Let us get near the mouth of the
canon, and hide outside of it till night--then as soon as it is dark
creep into where it narrows. He will come down that way to go out.
What then? we can have a shot at him as he passes!"

"Pooh, boy Pepe! Think lose chance of half reward--risk whole by shot
in dark? Dam! no--have whole or none--set us up for life--take him
alive, take him alive, sure."

"Well then," rejoined the zambo, "let him pass out of the canon, and
when he's gone clear out of reach we can go up, get into the cave, and
wait his return. What say you to that?"

"Talk sense now, boy Pepe--something like plan about that--what we do--
but not go inside canon till guero clear away. Only near enough see him
go out, then for cave--right plan to take him. Sun near dawn, time we
start--come!"

"_Vamos_!"

Both mounted, and rode forward to the bank of the river. There was no
ford at the spot, but what of that? With scarce a moment's delay they
plunged their horses into the stream and swam across. The dogs followed
their example, and all came out dripping on the opposite bank. The
evening was chill, but what was heat or cold to such men? Nothing
signified their wet clothes to them; and without halting they rode
straight forward to the ceja of the Llano Estacado, and having reached
it turned to the right, and rode along the base of the bluffs.

After following the line of the ceja for two or three miles they
approached a spur of the cliff that ran out into the plain, and
gradually tapered to a point, sinking lower as it receded from the
Llano. It ended in a clump, or rather several clusters, of isolated
rocks and boulders that stood near each other. The place was not
timbered, but the dark rocks irregularly piled upon each other gave it a
shaggy appearance; and among their crevices, and the spaces between
them, was ample room for even a large party both of men and horses to
lie concealed.

The end of this rocky promontory was the point towards which the mulatto
was steering. It formed one side of the ravine in which lay the cave,
while another similar ridge bounded the ravine on its southern side.
Between them a deep bay indented the cliff, from which a narrow
difficult pass opened up to the high plain above. It was the same
ravine in which the cattle of the young ranchero Don Juan had been
slaughtered! These were no longer to be seen, but their bones were
still visible, scattered over the plain, and