142 A DARING MEXICAN. 
the enemy lay ensconced, pts volleys 
of balls upon our wagons, among which we 
were scattered. At one Gras we thought of 
making an attempt to rout them from their 
fortified position ; but being ignorant of their 
number, and unable to distinguish any object 
through the dismal darkness which hung all 
around, we had to remain content with firing 
at random from behind our wagons, aiming at 
the flash of their guns, or in the direction 
whence any noise appeared to emanate. In- 
deed their yelling was almost continuous, 
reaking out every now and then in the most 
hideous screams and vociferous chattering, 
which were calculated to appal such timorous 
persons as we rnay have had in our caravan. 
All their screeching and whooping, however, 
had no effect—they could not make our ani- 
mals break from the enclosure of the wagons, 
in which they were fortunately shut up; 
which was — doubt their principal object for 
attacki 
I cannot F tathens recording a most daring 
feat performed by a Mexican muleteer, named 
Antonio Chavez, during the hottest of the first 
onset. Seeing the danger of my two favorite 
riding horses, which were tethered outside 
within a few paces of the savages, he rushed 
out and brought safely in the most valuable of 
the two, though fusil-balls were showering 
around him all the while. The other horse 
broke his halter and made his escape. 
Although sundry scores of shots had been 
fired at our people, we had only two men 
