IN THE OLD WEST 261 



observed the curious figure of the little Don mak- 

 ing demonstrations of hostility. 



" Wagh ! " exclaimed the leading hunter (no 

 other than our friend La Bonte), "here's a little 

 critter as means to do all the fighting " ; and seiz- 

 ing his rifle by the barrel, he poked at the Don 

 with the butt-end, who parried the blow, and with 

 such a sturdy stroke, as nearly severed the stock 

 in two. Another mountaineer rode up, and, 

 swinging his lasso overhead, threw the noose dex- 

 terously over the Spaniard's head, and as it fell 

 over his shoulders, drew it taut, thus securing the 

 arms of the pugnacious Don as in a vice. 



" Quartel! " cried the latter ; " por Dios, quar- 

 tel! " 



" Quarter be d ! " exclaimed one of the 



whites, who understood Spanish ; " who's a-goin' 

 to hurt you, you little critter? " 



By this time Fray Augustin was waving a white 

 flag from the roof, in token of surrender ; and soon 

 after he appeared trembling at the door, beseech- 

 ing the victors to be merciful and to spare the 

 lives of the vanquished, when all and everything in 

 the Mission would be freely placed at their dis- 

 posal. 



" What does the nigger say ? " asked old 

 Walker, the leader of the mountaineers, of the in- 

 terpreter. 



" Well, he talks so queer, this boss can't rightly 

 make it out." 



