at their wits' end with
mortification. Disappointment, humiliation, physical and moral pain,
had worked them into a frenzy of rage; and they were engaged together
during all the day in plotting schemes and plans for the capture of
their outlawed enemy.

Roblado was not less earnest than the Comandante in the success of their
endeavours.

Carlos had now given both of them good cause to hate him, and both hated
him from the bottom of their hearts.

What vexed Roblado most was, that he was no longer able to take the
field--nor was he likely to be for several weeks. His wound, though not
dangerous, would oblige him to sling his arm for some time, and to
manage a horse would be out of the question. The strategic designs of
the Comandante and himself would have to be carried out by those who
felt far less interest in the capture of the outlaw than they did.
Indeed, but for the arrival of a brace of lieutenants, sent from
division head-quarters at Santa Fe, the garrison would have been without
a commissioned officer fit for duty. These new-comers--Lieutenants
Yafiez and Ortiga--were neither of them the men to catch the cibolero.
They were brave enough--Ortiga in particular--but both were late
arrivals from Spain, and knew nothing whatever of border warfare.

The soldiers were desirous of hunting the outlaw down, and acted with
sufficient zeal. The stimulus of a large reward, which was promised to
them, rendered them eager of effecting his capture; and they went forth
on each fresh scout with alacrity. But they were not likely to attack
the cibolero unless a goodly number of them were together. No one or
two of them--including the celebrated Sergeant Gomez--would venture
within range of his rifle, much less go near enough to lay hands upon
him.

The actual experience of his prowess by some of them, and the
exaggerated reports of it known to others, had made such an impression
upon the whole troop, that the cibolero could have put a considerable
body of them to flight only by showing himself! But in addition to the
skill, strength, and daring which he had in reality exhibited--in
addition to the exaggeration of those qualities by the fancy--the
soldiers as well as people had become possessed with a strange belief--
that was, that the cibolero was under the protection of his mother--
under the protection of the "diablo"--in other words, that he was
_bewitched_, and therefore invincible! Some asserted that he was