they came
from. We clamped a mule shoe over the pasterns of the younger horses,
tied toggles to the others, and the next morning set out on our return
to the settlements."

Under his promise the old ranchero had the camp astir over an hour
before dawn. Horses were brought in from picket ropes, and divided into
two squads, Pasquale leading off to the windward of where the band was
located at dusk previous. The rest of the men followed Uncle Lance to
complete the leeward side of the circle. The location of the _manada_,
had been described as between a small hill covered with Spanish bayonet
on one hand, and a _zacahuiste_ flat nearly a mile distant on the other,
both well-known landmarks. As we rode out and approached the location,
we dropped a man every half mile until the hill and adjoining salt flat
had been surrounded. We had divided what rifles the ranch owned between
the two squads, so that each side of the circle was armed with four
guns. I had a carbine, and had been stationed about midway of the
leeward half-circle. At the first sign of dawn, the signal agreed upon,
a turkey call, sounded back down the line, and we advanced. The circle
was fully two miles in diameter, and on receiving the signal I rode
slowly forward, halting at every sound. It was a cloudy morning and
dawn came late for clear vision. Several times I dismounted and in
approaching objects at a distance drove my horse before me, only to find
that, as light increased, I was mistaken.

[Illustration: UTTERING A SINGLE PIERCING SNORT]

When both the flat and the dagger crowned hill came into view, not a
living object was in sight. I had made the calculation that, had the
_manada_ grazed during the night, we should be far to the leeward of the
band, for it was reasonable to expect that they would feed against the
wind. But there was also the possibility that the outlaw might have
herded the band several miles distant during the night, and while I was
meditating on this theory, a shot rang out about a mile distant and
behind the hill. Giving my horse the rowel, I rode in the direction of
the report; but before I reached the hill the _manada_ tore around it,
almost running into me. The coyote mustang was leading the band; but as
I halted for a shot, he turned inward, and, the mares intervening, cut
off my opportunity. But the warning shot had reached every rider on the
circle, and as I plied rowel and quirt to turn the band, Tio Tiburcio
cut in before