eive the flash of a noble
eye, and note a damask redness upon his cheeks. His shoulders were
covered with a scarlet manga, that draped backward over the hips of his
horse; and upon his head he wore a light sombrero, laced, banded, and
tasselled with bullion of gold. The horse was a small but finely
proportioned mustang--spotted like a jaguar upon a ground colour of
cream--a true Andalusian.

The horseman was advancing at a gallop, without fear of the ground
before him: by chance, his eyes were raised to the level of the azotea,
on which I stood; my uniform, and the sparkle of my accoutrements,
caught his glance; and quick as thought, as if by an involuntary
movement, he reined up his mustang, until its ample tail lay clustered
upon the dust of the road. It was then that I noted the singular
appearance of both horse and rider.

Just at that moment, the ranger, who held picket on that side of the
village, sprang forth from his hiding-place, and challenged the horseman
to halt. The challenge was unheeded. Another jerk of the rein spun the
mustang round, as upon a pivot; and the next instant, impelled by the
spur, the animal resumed his gallop. He did not return by the road, but
shot off in a new direction, nearly at right angles to his former
course. A rifle-bullet would have followed, and most likely have
stopped the career of either horse or rider, had not I, just in the
"nick" of time, shouted to the sentry to hold his fire.

A reflection had occurred to me; the game was too noble, too beautiful,
to be butchered by a bullet; it was worth a chase and a capture.

My horse was by the water-trough. I had noticed that he was not yet
unsaddled, and the bridle was still on. He had been warmed by the
morning's scout; and I had ordered my negro groom to walk him round for
an hour or so before letting him at the water.

I did not wait to descend by the _escalera_; I sprang upon the parapet,
and from that into the piazza. The groom, perceiving my intention, met
me half-way with the horse.

I seized the reins, and bounded into the saddle. Several of the
readiest of the rangers followed my example; and as I galloped down the
lane that led out of the rancheria, I could tell by the clattering of
hoofs that half-a-dozen of them were at my heels. I cared not much for
that, for surely I was a match for the stripling we meant to chase. I
knew, moreover, that speed at the moment was of more importance than
strength; and