earth there existed an alloy? How suspect that into that
smiling garden the dread serpent could ever intrude himself? Alas! he
was at that moment approaching it--he was already near!

The place we had chosen for our temporary bivouac--and where we had
passed the night--was at the upper extremity of the little valley, and
close in to the cliff. We had selected this spot, from the ground being
a little more elevated than the general surface, and in consequence
drier. Several cotton-wood trees shaded it; and it was further
sheltered by a number of large boulders of rock, that, having fallen
from the cliff above, lay near its base. Behind these boulders, the men
of our party had slept--not from any idea of the greater security
afforded by them, but simply from a delicate motive--being thus
separated from the _chamber_ occupied by our fair _protegees_.

It had never occurred to us that our place of concealment could be
discovered in the night; and, even long after the day had arisen, so
confident did we continue in our fancied security, that we had taken no
precautions--neither to reconnoitre the cliffs in search of away of
retreat, nor to adopt any means of defence in the event of our being
assailed. As far as Wingrove and I were concerned, I have explained
this negligence, for it was negligence of the most imprudent character.
The Mexican, feeling quite certain that he had succeeded in blinding our
trail, was perhaps less cautious than he might otherwise have been; and
Sure-shot equally trusted to his new comrade, for whose still the
ex-ranger had conceived an exalted opinion.

I could see withal that Archilete was not without some apprehension. He
had buckled on his artificial leg--the real one having become fatigued
by pressing too long on the stirrup; and, as he hobbled over the ground,
I noticed that from time to time he cast inquiring glances down the
valley. Observing these signs of impatience more than once, I began to
grow uneasy.

Prudence required that even that sweet scene should be interrupted--only
temporality, I hoped--until some plan should be adopted, that would
render us more secure against the contingency of our being discovered.
With my fair companion, I had turned away from the sweet whisperings of
the cascade, and was facing to the upper end of the vallon--when, all at
once, I observed a strange manoeuvre on the part of "Peg-leg." The
trapper had thrown himself flat upon the grass; and wit