"You may ask, _senor_, how I came to be witness of all these outrages.
Was I not speared like my companions? Was I not, like them, killed upon
the spot! I answer, no. I was still alive; and I might almost say
uninjured. True I had been beaten and bruised in the struggle--for I
had made an impotent effort at defending myself--but they had not killed
me. I was for a time stunned, and senseless; but my senses returned
before the fray was over; and I was a witness to the closing scene. It
was then I saw the young girls in the act of being hurried off by their
captors. It was then my heart was wrung, by the spectacle of Gabriella
struggling in the arms of the chief. I was helpless to interfere. I
was prostrate upon the earth, and held fast in the gripe of two brawny
savages--one kneeling on each side of me. I expected them at every
instant to put an end to my life. I awaited the final blow--either the
stroke of a tomahawk or the thrust of a spear. I only wondered they
were delaying my death. My wonders ceased, when I at length got my eyes
on the face of the Apache chief--which up to that moment I had not seen.
Then I recognised an old enemy, whom I had encountered on the plains;
and I saw that the recognition was mutual. This explained why they had
not finished me on the spot. I was spared only to suffer some more
horrible mode of death.
"It was not long till I was made acquainted with their intention. I saw
the chief telegraph some order to the Indians who guarded me; which one
of the latter hastened to execute. A lazo was looped around my ankle,
and carried out. The other end of it was made fast to the tail of a
horse; after which the Indian leaped upon the back of the animal. The
other also mounted his own horse; and the whole troop appeared ready to
gallop off. I could see that the savages were hastening their
departure. There was but a small band of them; and, as the place was
near a large town, they had reason to fear pursuit. Those of our party
who had escaped would return at once to the town--where troops were
stationed at the time. This explained to me the hurried movements the
Indians were making. _Carrambo, senor_! I had not much opportunity to
reflect on the chances of our being rescued by our friends. I saw what
the savages intended for me; and that was sufficient to occupy all my
thoughts. I was to be dragged at the tail of a horse!
"Yes, _cavallero_! and the infernal design was instantly carried into
execution; for in a moment after, the chief gave the signal to ride
forward, and the whole troop went off at a gallop. He to whose croup I
was attached was last in the line; and, consequently, I was trailed
along without coming in contact with the others--the long lazo
separating me from his horse by a distance of more than a dozen yards.
Fortunately the ground over which they dragged me, was free from rocks
or other inequalities--else I should have been torn to pieces. It
chanced to be a smooth, grassy sward; and protected by my leathern
_jaqueta_ and _calzoneros_, I was less injured than one might expect.
It was my ankle that suffered most--for the loop soon slipped down below
the joint, and nearly drew the bone out of its socket. That, _senor_,
is how I came to be `_un cojo_' as you see."
With a bitter smile the speaker pointed to his deformed foot, and then
continued:--"Well--I suppose it would have killed me in the end: since
the smooth turf did not extend far in the direction the savages were
taking. But just then an idea came into my head, that gave me some hope
of being able to relieve myself from my perilous situation. After the
first hundred yards or so had been passed over, I saw that the savages
had ceased to pay any attention to me. They were all too eager to hurry
onward; besides, they were occupied with the women captives. It
occurred to me, that if I could only get my foot free from the noose, I
might part company with my captors, without any of them perceiving it.
I remembered that I had a knife in my pocket; and, as my hands had been
left free, I believed that I could get my fingers upon it,
notwithstanding the rapid rate at which I was being jerked over the
ground. I tried to get out my knife, and succeeded. As good luck would
have it, just then, the path on which my captors were travelling,
narrowed between two groves of timber--forming a kind of avenue or lane.
Through this the troop had to pass in Indian file--my particular
horseman still keeping in the rear. While going through, the gallop of
the horses was interrupted--or at least their pace was greatly
slackened--the rearmost of the band being thrown almost into a walk.
