Captured by the Navajos | Page 7

to this we were startled by a loud whinny, a little
to the north, which was promptly answered by the black, and, looking
in that direction, we saw a cream-colored pony, with high-erected head,
looking anxiously in the direction of our captive.
"That seems to be a friend of your pony's," I said.
"Another beauty, too, sir! Can't we catch it for Henry?"
"Perhaps we can. It seems inclined to stay by this one. I see all the

other loose ponies have joined the Indians. But wait now until we look
over the field."
We now turned our attention to the prostrate bodies of the fallen enemy.
All were dead.
The body of El Ebano, clad in black buck-skin, ornamented with a
profusion of silver buttons, chains, and bracelets, lay face upward, his
resolute, handsome countenance still in the embrace of death. I told the
men we would give him and his comrades a warrior's burial on the
morrow, and returned to camp to make it defensible against a possible
night attack.
The advantage of numbers was decidedly on the side of the Indians,
and I felt if they could show the firmness and dash of white men our
chances of repelling a resolute attack were small. Counting the
Mexicans and the boys, we numbered but forty-eight, to their three
hundred or more.
We were in the centre of a large valley, with no knowledge of our
surroundings nor with any way out except the road by which we had
entered. Should we leave the protection of our ridge and cabins and
take to the open valley we should be at the mercy of our foes.
Even supposing we could pass out of the valley unmolested, there were
the forests and defiles, filled with natural ambuscades. We could not
hope to pass them and reach the Rio Grande alive.
Only a few hours of daylight remained. Whatever was to be done in
preparation for defence must be done at once.
In the wood-yard there were tiers of dry pine-logs, many of them four
feet in diameter, and all about twenty feet long. With drag ropes and by
rolling we conveyed them to the points of the ridge and to each end of
the guard-house, and erected effective barricades.
While this work was going on the two boys were busy in an attempt to
capture the cream-colored pony. Frank led the black towards it, while

Henry rattled the contents of a measure of corn and coaxed the
cream-color in a tongue foreign to that with which the animals were
familiar to approach and partake of it. Tired at last of what seemed a
vain attempt, the young corporal set the box before the black, which at
once began to munch the crackling corn, and the other pony, attracted
by the sound, trotted up and placed her nose beside her friend's.
Instantly its bridle-rein was seized, and the lads uttered a shout of
triumph and led the prizes to the stable.
From the top of the ridge I looked occasionally through my field-glass
at the enemy. They still continued well to the south on the western side
of the brook. They had dismounted and appeared to be carrying on an
animated consultation.
After a considerable interval of time, four of their number mounted,
and, collecting the ten beeves, mule, and burro, which had been grazing
near by, drove them up and down in front of the camp, beyond rifle
range. They made gestures for us to come and take them--an invitation
which, for obvious reasons, I declined to accept. I quite agreed with
Private Tom Clary, who, as he placed his brawny shoulder to a big log
to roll it up the slope, remarked to his "bunky," Private George Hoey,
"That's an invitation, begorra, I don't fale loike acciptin'."
"Ye'd niver make yer t'ilet for anither assimbly if ye did, Tom. I don't
think the lutinint will risk the comp'ny's hair in that way," replied Hoey.
To have attempted to recover our stock would have necessitated a
division of our force, and the main body of the Navajos stood ready to
dash in and cut off a party making such a reckless move.
This was what they had originally attempted to accomplish, as I heard
years afterwards from a chief who took part in the raid.
Failing to draw us out in pursuit of our lost stock, the Navajos moved
slowly away in the deepening dusk to a point close against the forest on
the eastern side of the valley and nearly opposite our camp. There they
built a row of five fires, which soon became, in the darkness, the only
evidence of their presence.

I caused the sentinels to be increased, and, after dressing the wounds of
the men and removing a bullet from