of cogitations by the way. In Manuel's mind it had been developed long
before the suggestion of the zambo.

They rested their hopes upon the belief that their victim would not know
that they were after him--he could not have heard of their return from
the buffalo-hunt, and therefore would be less on the alert. They knew
if Carlos became aware that they were upon his trail he would pursue a
_very_ different course from that observed towards his soldier-pursuers.
From these he could easily hide at any time upon the Llano Estacado,
but it was different with men like the hunters, who, though they might
not overtake him at the first burst, could follow on and find him again
wherever he should ride to.

But both mulatto and zambo believed that their presence would be
unsuspected by the guero, until they had laid hands upon him. Hence
their confidence of success.

They certainly had taken measures that promised it, supposing their
hypothesis to be correct--that is, supposing the cibolero to be in the
cave at that moment, and that during the night he should come out of the
ravine.

They were soon to know--the sun had already gone down. They would not
have long to watch.

CHAPTER FIFTY THREE.

Carlos _was_ in the cave, and at that very moment. Ever since the
affair at the Presidio he had made it his dwelling, his "lair," and for
reasons very similar to those which the mulatto had imparted to his
companion. It afforded him a safe retreat, and at a convenient distance
from his friends in the valley. Out of the ravine he could pass with
safety by night, returning before day. During the day he slept. He had
little fear of being tracked thither by the troopers; but even had they
done so, his cave entrance commanded a full view of the ravine to its
mouth at nearly a mile's distance, and any one approaching from that
direction could be perceived long before they were near. If a force of
troopers should enter by the mouth of the ravine, though both sides were
inaccessible cliffs, the cibolero had his way of escape. As already
stated, a narrow pass, steep and difficult, led from the upper end of
the gully to the plain above. Steep and difficult as it was, it could
be scaled by the black horse; and, once on the wide plain of the Llano
Estacado, Carlos could laugh at his soldier-pursuers.

The only time his enemies could have reached him would be during his
hours of sleep, or after darkness had fallen. But Carlos w