ving parted from her on the prairie, in the wild gallop that followed,
we had thought no more of the creature, not caring--that is, Garey and
myself--what became of her.

Rube, however, was far from sharing our indifference as to her fate. He
would almost as soon have parted with one of his "claws" as that same
faithful companion; and we had heard him expressing his hopes that no
harm would come to her.

Or course, we had concluded that she would either be shot or lazoed by
one of the guerrilleros.

It appeared, however, that this was not to be her fate just then.
Resolving not to be parted from her master so easily, she had galloped
after us. Being slow, she soon fell behind, and for a while was mixed
up with the horses of the guerrilleros. Of course the men had noticed
her, but seeing that she was a worthless brute, had not deigned to make
a capture of her.

In due time she fell into the rear of the whole troop; but even that did
not turn her from her original intention, and at the moment of Rube's
exclamation, she was just breaking through the line of deployment on her
way to join her master. From the manner in which her nose was held as
she ran, she appeared to be trailing him by the scent!

Seeing her pass, one of the guerrilleros dashed after to capture her;
perhaps because there was an old saddle with some of Rube's traps
buckled upon it.

Mare, saddle, and all, were scarcely worth the fling of lazo, and so the
man appeared to think; for instead of using his lazo, he rode forward
with the intention of seizing the mare by the bridle.

The feat proved not so easy of accomplishment. As the fellow bent down
to grasp the rein, the old mare uttered one of her wild squeals, slewed
her hind-quarters about, and raising her heels high in air, delivered
them right upon the ribs of the Mexican.

The heavy "thud" was heard by all of us; and the man swayed from his
saddle, and fell to the ground--to all appearance badly hurt, and most
probably with a pair of broken ribs.

The squeal of the mare was echoed by a shrill laugh from the throat of
her delighted master; and not until she had galloped up to him, did he
cease to make the locks ring with his wild cachinnations.

"Wa-hoo--woop! yur thur, ole gal!" he shouted as the animal halted
before him. "You gin 'im a sockdolloger--_you_ did. Yeeup! ole
blue-skin! yur welkum back! an ye've fotched my saddle too! Hooray!
Ain't she a beauty, Bill? She's wuth her we