KITTY EECArTURED. 



131 



j:o tlic main party next morning for a pair of strong miilcs, 

 pid oceuined tlie next tAvo days as best we couldj by examiii- 

 ag the country up and do^yn the river. The Pecos Yalley is 

 iltiyated from Anton Chico (twelve miles below om- crossing) 

 ') Fort Sumnerj and in many oj)cn places^ almost to its source, 



herever tliere is good bottom-land easily irrigated ; but below 



'u*t Sumner the larger proportion of the stream is shut up 

 canons as it passes through the sterile regions of the 

 lano Estacado. In the evening a Mexican brought us some 

 le large water-melons, onions, eggs, and fowls from his 

 rm, two miles off ; and told us that a body of fifty mounted 

 avajos (probably Mescalero Apaches) had made a raid on 

 uesta, seven miles distant, three days ago, and succeeded in 

 iving off some stock. "We, therefore, kept a strict watch 

 1 our animals, and suffered no harm. 



Next evening a well-kno^Ti voice and a splash in the 

 iter announced the return of Colton with a fine fat mule, 



id 



miser 



3 



chestnut mare, both 



arnessed. ^^Wliat," I cried out, ^4iave you brought us 



at for ? '' 

 yn horse !" 



WeU 



my Avorthy 



ddle. And sure enough it was Kitty back again, but so 

 ored from her fortnight's ill usage, that it was, indeed, 

 rd to recognise her, reduced to a skeleton, and covered with 



ust and harness^ The thief, a Mexican, had taken off her 



oes for fear of bemg tracked, and had ^^run' 

 les from Fort Union to his farm in the wilds, 

 r surveying parties, while examining the country 



'' her fifty 

 But one of 



ery 



azm 



familiar to her 



Seeing so 

 came un. 



01 



and was quickly recognised by 



lUiik. 



£ 2 



