320 BUFFALO LAND. 



spirits, stole forth to catch the culprit. On his knees 

 by the open box was Rombeaux, replacing the 

 brandy-bottle, and we feared that he, too, had become 

 a thief. But just then, on the still air, came words 

 of thanks to the Virgin Mary, for having enabled him 

 to awake in time to frighten away the robber. Nor 

 was this all; in the fierceness of his indignation, we 

 beheld him sally forth immediately afterward, and 

 kick a sleeping Mexican out of his blankets, on sus- 

 picion. Thereupon, we went back to bed with im- 

 plicit faith in Rombeaux, which had followed us ever 

 since. 



Had he not told us, moreover, of a vine-covered 

 cottage in France, where pretty Marie watched and 

 waited until her lover could earn dowry sufficient to 

 match hers? It was the old story. A maiden fair 

 tarried in Europe, while a true knight ransacked 

 foreign lands for fame and fortune ; and long since 

 had all of us, save Sachem, exhausted our stock of 

 spare change to hasten the reunion. 



Passing some of the lowest and most flashy-look- 

 ing saloons in the place, we entered a ravine, and 

 soon stopped before a " dug-out." So much was it the 

 work of excavation, that the dirt roof was level with 

 the earth above, and the door seemed to open directly 

 into the bank. We knocked, and were answered 

 promptly by a fat, gayly dressed French woman. 

 This was Rombeaux's wife, and here was Rom- 

 beaux's house. What a Marie and vine-clad cottage 

 these ! 



Without delay the trial commenced, the French- 

 man and his wife occupying places in the center, and 



