irt several times across the red cheek
of Raoul, and with a curse upon his lips he leaped upon his mustang and
galloped off.

Whatever might be the nature of the punishment that awaited us at the
Eagle's Cave, it was evident that Lopez had no intention of becoming
proxy in it for any of us. This was plain from the manner in which he
set about securing us. We were first gagged with bayonet-shanks, and
then dragged out into the bushes.

Here we were thrown upon our backs, each of us in the centre of four
trees that formed a parallelogram. Our arms and legs were stretched to
their full extent, and tied severally to the trees; and thus we lay,
spread out like raw hides to dry. Our savage captors drew the cords so
taut that our joints cracked under the cruel tension. In this painful
position, with a Jarocho standing over each of us, we passed the
remainder of the night.

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Note 1. Griffe, a cross-breed between a negro and a Carib.

Note 2. Manga, a jacket with loose sleeves.

CHAPTER FORTY NINE.

A HANG BY THE HEELS.

It was a long night--the longest I can remember--a night that fully
illustrated the horror of monotony. I can compare our feelings to those
of one under the influence of the nightmare. But, no--worse than that.
Our savage sentries occasionally sat down upon our bodies, and, lighting
their cigaritos, chatted gaily while we groaned. We could not protest;
we were gagged. But it would have made little difference; they would
only have mocked us the more.

We lay glaring upon the moon as she coursed through a cloudy heaven.
The wind whistled through the leaves, and its melancholy moaning sounded
like our death-dirge. Several times through the night I heard the howl
of the prairie wolf, and I knew it was Lincoln; but the Jarochos had
pickets all around, and the hunter dared not approach our position. He
could not have helped us.

The morning broke at last; and we were taken up, tied upon the backs of
vicious mules, and hurried off through the woods. We travelled for some
distance along a ridge, until we had reached its highest point, where
the cliff beetled over. Here we were unpacked, and thrown upon the
grass. About thirty of the Jarochos guarded us, and we now saw them
under the broad light of day; but they did not look a whit more
beautiful than they had appeared under the glare of the blazing rancho
on the pre