e they stopped to give farther vent to their chagrin, and to
deliberate on their future course.

To attempt immediate pursuit would not avail them, as they well know the
cibolero would be many a mile out of their reach before they could
descend to the plain.

For a long time they continued to give utterance to expressions of
chagrin, mingled with anathemas upon the head of the dog, Cibolo. At
length becoming tired of this, they once more set their heads to
business.

The zambo was of opinion it would be useless to go farther that night--
they had no chance of coming up with the cibolero before morning--in
daylight they would more easily make out his trail.

"Boy Pepe, fool!" was the mulatto's reply to these observations. "Track
by daylight--be seen--spoil all, fool Pepe!"

"Then what way, brother Man'l?"

"Dam! forgot bloodhound? Trail by night fast as ride--soon overtake
guero."

"But, brother Man'l, he's not going to stop short of ten leagues from
here! We can't come up with him to-night, can we?"

"Fool again, boy Pepe! Stop within ten miles--stop because won't think
of bloodhound--won't think can trail 'im--stop, sure. Dam! that dog
played devil--thought he would--dam!"

"Malraya! _he_ won't trouble us any more."

"Why think that, boy Pepe?"

"Why, brother Man'l! because I had my blade into him. He'll not limp
much farther, I warrant."

"Dam! wish could think so--if could think so, give double onza. But for
dog have guero now. But for dog, get guero before sun up. Stop soon--
don't suspect us yet--don't suspect hound--stop, I say. By mighty God--
sure!"

"How, brother Man'l? you think he'll not go far off?"

"Sure of it. Guero not ride far--nowhere to go--soon trail 'im--find
'im asleep--crawl on 'im but for dog--crawl on 'im sure."

"If you think so, then I don't believe you need trouble yourself about
the dog. If he lives twenty minutes after the stab I gave him, he's a
tough brute, that's all. You find the guero, I promise you'll find no
dog with him."

"Hope so, boy Pepe--try anyhow. Come!" Saying this, the yellow hunter
straddled his horse, and followed by the zambo and the dogs commenced
moving down the rocky channel of the ravine.

CHAPTER FIFTY NINE.

Having arrived at the point where the horseman had been last seen, the
mulatto dismounted, and called up the bloodhound. He addressed some
words to the dog, and by a sign set him on the trail. The animal
understood