This gave me the opportunity I desired; and, making an effort, I doubled
my body over on itself--until I was able to reach the lazo beyond my
foot. A single cut of my keen blade severed the thong; and I was
detached on the instant. With anxious gaze I looked after the
retreating horsemen: fearing they would see what I had done, gallop
back, and spear me where I lay; but to my great joy I saw them ride on,
till the last of them was out of sight. Yes, _cavallero_!" continued
the narrator, "I saw the last horse, and the very tail to which I had
been attached, pass out of sight. No doubt the horse knew what had
happened, but not his rider. Not one of the whole troop appeared to
have any suspicion that there was aught amiss--until I had crawled into
the bushes, and got some distance from the path. Then I could hear
them, as they galloped back, and rode whooping through the thicket in
search of me. _Carrambo, senor_! I then felt more anxious than ever.
Up to that time I had no thought of anything else than being rubbed out.
I had been certain of it, from the first moment of the attack upon our
party. Now, however, I had conceived a hope that I might escape, and
return to the rescue of Gabriella. To be captured the second time would
have been ten times more disagreeable than at first--when there was no
opportunity either to hope for safety, or to reflect on the means of
securing it. Now that a chance of life had offered itself, I was doubly
fearful of losing it. I could make but little headway--so much was I
disabled--but half hobbling, half crawling, I worked on through the
thicket in the direction of the town. I could hear the savages beating
the bushes behind; and every moment I expected to have them upon me.
They would in time have traced, and overtaken me; but perhaps they cared
not much for the capture. They had secured the booty they most prized;
and, probably, reflected that, by wasting time in searching for me, they
might risk losing it again. For this, or some other reason, they gave
up the search; and I could tell by their voices, heard at a greater
distance, that they were riding off. Without staying to assure myself,
I limped on to the town--which I reached at length. Two of my friends,
who had escaped at the first onslaught, had got there before me. The
news of the sad disaster had spread like a prairie fire. The whole
population was excited by the outrage; for the young girls made captives
had many friends and relations in the place. So also the men who had
been murdered. The troops were summoned to arms. It chanced to be a
squadron of lancers--one of the best then in the service of the
government--and these, along with about a hundred volunteers, all
mounted, rode forth in pursuit of the savages. Notwithstanding that my
wounded ankle pained me exceedingly, I was able to accompany them on
horseback. _Americano_! I fear my narrative may be wearying you; and
therefore I shall not enter into the particulars of the pursuit.
Sufficient to say, that we succeeded in overtaking the ravishers. It
was near midnight when we came up with them. We found them in their
camp, with huge fires blazing all over the ground. We approached within
pistol range before any alarm was given. They had been carousing on
_mezcal_, and were keeping no guard. The bright blaze showed us how
they had been occupied. The women sat here and there, many of them
lying prostrate upon the earth. Their torn garments and dishevelled air
betokened that a sad catastrophe had befallen them! We could bear the
sight no longer. With hearts full of vengeance, both soldiers and
citizens rushed upon the base despoilers; and the work of retribution
began. Gabriella had been the first to become aware of our advance;
and, springing to her feet, had bounded beyond the reach of her captors,
and was running outward to meet us. _Ay de mi_! it was the last race of
her life. An Indian arrow shot after was too quick for her; and,
pierced through and through, she fell dying into my arms. _Pobrecita_!
She kissed me with her parting breath, and then expired. Ah! _senor_,
that was a kiss of death!" A long deep-drawn sigh, and the drooping
attitude into which the speaker had fallen, told me that he had ended
his narrative. Out of respect to the sacredness of his sorrow, I
forbore questioning him farther at the time. It was only afterwards
that I learnt from him some additional particulars: how most of the
savages were slain upon the spot, and the captive girls rescued; but,
although escaping with lifer they had all been the victims of barbarian
lust, that brought more than one of them to an early grave! A wild tale
it may appear; and, although we may term it a _romance of New Mexico_,
its counterpart is not the less an oft-recurring _reality_ in that
unhappy land.