Chap. XI. EETUEN TO CHIHUAHUA. 389 
Guillermo had here a debtor, whom he would have gladly 
brought away as a peon ; but the man refused to go, and 
the judge before whom the matter was brought decided in 
his favour. The whole business, with the judge's decision, 
was settled in an hour. 
In passing the notorious Bajio del Chato, we had a 
slight alarm. A flock of geese and cranes rising in the 
distance made us think that they had been disturbed by 
Apaches. Our infantry, consisting of Natividad and 
Guadalupe, was quickly armed, and our cavalry, consisting 
of Dominguez, sent on to reconnoitre. He was at once in 
his true element. Throwing his hat into the carriage, and 
binding a red kerchief about his rough hair, he set spurs 
to his horse, and with his rifle in his hand galloped directly 
towards the suspicious spot. A depression in the ground 
hid him from our sight, when sidewards at some little 
distance we saw a horseman who, with violent gestures, 
made us all sorts of incomprehensible signs. As, from his 
position, he could see our servant, we felt sure that he had 
fallen into the hands of the Indians. We could not desert 
him. Don Guillermo drove furiously, and our foot 
soldiers followed breathless, as fast as they could. But, 
when we reached our man, he was standing quietly near a 
stranger who had spoken to him on the road. It was this 
person who had startled the geese and cranes and frightened 
us. But even such insignificant circumstances as these, 
are characteristic of a North Mexican journey. On the 
20th we arrived safe and well at Chihuahua, our journey 
having occupied seventeen days. 
