"Ay," responded Garey, without the slightest show of excitement, "they'd better not come too near 'ithout telling thar bisness. I see one saddle that I'll empy the minnit they pass yon weed." And the speaker indicated a bunch of the _artemisia_ plant that grew some two hundred paces off in the direction of the horsemen.

The reckless talk of the old trapper, with the contrasted cool bearing of his younger companion, had fixed my nerves fully. At the first sight of so many adversaries, I was not without some misgivings--in truth, I felt fear. Such odds against us--four to one--was fair cause for apprehension. But it was not my first fight against large odds, both Indian and Mexican; and on that account, I regarded it the less seriously.

Notwithstanding the superiority of our enemy in numbers, I knew we were not so unequal. Unless shot down by the first volley of their carbines and escopettes, each of our three rifles was sure of its man. I had confidence in my own weapon, and a still more perfect reliance on those of my comrades. They were men that never missed--men who never fired a random shot--never drew trigger till their aim was sure. I felt certain, therefore, that should the horsemen charge upon us, only _nine_ of the twelve would ever get within pistol-shot of us, and for that distance we were well prepared. I carried in my belt a six-chambered revolver, one of Colt's best; Garey had another--a present I had made him many years before--and Rube was armed with a pair of stout single-barrels, likely enough to do good service.

"Sev'nteen shots! wid our bowies to fall back upon!" cried Garey triumphantly, as we finished a hasty survey of our arms.

As yet the enemy did not advance. Notwithstanding their _vivas_ and ejaculations, they appeared to hesitate about charging. Their leader, and another--a lieutenant, perhaps--were still seen riding along their line, as if animating them by further speech, giving them orders how to act.

Meanwhile, _we_ had not been idle; we had _formed square_ to receive the charge!

You may smile, but such was in reality the case. We had formed square-- with our horses! There were four of them, for the wild-horse counted one. Garey, who _rode_ like a Comanche, had broken him at our last camp, and he was now perfectly tractable. The shake of a lazo rendered him docile as a lamb.

The four were tied head to head, and croup to croup, and each formed one side of the square. They could not have broken it even under a charge of cavalry; bridles must be untied or cut, and lazoes set loose, before that _formation_ could be destroyed!

Within stood we, fronting our foes--the large horse of Garey forming our barricade towards them--our heads and feet alone visible to the enemy.

Thus did we await their onset.

CHAPTER THIRTY ONE.

THE PARLEY.

Another chorus of _vivas_ announced that the guerrilla captain had finished his oration, and that the attack was about to be made. We saw the chief himself, with one or two others, advance in front of the line, and head towards us, as if intending to lead the charge.

"Now!" muttered Rube, in a sharp quick tone, "guns ready, boys! no waste shots, d'yur hear? Lead counts hyur--_it_ do. See! By the jumpin Geehosophat, thur a gwine to ride right down! Let 'em kum on, and be damned! Thur's one o' 'em won't git thie fur--I mout say two--I mout say three i'deed. Durn the glint o' thet sun! Billee!" he continued, addressing Garey, "ee 'll shoot fust; yur gun's furrest carry. Plug the big un on the clay-bank hoss. This child's for Number 2 on the grey mustang. An, young fellur! ee'll jest pick off thet niggur on the roan.

I know yur wild-cat to the back-bone, but keep yur eye skinned an yur narves steady, d'yur hear?"

"Yes, yes!" I hurriedly answered, though at the time steadiness of nerves was easier promised than practised. My heart was heaving in quick pulsations at the near prospect of the terrible drama about to be enacted.

At this moment the "Forward" fell upon our ears, and with the wild notes of the bugle came the words--

"_Andela! anda! Dios y Guadalupe_!" (On! forward! God and Guadalupe!)

In an instant, the troop was in motion, galloping down to the charge.

They had not made many stretches before their line became broken, several of the swiftest or most courageous having forged ahead of the others.

"The three 'most!" cried Rube, in the same sharp tone--"the three fo'most! Thet'll fotch 'em up wi' a roun turn, or this child's mistaken. Now, boyees! mind yur eyes! Steady! Stea-dy--stea-d-y--"

All at once, Rube's muttered cautions, slowly drawled out, were changed to an exclamation that betokened surprise, followed by a long low whistle of the same import!

