n,
among a swarthy race, would subject him to great annoyance, and perhaps
involve him in the horrible fate of a similar person, reported by the
Indians, resolved to stain his skin of a darker hue, by means of some
chemical preparation which he had precautionarily provided for this
purpose, before he left the United States. With the friendly
assistance of Antonio, this metamorphosis was completed over his whole
person before he retired to rest; his red whiskers were shaved off, and
his light hair died of a jet black; and so perfect was the disguise,
that not one of the party who went foraging for venison recognized him
on their return, but marvelled, as he sat at supper, whence so singular
a stranger could have come. Velasquez states, however, that his new
complexion was unlike that of any human being on the face of the earth,
and scarcely diminished the certainty of his becoming an object of
curiosity, among an Indian population.

In the morning, about the break of day, the infernal yells of a pack of
blood-hounds suddenly rang through the cavern, and the party could
scarcely seize their rifles before many of the dogs, who had driven in
the affrighted Indians on guard, were springing at their throats. Mr.
Huertis, however, the American leader of the expedition, with that
presence of mind which seems always to have distinguished him, told the
men that rifles were useless in such a contest, and that the hounds must
be dispatched with their long knives as fast as they came in, while the
fire-arms were to be reserved for their masters. This canine butchery
was accomplished with but little difficulty; none of the party received
any serious injury from their fangs; and the Indians were exhilarated
with a victory which was chiefly a conquest of their fears. These
unfortunate dogs, it appears, were the advanced van of a pack, or
perhaps merely a few unleashed as scouts to others held in reserve; for
no more were seen or heard for sometime. Meanwhile, Mr. Huertis seems to
have struck out a brilliant scheme. He collected his whole party into
that obscure branch of the cavern, near its entrance, which has been
described as a depository of animal bones, and ordering them to sling
their rifles at their backs, bade them stand ready with their knives.
Almost instantly, they observed a party of ten dismounted natives, in
scarlet tunics, and armed with spears, enter the cavern in single file;
and, it would seem, from seeing the dogs sl