very center of the province,
had there met with a severe reverse, and were compelled to retreat
without plunder, scalps or captives. Not daring to return to their
village empty-handed, for, as you know, the very squaws would have
hooted them, they recrossed the Grande above San Vicente, made a wide
detour, and coming down the Pecos, again entered Mexican territory, and
made a flying raid upon the river towns.

"From its remoteness from the usual scene of these Indian forays, the
inhabitants of this region were resting in fancied security, and had
made no preparations to resist such an attack. As a natural consequence,
they fell an easy prey to the savage invaders.

"The rancheria of Don Ramon was one of the first attacked, and the proud
old Don and his three sons, with most of their rancheros and vaqueros,
were surprised and slaughtered. Of my own family, my sister Conchita, a
girl of sixteen, and myself, alone escaped death; and we, with many
other captives, were hurried off in charge of a small detachment of
Camanches. Of the journey to this village I need not tell you, as you
have, perhaps, passed through a similar experience.

"On our arrival here, my sister soon became the wife of a chief, and to
this circumstance I was indebted for much better treatment than usually
falls to the lot of a captive. And here let me tell you that your own
escape from torture and death was little less than miraculous. In my
long experience with the tribe, I have never known of a similar
incident. But Wakometkla is a very singular man, and so greatly is he
reverenced by his nation, that he can do many things which Tonsaroyoo
himself would hesitate to undertake.

"_Carrambo_, but this story-telling is dry work. See if there be not a
flask of mezcal within the lodge. _Caval_--you have found it? So--that
is better;" and my strange companion, having swallowed a copious draft
of the fiery liquid, resumed his narrative:

"The first two years of my captivity were comparatively without
incident, but at the beginning of the third year I was formally adopted
into the tribe. As you yourself have gone through the ceremony, it is
unnecessary to describe it, but as the circumstances in my case were
somewhat different from yours, I found myself on an equality with such
of the young braves as had never been on the war-path.

"A few months later I joined a war party led by one of the subordinate
chiefs, and during the expedition I was fortunate en