return I will make that good."
"Oh! that's fair enough, captain," cried several voices.
"Let it be understood, then, no women nor children. The plunder you shall have, it is yours by our laws, but no blood that can be spared. There is enough on our hands already. Do you all bind yourselves to this?"
"Yes, yes!" "Si!" "Oui, oui!" "Ya, ya!" "All!" "Todos, todos!" cried a multitude of voices, each man answering in his own language.
"Let those who do not agree to it speak."
A profound silence followed this proposal. All had bound themselves to the wishes of their leader.
"I am glad that you are unanimous. I will now state my purpose fully. It is but just you should know it."
"Ay, let us know that," muttered Kirker, "if tain't to raise har we're goin'."
"We go, then, to seek for our friends and relatives, who for years have been captives to our savage enemy. There are many among us who have lost kindred, wives, sisters, and daughters."
A murmur of assent, uttered chiefly by men in Mexican costume, testified to the truth of this statement.
"I myself," continued Seguin, and his voice slightly trembled as he spoke, "am among that number. Years, long years ago, I was robbed of my child by the Navajoes. I have lately learned that she is still alive, and at their head town with many other white captives. We go, then, to release and restore them to their friends and homes."
A shout of approbation broke from the crowd, mingled with exclamations of "Bravo!" "We'll fetch them back!" "Vive le capitaine!" "Viva el gefe!"
When silence was restored, Seguin continued-
"You know our purpose. You have approved it. I will now make known to you the plan I had designed for accomplishing it, and listen to your advice."
Here the chief paused a moment, while the men remained silent and waiting.
"There are three passes," continued he at length, "by which we might enter the Indian country from this side. There is, first, the route of the Western Puerco. That would lead us direct to the Navajo towns."
"And why not take that way?" asked one of the hunters, a Mexican. "I know the route well, as far as the Pecos towns."
"Because we could not pass the Pecos towns without being seen by Navajo spies. There are always some of them there. Nay, more," continued Seguin, with a look that expressed a hidden meaning, "we could not get far up the Del Norte itself before the Navajoes would be warned of our approach. We have enemies nearer home."
"Carrai! that is true," said a hunter, speaking in Spanish.
"Should they get word of our coming, even though the warriors had gone southward, you can see that we would have a journey for nothing."
"True, true!" shouted several voices.
"For the same reason, we cannot take the pass of Polvidera. Besides, at this season, there is but little prospect of game on either of these routes. We are not prepared for an expedition with our present supply. We must pass through a game-country before we can enter on the desert."
"That is true, captain; but there is as little game to be met if we go by the old mine. What other road, then, can we take?"
"There is still another route better than all, I think. We will strike southward, and then west across the Llanos to the old mission. From thence we can go north into the Apache country."
"Yes, yes; that is the best way, captain."
"We will have a longer journey, but with advantages. We will find the wild cattle or the buffaloes upon the Llanos. Moreover, we will make sure of our time, as we can `cache' in the Pinon Hills that overlook the Apache war-trail, and see our enemies pass out. When they have gone south, we can cross the Gila, and keep up the Azul or Prieto. Having accomplished the object of our expedition, we may then return homeward by the nearest route."
"Bravo!" "Viva!" "That's jest right, captain!"
"That's clarly our best plan!" were a few among the many forms by which the hunters testified their approval of the programme. There was no dissenting voice. The
"Oh! that's fair enough, captain," cried several voices.
"Let it be understood, then, no women nor children. The plunder you shall have, it is yours by our laws, but no blood that can be spared. There is enough on our hands already. Do you all bind yourselves to this?"
"Yes, yes!" "Si!" "Oui, oui!" "Ya, ya!" "All!" "Todos, todos!" cried a multitude of voices, each man answering in his own language.
"Let those who do not agree to it speak."
A profound silence followed this proposal. All had bound themselves to the wishes of their leader.
"I am glad that you are unanimous. I will now state my purpose fully. It is but just you should know it."
"Ay, let us know that," muttered Kirker, "if tain't to raise har we're goin'."
"We go, then, to seek for our friends and relatives, who for years have been captives to our savage enemy. There are many among us who have lost kindred, wives, sisters, and daughters."
A murmur of assent, uttered chiefly by men in Mexican costume, testified to the truth of this statement.
"I myself," continued Seguin, and his voice slightly trembled as he spoke, "am among that number. Years, long years ago, I was robbed of my child by the Navajoes. I have lately learned that she is still alive, and at their head town with many other white captives. We go, then, to release and restore them to their friends and homes."
A shout of approbation broke from the crowd, mingled with exclamations of "Bravo!" "We'll fetch them back!" "Vive le capitaine!" "Viva el gefe!"
When silence was restored, Seguin continued-
"You know our purpose. You have approved it. I will now make known to you the plan I had designed for accomplishing it, and listen to your advice."
Here the chief paused a moment, while the men remained silent and waiting.
"There are three passes," continued he at length, "by which we might enter the Indian country from this side. There is, first, the route of the Western Puerco. That would lead us direct to the Navajo towns."
"And why not take that way?" asked one of the hunters, a Mexican. "I know the route well, as far as the Pecos towns."
"Because we could not pass the Pecos towns without being seen by Navajo spies. There are always some of them there. Nay, more," continued Seguin, with a look that expressed a hidden meaning, "we could not get far up the Del Norte itself before the Navajoes would be warned of our approach. We have enemies nearer home."
"Carrai! that is true," said a hunter, speaking in Spanish.
"Should they get word of our coming, even though the warriors had gone southward, you can see that we would have a journey for nothing."
"True, true!" shouted several voices.
"For the same reason, we cannot take the pass of Polvidera. Besides, at this season, there is but little prospect of game on either of these routes. We are not prepared for an expedition with our present supply. We must pass through a game-country before we can enter on the desert."
"That is true, captain; but there is as little game to be met if we go by the old mine. What other road, then, can we take?"
"There is still another route better than all, I think. We will strike southward, and then west across the Llanos to the old mission. From thence we can go north into the Apache country."
"Yes, yes; that is the best way, captain."
"We will have a longer journey, but with advantages. We will find the wild cattle or the buffaloes upon the Llanos. Moreover, we will make sure of our time, as we can `cache' in the Pinon Hills that overlook the Apache war-trail, and see our enemies pass out. When they have gone south, we can cross the Gila, and keep up the Azul or Prieto. Having accomplished the object of our expedition, we may then return homeward by the nearest route."
"Bravo!" "Viva!" "That's jest right, captain!"
"That's clarly our best plan!" were a few among the many forms by which the hunters testified their approval of the programme. There was no dissenting voice. The
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