THE BLACK BEAR. 233 



horses bounding and careering, and our imaginations 

 became quite excited as we drew nearer and nearer 

 to the line of mountains which lay before us far 

 away. After a rapid gallop across a charming 

 countr}', of an aspect as various as the changing 

 scenes of a panorama, we arrived on the banks of a 

 little stream where we resolved to pass the night. 

 The encampment was a joyous one ; we did honour 

 to the contents of our gourds, and, as there were 

 no foes in the neighbourhood, we all went to sleep 

 without placing sentinels. Great was our vexation 

 at finding, when we awoke in the morning, that 

 several of our horses had disappeared, and among 

 them the noble animal which I had borrowed. We 

 had. been tracked by some Mexican thieves, who 

 were too well acquainted with the habits of the 

 soldiers, and who, knowing how careless they would 

 be on the first night of camping out of doors, had 

 taken advantage of our jollification, and the con- 

 sequent soundness of our slumbers, to help them- 

 selves to our horses. 



Though we were all very angry at this occurrence, 

 it was impossible to restrain a shout of laughter at 

 the discovery that the sorry little pony of our shoi*t 

 friend had not escaped the attentions of the thieves; 

 but the little brute, whose temper was greatly in 

 excess of his size, had attacked his assailant furi- 

 ously and forced him to retreat, evidently not without 

 damage, for at the feet of the pony was found a 



