ita, that when a gal boxes a man's
ears, he has a right to give her a kiss. You are reversing that; I had
the kisses this afternoon, and now I have got the box on the ear."

'There was again a roar of laughter among the Mexicans, and the enraged
woman drew a knife, and would have stabbed Rube to the heart had she not
been seized by the men standing round her and forced from the room. We
were kept in that room under a guard, so watchful that any attempt to
escape was out of the question, until three o'clock the next morning.
The horses were then saddled, and we were soon off, Rube and I riding in
the midst of the party with our hands tied before us, so that we could
just hold the bridle. We had found out from the conversation, that El
Zeres with his band was about twenty-five miles distant.

'Upon our ride, I found an opportunity for the first time since our
capture for a talk with Rube.

'"What do you think of it, Seth?"

'"Looks bad, Rube," I said. "If we find El Zeres in camp, I expect he
will make short work of us; if he is away, I suppose we shall get till
to-morrow morning. If we are to escape at all, it must be to-night."

'"Escape!" Rube said scoffingly; "of course we are going to escape. The
question is, Which one of all the ways open to us are we to choose?" and
he laughed merrily.

'"I don't quite see all the ways yet, Rube; however, we shall see what
sort of a place we are put in to-night, and can then come to some
conclusion. There comes the sun."

'It was about nine o'clock when we rode into camp; and as we approached
it, we acknowledged that a better place against a sudden surprise could
hardly have been chosen. The ground was flat for miles round; but the
site of the camp rose in a slight mound, of nearly circular form, and
perhaps one hundred yards across; the central part was thirty feet or so
above the general level. Round this the band of El Zeres was encamped.
Rube and I guessed them at four hundred strong. There was an attempt at
military order, for, by the bundles of wearing apparel, etc., it was
evident that the men slept round a series of bivouac fires, extending in
a circle round the foot of the mound. Within the line of fires the
horses were picketed in two rows. In the centre of the circle, upon the
highest point of the rise, was a small house. As we approached we could
see a stir in the camp: a party of men were mounting their horses as if
for an expedition.

'"I hope El Zeres is on