gle bound; found myself ten yards from the fellow, who was
quietly blowing his fire and stirring his coffee. He arose immediately,
made two steps backwards, and, quite unnerved by so sudden an
apparition, he extended his hand towards a tree, against which the
rifles had been placed.

That movement decided his fate, for not choosing to be shot at, nor to
close with a fellow so powerful that he could have easily crushed my
head between his thumb and finger, I drew at him; though rapid, my aim
was certain, and he fell dead, without uttering a single word, the arrow
having penetrated his heart. I then crawled to Gabriel, to whom I
explained the matter, and left him, to take my station near the two
remaining brigands. I found them busy searching the saddle-bags, and
putting aside what they wished to secrete for their own use.

After they had been thus employed for half an hour, one of them put
three saddles upon his head, and, thus loaded, returned to the burrow,
desiring his companion to come along, and drink his coffee while it was
hot. Some five minutes afterwards, the noise of a heavy fall was heard
(it was that of the thief who had just left, who was killed by the
tomahawk of Gabriel), and the remaining robber, loading himself with the
saddle-bags, prepared to follow, swearing aloud against his companion,
"who could not see before his eyes, and would break the pommels of
the saddles."

I had just drawn my bow, and was taking my aim, when Gabriel, passing
me, made a signal to forbear, and rushing upon the thief, he kicked him
in the back, just as he was balancing the saddles upon his head. The
thief fell down, and attempted to struggle, but the prodigious muscular
strength of Gabriel was too much for him; in a moment he laid half
strangled and motionless. We bound him firmly hand and foot, and carried
him to his burrow; we laid the two bodies by his side, stowed our
luggage in the burrow, and having destroyed all traces of the struggle,
we prepared for the reception of the horse-thieves.

Chance befriended us. While we were drinking the coffee thus left as a
prize to the conquerors, we heard at a distance the trampling of horses.
I seized one of the rifles, and Gabriel, after a moment of intense
listening, prepared his lasso, and glided behind the bushes. It was not
long before I perceived my own horse, who, having undoubtedly thrown his
rider, was galloping back to the camp. He was closely pursued by one of
the rasc