The cause was clear! The guerrilleros had got within three hundred yards of us, still going at a gallop, but we could perceive that their pace slackened as they advanced; already it was more of an amble than the forward dash of an earnest charge. It was evident they had no stomach for the business--now that they were near enough to see the shining barrels and black hollow tubes of our levelled rifles.

Garey was waiting till the foremost should pass the artemisia-bush; for by that he had calculated the point-blank range of his rifle. Another moment, and its crack would have been heard; but the horseman, as if warned by instinct, seemed to divine the exact limit of danger. Before reaching the bush, his heart failed him, and in a wavering, irresolute manner, he drew bridle, and halted!

The others, nothing loath, followed his example, until the whole troop had pulled up within less than three hundred yards of the muzzles of our guns!

"Cowed, by God!" shouted Rube, with a derisive laugh, "Hulloo!"

continued he, raising his voice still louder, and addressing the halted line: "what do ee want anyhow? Why the hell don't ee come on?"

Whether Rube's comical interrogatory was understood or not, it elicited a reply:--

"_Amigos! somos amigos_!" (We are friends!) shouted back the leader of the band.

"Friends, be damned!" exclaimed the trapper, who knew enough of Spanish to understand the signification of _amigos_. "Nice friends, you, i'deed! Wagh! D'yur think to bamfoozle us thet-away? Keep yur distance now!" continued he, raising his rifle in a threatening manner, as a movement was perceptible among the horsemen. "Keep yur distance, or, by the 'tarnal airthquake! I'll plug the fust o' ye thet rides within reach. Damn sich friends as you!"

The leader now conversed in a low tone with his lieutenant, and some new design seemed to be discussed between them. A change of tactics was evidently devised during this pause in the action.

After a while the chief again addressed us, speaking as before in Spanish.

"We are friends!" said he: "we mean you no harm. To prove it, I shall order my men to fall back upon the prairie, while my lieutenant, unarmed, will meet one of you on the neutral ground. Surely, you can have no objection to that?"

"And why such an arrangement?" inquired Garey, who spoke Spanish fluently. "We want nothing of _you_. What do you want from _us_, with all this infernal fuss?"

"I have business with you," replied the Mexican; "and _you_, sir, in particular. I have something to say to you I don't wish others to hear."

As he said this, the speaker turned his head, and nodded significantly towards his own following. He was candid with them at least.

This unexpected dialogue took all three of us by surprise. What could the man want with Garey? The latter knew nothing of him--had never, as he declared, "sot eyes on the niggur afore;" although at such a distance--with the sun in his face, and the Mexican's sombrero slouched as it was--Garey might be mistaken. It might be some one whom he had met, though he could not recall him to mind.

After a short consultation, we agreed that Garey should accept the proposal. No evil could result from it--none that we could think of.

Garey could easily get back, before any attack could be made upon him, and Rube and I should still be ready to protect him with our pieces. If they meditated treachery, we could not perceive the advantage they were to gain from the proceeding.

The "parley" therefore was accepted, and the conditions arranged with due caution on our part.

The horsemen--with the exception of the leader and his lieutenant--were to ride back to the distance of half-a-mile; the leader was to remain where he was; and halfway between him and us, Garey and the lieutenant were to meet, both of them on foot and unarmed.

At an order from their chief, the guerrilleros fell back. The lieutenant dismounted, laid his lance along the ground, unbuckled his sabre, drew the pistols from his belt, and placing them beside the lance, advanced towards the appointed spot.

Garey had likewise disarmed himself; and leaving his weapons in charge of Rube and myself, stepped forth to meet the Mexican.

In another minute, the two stood face to face, and the "parley" began.

It was of short duration. The speaking, which appeared to be principally done by the Mexican, was carried on in a low tone; and Rube and I saw that he pointed frequently in our direction, as if we were the subject of his discourse! We observed that his harangue was suddenly interrupted by Garey, who, turning round at the same instant, cried out to us in English--

"Hillow, Rube! what do yer think the skunk wants?"

"How shed I know?" replied Rube. "What do 'e want?"

"Why, he wants"--Garey's voice rose louder with indignation--"he wants us to give up the _ranger-captain_; an sez, if we do, you an me can go free. Ha, ha, ha!" and the young trapper ended his announcement with a scornful laugh.

Simultaneous with Garey's laugh, I could hear Rube utter a low whistle, and the words, "Thet's how the stick floats;" and then raising his voice, he called out--

"An what answer hev you gin him, Billee?"