Chap. XI. JESUS DOMINGUEZ. 363 
different scenes of their savage life, in the tones of 
their voices, their actions and expression ; and enjoyed 
the fun of frightening an occasional party by such 
acting, and then laughing at them. He had gained 
this exact knowledge of the Indian character during 
his captivity among them as a boy, and through fre- 
quent intercourse with them afterwards. His father and 
brother were murdered by the savages ; but he was so 
fortunate as to please Gomez, who at that time was the 
most dreaded chief of these savages in northern Mexico. 
Gomez became attached to the boy, gave him his freedom, 
and brought him back himself close to the town of Chi- 
huahua, where, in taking leave of him, he gave him the 
good advice to avoid the Apaches for the future. " When 
you are on a journey," said the old chief to him, " avoid 
the road. Find a path a few hundred yards from the 
road, for there the Apache lies in ambush and will kill 
you." Jesus Dominguez had, however, evidently Indian 
blood in his veins. His complexion was dark brown, and 
his black hair hung straight and stiff about his broad 
face. 
We left Chihuahua on the afternoon of the 3rd of 
February, and took the road to Santa Ysabel, a small 
town or village, lying about thirty miles to the south of 
the capital. Immediately upon quitting the town, the road 
passed over rocks of porphyry and fragments of basalt, then 
through the worn and deeply-cut beds of torrents, which, 
though now dry, bring down floods from the mountains in 
the rainy season. Even here the traveller must be on his 
guard, for many a poor unarmed woodcutter has been shot 
here by some concealed Indian, while harmlessly following 
his loaded mule. This evening we had accomplished but 
twelve miles, and bivouacked close to the buildings of the 
i 
