troop of mounted
Mexicans, evidently in flight, for they turned and fired
from their saddles as they rode. The horses that carried
them were wild with excitement and flecked with foam.
The Mexican cavalry men shouted and yelled, brandishing
their machetes and firing their revolvers. Here and there
a horse and rider fell to the ground in a great whirl of
sand and dust. In the thick of the press, a leader of
ferocious aspect, mounted upon a gigantic black horse,
waved his sombrero about his head.

"Villa--it is Villa!" cried Raymon, tense with excitement.
"Is he not _magnifico?_ But look! Look--the _Americanos!_
They are coming!"

It was a glorious sight to see them as they rode madly
on the heels of the Mexicans--a whole company of American
cavalry, their horses shoulder to shoulder, the men bent
low in their saddles, their carbines gripped in their
hands. They rode in squadrons and in line, not like the
shouting, confused mass of the Mexicans--but steady,
disciplined, irresistible.

On the right flank in front a grey-haired officer steadied
the charging line. The excitement of it was maddening.

"Go to it," I shouted in uncontrollable emotion. "Your
Mexicans are licked, Raymon, they're no good!"

"But look!" said Raymon. "See--the ambush, the ambuscada!"

For as they reached the centre of the gorge in front of
us the Mexicans sudde