LIFE IN THE FAR WEST 217 



coming ! hurra for the roan ! " but, under the rifle of a 

 mountaineer, one of the Californians dashed at it, a 

 lasso whirling round his head, and turning and twisting 

 like a doubling hare, as the horse tried to avoid him, 

 at last threw the open coil over the animal's head, 

 and led him back in triumph to the band. 



" Maldito sea aquel Indio curse that Indian ! " quoth 

 the padre, and turned away. 



And now our sturdy band less two who had gone 

 under were fairly on their way. They passed the 

 body of their comrade who had been killed in the fight 

 before the Mission ; the wolves, or Indian dogs, had 

 picked it to the bones ; but a mound near by sur- 

 rounded by a rude cross, showed where the Californians 

 (seven of whom were killed) had been interred the 

 pile of stones at the foot of the cross testifying that 

 many an ave maria had already been said by the poor 

 Indians, to save the souls of their slaughtered com- 

 panions from the pangs of purgatory. 



For the first few days progress was slow and tedious. 

 The confusion attendant upon driving so large a num- 

 ber of animals over a country without trail or track of 

 any description, was sufficient to prevent speedy tra- 

 velling ; and the mountaineers, desirous of improving 

 the pace, resolved to pursue a course more easterly, 

 and to endeavour to strike the great SPANISH TRAIL, 

 which is the route followed by the New Mexicans 

 in their journeys to and from the towns of Puebla 

 de los Angeles and Santa Fe. This road, however, 

 crosses a long stretch of desert country, destitute alike 



