316 PLANNING A FORAY. 



And, let me ask the reader, what is the use or value of 

 repose to people accustomed to an active life and almost 

 daily combats ( l Who will wonder, then, that they 

 poured out their complaints against the entire world, and 

 treated as conspirators, not only the Indians and Mexicans, 

 but also the celestial powers, and, among others, the sun, 

 which, they said, had sworn by its absence that they 

 should perish of very weariness of spirit ? To break up 

 the monotony of their existence, they resolved at last, 

 either on a raid on the other bank of the Rio Grande, to 

 sack some Mexican villages, or on a tour among the 

 mountains, to harass with fire and sword a few " haci- 

 endas," hoping, by these mild means, to rouse the wasps 

 out of their nests, and find occasion for a little rifle practice ! 



After a prolonged deliberation on this important sub- 

 ject, their brave captain, a man named Shark, determined 

 that they should undertake an expedition in the mountains, 

 that is, against the Redskins. 



Every one looked upon the foray as a grand fete ; and as- 

 suredly it was a pleasure not within the reach of all, for 

 one had to traverse a wild desert, to pass through the 

 midst of Mexican and Indian populations, to run the risk 

 of great dangers, and, indeed, of death itself, all for the 

 satisfaction, as these brave fellows said, of " bringing 

 one's hand in," and of " stretching one's legs." 



The motive which had great weight with Captain Shark 

 in deciding him to take the direction of the San Saba 

 mountains was, that he was a hunter and a gourmand, 

 and that he counted upon finding in the mountains both 

 bears to shoot and wild honey to collect; for, let me add, 

 in passing, the captain loved wild honey with an unbridled 

 passion. 



