jine
that mule train as no party o' four. We got ter lose that danged number,
that's flat."

"You an' Hank," offered Zeb, "bein' Blackfoot an' Delaware, kin be
hunters from Bent's; me an' Jim, bein' 'Rapahoes turned friendly, kin
come from St. Vrain's post. Th' South Platte, up thar, is th' 'Rapahoe
stampin' ground an' we both know it from one end to t'other. That'll
count fer all o' us havin' first-class weapons. Somebody's shore goin'
ter notice them."

Turley nodded. "Yes; hyar's whar ye lose that cussed four. You two
'Rapahoes git scarce afore daylight, goin' on foot an' leavin' no trail.
Come back from th' way o' th' old Ute trail from th' Bayou Salade. I'm
runnin' a little herdin' up o' my hosses on th' side o' th' mounting;
they're scatterin' in th' brush too much. Fer that I'll be needin' all
my men that ain't goin' as muleteers. I'll hire you boys, two at a time,
ter go 'long with th' _atejo_ as guards. Thar's thieves atween hyar an'
Santer Fe that likes Turley's whiskey an' ground meal. I'll give ye a
writin' ter my agent in town to pay ye off, an' ye'll git through, all
right. Do ye reckon ye'll have ter git outer Santer Fe on th' jump?
Seein' as how yer so danged careful how ye git inter th' town, it may be
that ye ain't welcome a hull lot. Knowin' Hank like I do, makes me
suspicious."

"We'll mebby git out quicker'n scat," answered Tom, chuckling. "They'll
mebby be touchy about strangers, with them Texans prowlin' 'round. If we
git ter goin' strong as a Texan raid an' they find out that it's only
four no-'count Injuns full o' Taos lightnin', they'll mebby move fast.
We may make quite a ruckus afore we git through, if they find out who we
air."

"What th' hell ye aimin' ter do? Capture th' town?" demanded Turley,
unable to longer hold down his curiosity.

"Aimin' ter git our trade goods money, see a young lady, hang 'round
till th' return caravan start back fer th' States, an' mebby squar up
fer a few o' them Texans that _didn't_ git ter Mexico City," answered
Tom.

"This hyar's th' Tom Boyd that slapped Armijo's kiyote face," explained
Hank. "We hears th' Governor is lonesome fer his company."

"Great Jehovah yes!" exclaimed Turley. "Boyd, ye better jine that thar
caravan from Bent's, meetin' up with it at th' Crossin'. Armijo combed
these hyar mountings fer ye, an' watched my rancho fer nigh a week. He'd
'most give his right hand ter git a-holt o' you; an' if he does, you kin
guess what'll happen